When A2 articles attack.
Those of you that have been following my scribbings in the broadsheets of late (and I know you're out there) may recall that some weeks ago I wrote a piece about attending a literary speed-dating event at the State Library and how hard it is to find love through novels but such a wondrous concept blah blah blah look at me I'm oh so clever and Carrie Bradshaw with tattoos LOVE ME OR DIE TRYING and so on.
On the night I was instructed by my editor not to tell anyone I was there to write a piece for the Age lest they clam up and somehow be less 'real', which had the odd effect of making me feel like an undercover spy as well as a bald-faced liar - particularly when I ran into someone I knew.
Paul: Oh! What are you doing here?
Me: I'm certainly not writing an article for the paper, if that's what you're asking.
Paul: Looking for love, eh?
Me: Yes, that's it.
Paul: (with interest) I didn't know you were single.
Me: Mm.
Paul: Would you like to have a drink afterwards?
Me: (eyes darting) ......... oh look, canapes.
********
So the article was published, my ma duly said the accompanying photograph was nice, world kept spinning etc.
A week later I received this question on Friday q and a:
Anonymous said...
Hey FM,
I stumbled (well not really stumbled, it was bit more intentional) on your blog and flipped through it. Of course I know you write quirkly well, I have read you on The Age. Without beating around the burning-bush anymore, I happened to read your piece on A2 last week on literary dating and my heart sank lower than Zimbabwe's currency. Why I hear you ask? Well I was one of the men who was there. Either one of, beautiful men with awful book or awful men with wonderful tomes. Or one who ended up trying to sell himself with a snooty book. I don't know which is worse, that you didn't pick me (duh!) or that I didn't get my 0.15seconds of anonymous fame in the piece. Yes, I wasn't mentioned in the piece! Damn, I will fire my PR Consultant.
I felt instantly guilty about this and racked my brains to figure out who it was and what I might've said or not said about them in the article. How horrible to breezily attend a speed dating night looking for love with a well-thumbed novel in hand, only to realise later that one of the dorky wenches at the table was secretly taking notes and going home to spill the beans on her laptop in the manner of Angela Lansbury during the Murder She Wrote opening titles. I'd be mortified if an evening's carousing was monitored by some grubby member of the press for their own immoral purposes, particularly if innocent flirtations were involved.
Then I had this conversation with my friend Fisho:
Fisho: So my sister ran into some guy and your name came up.
Me: Uh-oh.
Fisho: Remember in the article where you talked about the sleazy man who brought the pamphlet on Melbourne walks?
Me: Sure.
Fisho: You asked him if he was a rambler and he pointed at the pamphlet and said: 'No, but if you're free Saturday...'
Me: I swear he used that line on all the women, the devil.
Fisho: Well, Jackie met him. And apparently he was just roped in at the last minute by one of the organisers because they didn't have enough men. He bought the walks book on the way.
Me: Seriously?
Fisho: He couldn't think of what else to bring and he thought it would be funny.
Me: Oh my god.
Fisho: Then he read your article and you made him out to be a total slime who had planned the whole thing out in advance.
Me: That's awful.
Fisho: I know.
Beat.
Fisho: I wonder if he's going to come looking for you?
Me: Gee, thanks.
Fisho: Just saying.
***************
I'm giving up this journalism malarkey. It's only going to get me in trouble.
Well, more than usual.
282 days til the next election
Comments
We've all been lured by the siren song of cheap laughs. Sadly, like a poor pair of slacks, they always end up costing you more in the end.
this is turning into a bigger book fiasco than oprah-gate.
maybe snap judgements of people work better on blogs than immortalised in print.
yes, google cached for eternity is a FAR more attractive prospect, mr. rhymes with.
*cries*
*deletes*
*books plane to China*
p.s. wtf is Oprah-gate?
Pretty certain the 'oprah-gate' here refers to Oprah's brush with Dan Brown over his Da Vinci Code.
Ahhh.
You see how we learn together here?
OK, so perhaps in hindsight this particular lark may have turned out to be not such a good idea, but would it cheer you up at all to know that I have just enjoyed your BackChat column with the Australian Princess bit in it ? Can the winner's name really be Kylie Booby ? I mean, I can believe that people actually take Paul Burrell seriously, and that Jackie O really does have a brain, but come ON ! KYLIE BOOBY ? The Austin Powers character named Alotta Fagina is subtle in comparison (and you just have to read the Wikipedia entry on her, where they feel the need to inform us that "Her name is a joke on the phrase, "A lot of vagina".", as well as giving us the translation of the name in 10 different languages.
...and I think that Oprah-gate is actually related to her enthusiastic endorsement of the James Frey book "A Million Little Pieces", which subsequently turned out to be quite a lot less true than the author had originally claimed.
wait, so now there are TWO Oprah-gates?
Confucious.
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Ms Fitz, I saw you on the tram on the night of the speed dating.
P.S. Have to agree with some of your detractors re. BDO flag incident. Not a great look to abuse a kid for wearing a flag, then brag about it. friendly feedback.
I'll try that again. I really gotta learn some code.
bit matt stud:
Kylie Booby she sure is:
Kylie Booby Yarn
I used to work with a Phil McCafferty - true - but I never let him.
Duk.
I thought dear Pony Rhymer was inferring to the whole Jonathan Franzon thing.
Who knew Book Clubs could have so many 'Gates'?
Oh come on – I'm assuming it was a fluffy fun opinion piece on speed-dating. Did the guy come across as slimey? Yes. Did you write what you saw? Yes. Nothing to worry about.
I'm not really that worried, Dr Nic. Just needed something to blog about and thought that was mildly interesting.
Should I be giving away such trade secrets?
Great post here - though obviously a tad excruciating to experience. Oh well, I guess that's journalism for you. The A2 piece was gold, if it's any consolation. (And oddly, a friend of mine had just mentioned two days earlier that it would be a great idea to go to that event and write about it.)
For the record, I thought Oprah-gate meant Franzen, too.
Why did you breach your union code of ethics and not disclose that you were using this for a piece in a newspaper?
Just good manners, really.
Although, as we have seen recently, they aren't really your strong point are they?
Unless he was wearing a flag? In which case, all bets are off.
You southern chicks are so asexual and up yourself - not surprising living in a non-descript boozjwah hole like Melbourne. Your blog sucks! It's petty. Your grandad who I have conversed with would be turning in his fuckin' grave you ridiculous little twat!
um Coreman, to be frank, it IS called REASONS YOU WILL HATE ME. Get a clue numbfuck, we aren't composing a russian nocture here. Wow so you once said Hi to Frank Hardy. Wow. did I say that already??? go drown in a southern damn.
cs: She didn't breach any ethical code. It wasn't an interview. Journalists are under no ethical obligation to announce themselves at an event. In fact, I'm sure there have been thousands of events journalists have gone to and written about afterwards without standing up and saying 'Hi everybody I'm a journalist and I write for The Age'.
(AA meetings don't count).
Coreman:Your grandad who I have conversed with would be turning in his fuckin' grave you ridiculous little twat!
Name dropper- who's up themselves now?
Fits: next thing you'll be off to another swingers night- now that might cause some consternation...
thomasr
BTW I think I was the one who told you about the whole book-speed-dating thing. Blame me.
Anonymous - the code of ethics is quite clear (see below).
"8. Use fair, responsible and honest means to obtain material. Identify yourself and your employer before obtaining any interview for publication or broadcast. Never exploit a person’s vulnerability or ignorance of media practice."
That is, of course, unless you're saying that writing in The Age is not "for publication or broadcast".
Who?
No, I'm saying it wasn't an interview.
"Identify yourself and your employer before obtaining any interview for publication or broadcast."
She didn't interview anyone. It was an event. No individual was named, as they would be in an interview.
Jo, little one - tut tut tut:
Yes this blog is called Reasons You Will Hate Me, thus people writing disparaging comments by way of response- get it? You one dimensional creep.
Perhaps you should try logging onto COREMAN'S blog:http://evissap-novelinprogress.blogspot.com - educate yourself - and you too may come to realise, as I have, that COREMAN is the greatest writer plying his trade in this tinpot country at present. He has the biggest balls and the greatest perspective. All other Australian writers look like soft-cock finger-sniffers in comparison.
Dig it!
...or not.
Perhaps Ms Hardy can offer the "I was only obeying orders" defence but I wonder what excuse her editor Sally Heath can offer for clearly breaching what seem to be well established ethical guidelines in Australian print journalism, not to deceive targets of stories about one's identity as a journalist.
There is no exception for articles about speed-dating, or articles where the targets aren't identified by name, or articles written by young bloggers who have attacks of honesty on their blog about the whole thing.
The Press Council says that media organisations and their employees ought not act this way:
News obtained by dishonest or unfair means, or the publication of which would involve a breach of confidence, should not be published unless there is an over-riding public interest.
Clearly dishonesty was involved here, Ms Hardy says so herself. She says she felt like a "bald-faced liar." Indeed she was. She was specifically instructed to act dishonestly by her boss and dupe the young male book-worms into thinking she was there for the same reason they were.
Not only does the Press Council frown on this sort of thing so to does the journalists' union code of ethics which an earlier commentator quoted.
Good on Ms Hardy for telling the truth about the whole sordid epiosde and for bringing this latest atrocity of The Melbourne Age to public attention.
you have all the integrity of a typical journalist from The Age - none.
You are a disgrace to yourself and to your profession.
Dear Serges,
Thankyou - seems I have a fan. You're not the cute Pakistani lad I went down on in the dunnies of that nightclub in Oxford Street (you know the one) on the Australia day long weekend, are you?
As I recall I slipt you my business card - did I not? - call me.
(whispers) I still like you.
Hey Andy,
how goes the whole divorce/flight from justice/defamation/life in the toilet thing? Well I hope; write soon!
Jeepers, and the day started out so well!
Honestly, if you guys have nothing better to do than sook about the journalistic integrity of puff pieces in the A2 for goodness sake, it may be time you started looking for gainful employment.
Not like it was a bloody OpEd piece or something.
Also, about the flag wearing thing: People who wear flags as articles of clothing invariably get treated accordingly.
Do we get to read the actual article this thread was started by?
Or do we just speculate about what it may have said?
notlandingyou and TLS: well said. Thanks for some much-needed perspective.
andrew landeryou's attack may be pretty hilarious, as he is , afterall, andrew landeryou, but there is some merit. it's a bit unethical what has happened. even more interesting the admission that her assesment of one of the men was completely inaccurate. then again, not my place to judge, it's for the courts to decide.
This is all a little amusing and in places disturbing but it was worth it for the line about the AA meeting.
I don't know if it is really COREMAN being so rude, but I recall Ms Fits was kind enough to visit and comment on his blog after a friday q and a. Anyone else who checked out his blog would have gone "wtf" within 1.2 seconds.
Ms Fits, that extra second you gave it may not have been worth it.
Media Law 101
She did not have to announce herself to the group, much like a restaurant critic does not have to use his real name or disclose his vocation when taking a meal.
Chill out people.
Andrew Landeryou commenting on ethics and the lack thereof. Priceless.
Hey Andy - were you just 'following orders' when you intimidated Farrago staff?
Fits,
If you want to feel better, read Mia Timpano's scandalous piece in the next Frankie (I've seen it), and your jaw will drop at the sheer audacity of her journalistic salaciousness. It's pretty bloody. (And damn funny, of course).
Either way, it's probable all sorts of spectacular fallout will occur.
Scallywag: Sorry - not the same thing at all. Restaurants expect, nay, HOPE to get anonymously reviewed in papers. Comes with their territory. I'd venture nobody going to the event Ms Fits attended and then wrote about expected it. Nor should they. It is a breach of the code of ethics, albeit a minor one. I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it. Lesson learned and all that.
bray bray. coreman is a hedgepig and his writing is turd. the end.
I would be surprised if most of the people attending the night didn't blog about it in one form or another -- people will sell whatever they can, and in most cases that will be their "story", their own funny and insightful insights into speed dating. or pony clubs. or whatever.
OMFG!
If you want to keep an eye on child abusing, rule flaunting, flag burning fool Ms Fits, then you'll LOVE my new site!
CLICK HERE!!!!! I HAVE SCOOPS!!!!!
Let's band together for the good of the nation.
*applauds*
*standing ovation*
Worth it for the Andy Warholesque breast pastiche alone.
BRAVO!!!! AUTHOR!!!!
Coreman,
You've used 'became cognisant' twice in the first five paragraphs of your Great Australian Masterpiece (in progress) or whatever it is. Heads up eh.
Also, when did this comments section get so full of cunts?
Not only is COREMAN's novel completely unreadable, his latest installment seems to have some rather explicit descriptions of sex with children. Ethics say what?
You are a disgrace to yourself and to your profession.
I've been trying to photoshop a sad Kerry O'Brien with a tear sliding down his cheek and a thought bubble reading "why?" for some time now, but my skillz aren't up to it. So just picture it.
PS Fitz: Apparently I'm a yuppie according to a comment on an earlier post. Colour me excited! I'm going to buy a white couch and a brushed metal fridge!
Oh my. I just spit coffee all over my keyboard upon viewing Tim L-B's new blog.
Well done sir. That ought to make Fits think twice before posting.
i still love you very much fitsy. hugs and all that.
and i wish the cunts would fuck off so we could go back to normal around here.
we'll just be patient, shall we?
melba
xxx
Ms. Fits
As a regular lurker on your blog to find out that you are also the author of some of my favourite Age pieces...
*Does little dance of joy*
My husband is also a big fan of "Last Man Standing" and reads introduced me to your blog.
Fuck! I hope this doesn't sound too sycophantic...
Don't let the bastards get you down.
OH! and it was the book on alchoholism that caused all the scandle for Lady O.
Coreman, stop now, your novel's shit, you're a hairy loss.
But you'll probably smoke another Xanax and proclaim "I'm a genius, my friends think so, no one undertands my genius. I'm Australia's greatest writer, someone said so on someone else's blog."
PFFT - WRITER'S DISEASE.
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