links for 2009-07-03

A definitive set of notes from the #activate09 day

Journalist or politician, Paul Staines wishes a plague on both our houses...

...and Michael White's withering response. One of the comments in the previous piece likens Paul Staines to Ben Elton. Whilst the opposite tribe are in power, he is an effective attack dog, but one who'll find himself muzzled once 'his side' gets in.

"This case shows some of the strengths of self-regulation: a successfully resolved complaint, a complaint submitted by a third party, a prominent correction offline and a free service for the complainants. However, it also shows the unresolved difficulties of correcting articles sufficiently quickly, making corrections to stories online, and the problems associated with making sure the right people are held to account."

"When I first read this allegation in Private Eye I admit, in my naïve way, I was unconvinced. I’m aware that news organisations have, for a very long time, published articles that bear a remarkable similiarity to agency copy with a byline from one of their own journalists. But inventing non-existent journalists is a step on from this. Would the Telegraph, the newspaper that was so – rightly – aghast at the improprieties of MPs create fictional correspondents? Wouldn’t that be potentially pretty embarrassing?"