'My column at the News of the World' blog discussion

Hern

Paulgonnabedebtfree wrote: »

That was a very powerful post. I'm pleased you made the distinction between berating Martin for the sake of it but leaned towards offering good counsel.
Did your association with the media involve writing for them? I certainly get that feeling.

Thanks, Paul.

The answer to your question is: yes. For many years.

Not as a freelance. Not as a sub. And certainly not as a 'production editor' wheeled out on Sky News today to say he never knew, during his time at the NOTW, that this kind of alleged 'appalling' behaviour had gone on.

Well, er, that's right. A production editor has nothing to do with news gathering or editorial decisions or reporter assignments. So any Production Editor's contribution to the debate, whether or not -- as in this case -- he appears to be yet another 'professor of journalism', is irrelevant.

Those who know how tabloids work are those who made 'em work: Editors, News Editors, Picture Editors, reporters and photographers.

And they make 'em work collectively. Knowledge is not the monopoly of one individual. Nor is the kind of self-generated 'story' which the NOTW resourced with, of all things, some private eye with a knack of busting into peoples' voice mails, a story which magically appears in print. It is -- if a story created by a Sunday tabloid -- devised, progressed, resourced, and re-checked in a process of editorial conferences held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays every week in the office of The Editor himself / herself. And if its publication is delayed one week, then it's carried forward to the next, and remains on the agenda of all those conferences, of all those senior people, in the office of The Editor.

(Unless, as seems to be the case being argued by News International in general and Rebekah Brooks in particular, the News of The World operated an entirely different protocol and the poor hapless Editor knew nothing about anything until, surprise, surprise, the story was mysteriously all over page 1.)

Contributing columnists, by contrast, haven't a clue (sorry, Martin, but it's best to be honest here.)

Those who already have a media profile, but not a media base, are hired by tabloids (though not necessarily by broadsheets) because it's thought they bring along with them their own audience, one that will swell the tabloid's existing circulation. If it looks like they haven't brought anything to the party, then goodbye, columnist -- whether you were eloquent, honest, insightful or not. You're just a currency for us to spend until time and circumstance devalues it.

And just a final caveat: although it's easy, and understandable, for anyone to think all journalists are tarred with the same brush, the truth is rather different: I was certainly not alone in being a highly-paid staff journalist who could easily have gone for even more loot to the NOTW. But I didn't. Neither did many of my colleagues. We regarded the paper as a sleaze-filled comic. We still do.

Quite why Martin ever got himself associated with it continues to baffle me.

MikeyMacbeth

Nope, doesn't wash for me either.

Shame. I'd expected better.

There was an oppurtunity to make a stand and make a real difference, now gone.

richardw

5pm update could be

"Update to blog, 5pm 7 July 2011

I’ve decided to take some time to think through calmly and listen to the facts as they develop – while I do so I won’t be writing for the paper."

dirtysexymonkey

so much for 'While some advertisers can say they’ll “suspend their ads” but will for all likelihood be back within weeks or months once the heat is off, that doesn’t work for me.'

thats exactly what youve just done martin. its shameful. you should make a stand like dave gorman and others.

Stryder

I think many would welcome Martins intention to suspend his article. I am sure for many it is enough, but his slow response, Sunday's article and his initial blog statement will have damaged his reputation, probably for some, permanently. The idea of him not sleeping and making a moral decision, and not acknowledging the tsunami of members opinion, is a little insincere.

I personally feel many people have had some doubts to the website management, expressed frequently in the complaints about the promotion of the "3x Tesco Clubcard", and myself had a very good deal censored as it was on Magic Freebies site and obviously competing. However, I feel that the website has grown to be a business and no longer the peoples champions. I do not use the site except for the forums for this reason. However, as a forum it is reasonably well managed and maintained.

I feel Martins recent choices will reaffirm this kind of feeling, and will move him into the business world more than a consumer champion. More Branson than Rantzen. With his profits raising this may be fine, but this is the reality of situation. I hope that rather than waiting for the storm to calm, Martin chooses to restructure his media profile on more stable ground and reassess both the direction he is moving in and the ethos of the website.

It is hard to be a consumer champion and make money out of the same businesses ... but finding the right balance will reward him in the long term more than any temporary financial arrangements.

DuckEggGingham

Martin wont be working for them ever again!

Breaking news is that this week's News of the world is the last ever one!

I wonder if its because there are even more disgusting ( if possible) leaks to come.

Mallotum_X

Well done Martin, Having just read your updated Blog, you are doing the right thing. Whilst it would have been better to have come to that conclusion yesterday I for one am impressed that you have changed your position.

Well done.

KorkyKat

Your worries are over Martin.

4.39pm: Colin Myler will edit final edition and all the News of the World revenue will go to good causes, James Murdoch says in his statement.

4.38pm: James Murdoch is saying this Sunday's News of the World will be the final issue.

4.38pm: Sunday will be the last issue of the News of the World.

The Guardian

dirtysexymonkey

doesnt matter now. news of the world will be no more after sunday.

verityboo

Mallotum_X wrote: »

Well done Martin, Having just read your updated Blog, you are doing the right thing. Whilst it would have been better to have come to that conclusion yesterday I for one am impressed that you have changed your position.

Well done.

But he hasn't really changed position - he is still writing in this Sundays edition