I'm D-Notice and I live in London.
What will you be writing about?
If my blog is anything to go on, politics and civil liberties, which despite the Sun's
When Tim announced the site, I expressed an interest in the task as the Sun's coverage of pretty much everything needs to be commented on and for it to be compiled into one place seems the best way of doing it.
It also stems from a general antipathy towards what passes as “journalism” and “journalistic integrity” in the UK's best-selling tabloid newspaper.
Why have you chosen your specific beat and/or what skills and expertise can you bring to it?
My opposition to the Sun's position on civil liberties mainly stems from how it covered Blair's plans to have 90 days detention in a police cell before they would have to get around to charging people with something like shoplifting... In the run-up to the Parliamentary vote, the Sun's front page coverage consisted of using pictures of the survivors in a propaganda ploy to get the public's support (the picture was of someone who was opposed and of whom the Sun didn't seek his permission to use his image); then it went to personal attacks on David Cameron and David Davies then on the morning after the vote – which Blair lost – the Sun's front cover consisted of the word “Traitors” in big letters with a picture of Abu Hamza.
The Sun had a similar way of covering the recent debate into the extension of detention without charge to 42 days. Again the Sun supported it whole-heartedly and resorted to name calling the people who were opposed it and was very happy when it passed the House of Commons.
There's also the fact that in David Davies' recent by-election at first the Sun slated him for resigning, and had articles ridiculing him only to withdraw the planned candidacy of their columnist (and ex-editor) Kelvin MacKenzie when they realised he had a lot of public support (first apparent here), despite the obvious denial that they could possibly have misread the situation.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to covering these areas and judging by what is usually covered by it, I'm expecting to be overloaded with potential posts (rod for my own back...)
1 comment:
90 days: I remember their sleight of hand with the poll figures most of all... but the "Traitors!" front page was a whopper.
I'm not sure if it's being fair or mean to point out that she had just been through some considerable personal difficulty in the week before this.
Welcome on board, D-Notice.
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