Monday 28 July 2008

Scooped

On Wednesday 23rd July, this blog featured the news of the forthcoming Isra'a wal Miraaj holiday falling on Thursday (it was broadly expected on Wednesday), quoting Arabic daily Al Bayan. Gulf News finally ran it today. That's a five-day delta!

I have a new curse for journalists: May you be scooped by bloggers!

I have now, sad to say, amused myself.

11 comments:

sea life said...

Thanks for info. I'm looking forward for an extended weekend :)

Anonymous said...

The announcenent of a holiday for the public sector was made, and reported in all the papers and their websites, last Wednesday.
It was announced only yesterday by the government that it would be extended to private sector companies - hence today's stories. Hardly a scoop, I'm afraid.

Anonymous said...

Here's the link to the holiday announcement in Gulf News, dated July 23

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/07/23/10231196.html

Perhaps you should do some research before being so smug.

Alexander said...

You know what? I was just messing around in an amused and silly way. I'm really sorry either of you brave, anonymous people took it seriously.

But as you mention it: no the announcement did NOT run in the English papers last Wednesday. So why don't YOU tootle off and do some research?

Gulf News July 23rd Edition carried no announcement about the public holiday, although the Arabic Al Bayan did. I have the paper copy of GN in front of me. The GN website posted a WAM file at 4:48pm on the 23rd. Both GN and KT published the WAM news on the 24th regarding the public sector and today regarding the private sector.

Which is all rather pointless, it was never meant to be a serious post in the first place, let alone smug. I'm slightly concerned you bothered to rush off and look it up on GN at all, actually...

Alexander said...

BTW: Why not have the strength of character to SAY that you work at Gulf News???

Keef said...

Anon @1330 sounds like a bitofajerk.

sea life said...

The announcement was not done in any english newspaper!
How do you explain this dear "anonymous"?After I read Alexander's post, I informed my boss, my husband and our friends(english speaking, no clue for arabic).Nobody knew about!!!
Alexander, thanks a lot for info;it was a big help for my husband who had to reorganize a lot of things planned for thursday.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, I seem to have ruffled a few feathers.

In these days of multi-media, for me if it appears on a newspaper website then it is "in the newspaper" (merely a different edition ie web edition not print edition).

The public sector holiday was in Gulf News print edition last Thursday, on their web edition last Wednesday as the link in my original post shows.

Fake Plastic Souks claimed he had scooped the press by five days, which is false. That was my point. The private sector holiday was not annouced until Sunday.

And despite his accusation, no I do not work, and never have, worked for Gulf News.

And if I wish to remain anonymous, isn't that my right. If you don't like it, then don't allow anonymous postings on your blog.

My comments were a personal observation, not on behalf of any company or anyone else. Many journalists here are easy enough targets anyway, but to claim falsely that they were five days behind the game on this one was simply incorrect.

Alexander said...

I was messing around. Surely you're not going to get this engaged by a silly person messing around? Scoop GN? A daft blog wiht no news credentials or agenda competing with GN on scoops? Are you truly going to take that seriously? You must be terribly insecure!

Anyone leaves a comment on this blog, I get their IP and the time of their visit/comment. Yours keeps matching Gulf News' - are you just using their network?

My name is not 'Fake Plastic Souks' - a mistake GN does tend to make. My name is Alexander. It's my real name, BTW, and my ID is not in any way disguised.

In these days of multimedia, suggesting that a post on your website is the same as being 'in the paper' is a tad disingenuous, no?

And Al Bayan (which I quoted) ran the news last Wednesday that the holiday would be Thursday - and didn't wait for the WAM announcement. GN and the other English papers did. Bayan, incidentally, did not differentiate in its piece as to whether the holiday, widely expected on Wednesday, was public or private sector. It wasn't until five days after that GN and KT both announced the holiday for the private sector.

Not my scoop, see. Al Bayan's...

Be anonymous if you must. But why? Surely better to be yourself. Use a handle, even.

Alexander said...

Oh. Suppose I'd better withdraw my Pulitzer nomination now...

Anonymous said...

The URL may match Gulf News but I work for Al Nisr Group, which is a huge company encompassing publishing, contract prrinting and publishing, distribution, radio, TV, newspapers and magazines, of which Gulf News is just one part. Hence the URL, which is used by teh whole company. I reiterate I do not and never have worked for Gulf News.

If you are just messing around as you claim, then why were you so bothered as to trace a URL and who it belongs to and then post a huge piece about blogging and how you are not anonymous ad infinitum?

Your actions hardly encourage freedom of expression as anonymous posters will now know that you will be trying to trace their identity.

And all because someone dared to point out that you might have been wrong. What was I thinking? Good god the great Alexander can't possibly be wrong, can he? Anybody who dares to say so will be traced and their identity exposed in public. Boo hoo, I'm so scared. Try growing up. Or joining the police if you want to be a detective. Lord knows they need some.

Goodbye.

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