- Not Wynning ways - 21st November 2024
- Winning the race…. - 20th November 2024
- More turbulence - 19th November 2024
Here our Editor Phil Parry looks at the importance in journalism of providing original material not ‘sharing’ it from other outlets, after revelations that reports in new Welsh media services bear striking similarities to others which can be accessed for free.
Earlier he has described how he was helped to break into the South Wales Echo office car when he was a cub reporter, recalled his early career as a journalist, the importance of experience in the job, and making clear that the ‘calls’ to emergency services as well as court cases are central to any media operation.
He has also explored how poorly paid most journalism is when trainee reporters had to live in squalid flats, the vital role of expenses, and about one of his most important stories on the now-scrapped 53 year-old BBC Cymru Wales TV Current Affairs series he presented for 10 years, Week In Week Out (WIWO), which won an award even after it was axed, long after his career really took off.
Phil has explained too how crucial it is actually to speak to people, the virtue of speed as well as accuracy, why knowledge of ‘history’ is vital, how certain material was removed from TV Current Affairs programmes when secret cameras had to be used, and some of those he has interviewed.
He has also disclosed why investigative journalism is needed now more than ever although others have different opinions, and how information from trusted sources is crucial at this time of crisis.
It is an iron rule of journalism that copy should be original and not ‘shared’ from other publications.
Yet it appears a new information service for Wales called The News Wales (TNW) (the ‘pilot’ for which was wished “Best of luck” by Welsh Government (WG) minister Lee Waters) may be doing just that.
It is run by controversial ‘comedian’ Huw Marshall who made sick ‘jokes’ about a murdering gunman, used bad language to abuse prominent politicians on Twitter, and was placed under police investigation.
What makes it worse is that the material in question can be read for free elsewhere, while Mr Marshall is seeking pledges from the public of hundreds of pounds for his offering.
This was the article two days ago in The Leader based in North Wales: “NORTH Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones is standing down.
“Mr Jones, the region’s second ever police and crime commissioner, has announced he will be retiring at the next election whenever it is held.
“The former police inspector swept to victory on a Plaid Cymru ticket in 2016 – with a thumping 25,000 majority.
“According to Mr Jones, it was one of the proudest moments of his life when he was elected to lead the police force he had served for 30 years, both in uniform and as a detective” etc.
This was the article in TNW yesterday: “NORTH Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones is standing down.
“Mr Jones, the region’s second ever police and crime commissioner, has announced he will be retiring at the next election whenever it is held.
“The former police inspector swept to victory on a Plaid Cymru ticket in 2016 – with a thumping 25,000 majority.
“According to Mr Jones, it was one of the proudest moments of his life when he was elected to lead the police force he had served for 30 years, both in uniform and as a detective” etc.
In fact the two items are exactly the same throughout, yet TNW underneath theirs says: Posted in Welsh News.
Sometimes the changes are minor, such as when Wrexham becomes Wrecsam.
This, once more, was The Leader: “WREXHAM Maelor Hospital is under “immense pressure” amid rising coronavirus cases, a doctor has warned. Dr Steve Stanaway, medical director at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, says his teams are dealing with “huge numbers” of cases – which have grown by 86 per cent since Christmas. Speaking to ITV Wales News, Dr Stanaway said the hospital is currently dealing with 108 cases, 11 of which are patients in critical care …” etc.
This was Mr Marshall’s TNW: “Wrecsam Maelor Hospital is under “immense pressure” amid rising coronavirus cases, a doctor has warned. Dr Steve Stanaway, medical director at Wrecsam Maelor Hospital, says his teams are dealing with “huge numbers” of cases – which have grown by 86 per cent since Christmas. Speaking to ITV Wales News, Dr Stanaway said the hospital is currently dealing with 108 cases, 11 of which are patients in critical care…” etc.
Yet these are not the only examples.
This was the piece in The Powys County Times from the Press Association (PA):“A former Welsh Conservative Party leader has been criticised for equating protesters at the US Capitol to those who supported a second referendum on Brexit.
“Andrew RT Davies, now the Welsh Conservatives health spokesman, responded to a tweet by Sir Keir Starmer, in which the Labour leader described the “horrendous scenes” in Washington DC as “a direct attack on democracy and legislators carrying out the will of the American people”.
“Quoting the tweet, Mr Davies wrote: “To be honest I’m not sure you’re in the strongest position right now given you campaigned to overturn democracy and the will of the British people” etc.
This was the piece in TNW: “A former leader of the Welsh Conservative Party has been criticised for equating protesters at the US Capitol to those who supported a second referendum on Brexit.
“Andrew RT Davies, now the Welsh Conservatives health spokesman, responded to a tweet by Sir Keir Starmer, in which the Labour leader described the “horrendous scenes” in Washington DC as “a direct attack on democracy and legislators carrying out the will of the American people”.
“Quoting the tweet, Mr Davies wrote: “To be honest I’m not sure you’re in the strongest position right now given you campaigned to overturn democracy and the will of the British people” etc.
Meanwhile Mr Marshall himself ‘tweeted’ perhaps sarcastically that there was “massive news on the way….” a few hours after The Eye revealed the endorsement of his ‘pilot’ by a WG cabinet minister.
Of course it cannot be proved the two are connected, but the timing seems suspicious.
Yet it appears Mr Marshall’s TNW may not be alone. This, again, is The Leader: “Figures show that of the 5,425 full-tme Welsh Government jobs, zero are based in Flintshire – Wales’ sixth largest council.
“Meanwhile, the devolved administration employs one staff member based in Dubai, one in Paris, one in Tokyo and two people in Washington.
“Across the six North Wales counties, fewer than ten per cent of Welsh Government jobs are based in the region”.
This was the nationalist website Nation.Cymru (NC) Edited by the controversial ‘journalist’ teacher at Bangor University (BU) Ifan Morgan Jones: “Figures show that of the 5,425 full-time Welsh Government jobs, zero are based in Flintshire – Wales’ sixth largest council.
“Meanwhile, the devolved administration employs one staff member based in Dubai, one in Paris, one in Tokyo and two people in Washington.
“Across the six North Wales counties, fewer than ten per cent of Welsh Government jobs are based in the region”.
Is this original journalism or simply material that is being ‘shared’ from other publications?
No stories like this are found on The Eye!
Phil’s memories of his astonishing decades-long award-winning career in journalism (when providing original stories was all-important) as he was gripped by the rare disabling condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order the book now!
