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Original poster

Not in the news....

27 replies

ProfessorPreciseaBug · 03/05/2016 07:31

Have just done a quick trawl some of the main news sites, Torygraph, BeeB, RT, Aljeezera, Fail....

One story is not in the news... The imigration-refugee crisis

Is the migration crisis no longer news... Or is it being kept out the news because of the referrendum?

OP posts:
ItsJustAnotherUsername · 03/05/2016 07:41

Yes it's being kept out of the news because of the referendum, it's also the reason the referendum was rushed through, Cameron knows Europe's in for a summer of discontent (putting it mildly).

Campbell2016 · 03/05/2016 10:39

I agree with you Itsjust. Immigration won't be on our screens again until post vote.

sportinguista · 03/05/2016 10:57

I did think it was odd that it was no longer a huge issue. However if it does all erupt as seems likely I don't think it will be ignorable by any media channel. If you look at other media from abroad it is still very much news.

Original poster
ProfessorPreciseaBug · 04/05/2016 05:15

As long as we remember and are ready to ask the questions..

OP posts:
ChalkHearts · 04/05/2016 05:58

Serious question - we don't have govt controlled media. They can (within reason) print what they want.

So why do you think they aren't reporting it?

Are you suggesting the govt won't let them? Or what?

Because I can't see why the newspapers would choose not to print it. Unless they were told not to or there is no news or they thought the public weren't interested.

I can't see there being a ban on news about migrants.

Original poster
ProfessorPreciseaBug · 04/05/2016 07:05

News needs a fresh angle to make a story sexy. The migration crisis had been running for months before the child was washed up on a beach. Then everyone got all emotional and everyone started talking about something that has been going on for a long time.

After a while any story begins to get boring. But that doesn't mean it has gone away. This week we had the antisemitism "crisis"

OP posts:
YokoUhOh · 04/05/2016 07:16

However the (printed) press are still giving blanket coverage to the anti-Semitism/Labour story, no doubt hoping it will impact upon the polls tomorrow.

LovingLuna · 04/05/2016 08:18

I saw an article today. I am happy to help small refugee children as per the pictures we are shown. My understanding is the child refugees they refer to are 17 year olds with PTSD and hard to place in foster care.

prh47bridge · 04/05/2016 10:28

However the (printed) press are still giving blanket coverage to the anti-Semitism/Labour story, no doubt hoping it will impact upon the polls tomorrow

You appear to think the press coverage is some kind of conspiracy between all papers regardless of their political stance.

The story does not feature on most front pages any more. It ran for as long as it did mainly because senior Labour politicians gave it oxygen. After Livingstone had blown it up into a major story Corbyn made it worse by failing to act quickly and decisively, Livingstone then gave numerous interviews repeating his comments instead of apologising and withdrawing them, and various other senior MPs (Dianne Abbott, for example) waded in over the following days with unhelpful comments to the press. Suggesting to the press that the whole thing was a plot by Blairites to depose Corbyn was not a smart move. Even if it was true (which I doubt), in terms of media management it would have been better to simply keep quiet.

LovingLuna · 04/05/2016 10:32

Emily must be delighted. The government agree the rest of Europe is unsafe and are allowing 16/17 year old males in.

I am voting out of the EU, seeing as it's so unsafe.

Limer · 04/05/2016 11:32

I'm voting out too Luna. Just can't see an end to this madness.

meditrina · 04/05/2016 11:45

The plight of the millions of refugees in Africa, Asia and South America rarely makes the news at all.

LovingLuna · 04/05/2016 11:50

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Limer · 04/05/2016 12:06

Note that even the government isn't calling them orphans. They're unaccompanied children. Some of the late teen and older males will have certainly been sent ahead from their families, and once they're settled they'll bring over the rest of their relatives. If we support this situation, there'll be thousands more every year.

BungoWomble · 05/05/2016 07:15

"You appear to think the press coverage is some kind of conspiracy between all papers regardless of their political stance."

You should have a look for "Flat Earth News" by Nick Davies for how the media actually produce news nowadays. The days of investigative news reporting have long gone, most 'news' is just recycled press releases. Means most mainstream media get exactly the same sources and nothing else, and only pick up what's handed to them. If various authorities don't give them a press release on the subject, it won't be reported. Ever noticed the number of local events that don't get into local news? Same story. The nation's focus on London means the provinces get ignored anyway.

That also makes a mockery of ChalkHeart's question about non governmental-controlled media. Not precisely controlled, no, but strongly influenced shall we say? Add in the famous collusion of Murdoch and right-wing governments, and the threats to the BBC, and we certainly don't have any form of independent investigatory mainstream news any more. The media don't believe that they have a social role any more, or at any rate ignore it. It's just a business, and as such is worthless.

kesstrel · 05/05/2016 08:07

If various authorities don't give them a press release on the subject, it won't be reported.

I suppose Livingstone's appalling behaviour could be likened to "a press release".... it certainly seemed to be a all for press attention!

kesstrel · 05/05/2016 08:07

oops, call not all

Baconyum · 05/05/2016 08:14

Luna wtf! Sexism, racism and ignorance all in one post!

The mainstream media is way too right wing now. As for print 'not having the same politics' are you sure? Because I can't think of a paper that's even left of centre!

prh47bridge · 05/05/2016 10:02

The days of investigative news reporting have long gone

It may have reduced but it hasn't gone completely. There have been a number of major stories in the last 12 months which have appeared as a result of investigative reporting.

It is true that a lot of what appears in the news starts out as a press release but that is very different from suggesting a conspiracy by the press to give coverage to a particular story.

I can't think of a paper that's even left of centre

If you don't think the Guardian is left of centre I would have to put you on the extreme left. The Mirror and The i are also left of centre. The Telegraph, Mail, Sun, Times and Express are all right of centre.

sportinguista · 05/05/2016 10:22

Picking up on what Bungo said, we read papers from abroad and weirdly we often see stuff from this country which is not reported at all in this country's papers or very much later. Which often makes me think that different perspectives as to what is 'newsworthy' are at play and there may be a kind of generic sourcing.

BungoWomble · 05/05/2016 11:30

Generic sourcing is exactly the right phrase. They all watch each other as much as anything else. Not a conspiracy, but a small, self-contained, self-referencing world.

sportinguista · 05/05/2016 11:44

Could it be called laziness too? If I failed to do my job to the best of my ability I would soon get the marching orders...it constantly amazes me in many places of work that lazy people are rarely challenged and get away with murder.

BungoWomble · 05/05/2016 12:51

There probably are lazy people in there as always, but I gather it's just the whole focus on producing quantity not quality that's the issue. What journalists are left - and there are not as many as there used to be, not many at all - are sat down at desks with those press releases and measured by the number of words they produce. Used to be they were out looking for stories, but it isn't good business to employ people to walk around talking to people all day nowadays. Papers, probably news stories, don't sell for much either, so you get the focus on or two big stories and the constant search for the next new big one.

Hygellig · 05/05/2016 14:02

The Times had a story on child refugees on its front page today (I haven't got a copy - saw it in the shop).

sportinguista · 05/05/2016 14:11

Explains why I don't bother with the papers much beyond skim reading any more.