To say that journalists don't start threads

[Zarinea]

I'm not a journalist but I work closely with them.

I can promise you than tabloid journalists don't start MN threads in the hope that they'll make good copy. They don't have time, and why would they bother when there's so much content here ready to be used?

I always do a when someone replies to a thread saying something they think is arch like 'slow news day OP?'.

Absolutely bullshit I'm afraid. One got caught out only a few months ago.

You know ALL the journalists op and what they do for stories? good going!!

PM me your name as dh is a journalist and would like to say hello.

Ssly? Would be really interested if you could link anything about that because it's incredibly surprising.

BrumBoo

What topic were they caught out posting about?

One journalist c+p the request from her editor to start a thread instead of an OP.

@StoneofDestiny

BrumBoo

What topic were they caught out posting about?

I cant remember, it was ages ago and got deleted. It was on AIBU though, and got caught out for obviously copying and pasting their op with a note from their editor still attached....

How do you know all journalists?

@Oswin

One journalist c+p the request from her editor to start a thread instead of an OP.

That's the one!

@Zarinea

Ssly? Would be really interested if you could link anything about that because it's incredibly surprising.

So your friends can do a story on it?

@Oswin

One journalist c+p the request from her editor to start a thread instead of an OP.

That did happen, I remember seeing the thread but can't remember the exact wording, I think it was something like “Mary, find out what Mumsnet thinks about xyz” and Mary pasted it as her OP.

Must have been a good journalist OP 😂😂😂

Jeesh of course I don't know all journalists but I do know how they work.

Fair enough if one did something really stupid. But in 15 + years around news rooms I've never come across anything remotely like that.

@Oswin

One journalist c+p the request from her editor to start a thread instead of an OP.

Yep saw this too. Awkward!

Thank you for posting this OP! I am an ex-journalist and still work with them and agree with you. And have wanted to post it before.

Some newspapers will pick up interesting threads on MN and write about them.

But they wouldn't start their own threads without being open about it - and there's a board for that.

It really annoys me when some posters accuse people of being journalists trawling for a story. That's not how it works! Journalists have a code of ethics, and you only go undercover if you are doing an important investigative piece which is in the public interest.

Ha ha! I can’t believe they c&p the editor’s note?! What a dope. It must have been a rookie cub. I hope someone screen grabbed it.

I don’t think at reporters start threads, there’s honestly no real need of it in AIBU, there’s enough batshit material to lift and screen grab into a quick clickbaiter. Half the threads they lift are probably bullshit as well as so many seem to be these days.

I still can’t get over the puddles one. Five or so full threads on it and it turns out it’s bollocks. The detail was insane.

Many reporters

@UntamedWisteria

Thank you for posting this OP! I am an ex-journalist and still work with them and agree with you. And have wanted to post it before.

Some newspapers will pick up interesting threads on MN and write about them.

But they wouldn't start their own threads without being open about it - and there's a board for that.

It really annoys me when some posters accuse people of being journalists trawling for a story. That's not how it works! Journalists have a code of ethics, and you only go undercover if you are doing an important investigative piece which is in the public interest.

Except they have done and certainly still do . No, not all threads that end up in a rag are made up, but to say none of them are is just delusional.

*made up by journos

Sounds like something a journalist would say

Surely it would take less time to start a controversial thread than trawl through looking for one.

They don't have time, and why would they bother when there's so much content here ready to be used?

1. It takes minutes to start a thread.
2. If they've been asked to do a feature on a particular aspect of a particular subject, there might not be a thread in that subject.

I have no idea how regularly it happens but I think you're being a bit naive to say it never happens when we already know it has.

Journalists have a code of ethics 😀😀😀.

That genuinely made me laugh. I actually have nothing against journalists; I'm sure a lot of them do difficult jobs but you can't seriously be saying every journalist never does anything to compromise those ethics??!

@UntamedWisteria

Thank you for posting this OP! I am an ex-journalist and still work with them and agree with you. And have wanted to post it before.

Some newspapers will pick up interesting threads on MN and write about them.

But they wouldn't start their own threads without being open about it - and there's a board for that.

It really annoys me when some posters accuse people of being journalists trawling for a story. That's not how it works! Journalists have a code of ethics, and you only go undercover if you are doing an important investigative piece which is in the public interest.

“Write about them” 🤣🤣🤣

Since when is C&P with a generic ‘what do you think?’ writing?

A journo actually pm'd me on here after a post.

Plus there are all kinds of "journalists". Some write for broadsheets, some tabloids, there are local papers, freelancers, online journalists for plenty of different websites, bloggers, student papers to name just a few types.