13 February, 2016. 12:23
ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Coming just days after Wikipedia outlawed the use of Daily Mail articles on their website, the editor of The Daily Telegraph has taken the time to remind his reporters that fact-checking is also a part of being a journalist.
Concerned that his newspaper may face a similar fate to that of the Daily Mail, editor Chris Dore called a meeting with journalists this afternoon to instruct them that their articles must contain some element of truth.
“We’re in the business of news and unfortunately, that means there’s an onus on us to be factual and unbiased – no matter how loony the left is,” said Dore.
“That means, ladies and gentleman, we must change our ways if we are to survive. I don’t want to see us held in a similar vein to the Daily Mail. [Rupert] Murdoch has also made it clear that he doesn’t want to see us head down the same road as Fairfax, either – constantly being six months away from going cunt up is not good for the shareholders.”
One of those senior reporters present in that meeting took the time to explain to The Advocate this afternoon just what the ramifications are for him and his colleagues, now they’ve been instructed to be more honest.
Stating categorically for the record that things are already quite grim at the paper, things are only set to get worse.
“There’s a reason why every reporter in the building calls a story a ‘yarn’ – because that’s what they are. Yarns. You never let a bit of lefty PC truth get in the way of a good yarn,” he said.
“If you want to feel good about yourself, go read something by that stickybeak fun-sucker Kate McClymont. If you want to be entertained, engaged and a little bit ticked off, pick up a Tele.”
“We shouldn’t be treated like criminals, we’re writers.”
More to come.
