Is Mnet a free resource for lazy journalists?

[puffling]

For me, as a mother, Mumsnet is a wonderful thing, a kind of on tap Reader's digest. But I bet journalists and politicians are gleeful that they don't have to rely on surveys, interviews and focus groups to get all the info they need. In fact, it's almost as if what they read on Mnet becomes gospel the minute it's printed in their paper.

No.

I mean, look at all the shite that gets published out there.

Yes but they do make a lot of reference to Mnet. According to one of them, all middle class women love Doodle Doo man and I think they got that off here.

Well, they certainly didn't get it off me.

I thought the DoodleDoo bloke was gay.

Isn't he?

I've not heard that. Many Mnet ladies fancy him apparently. I've a strong hunch that Something Special man might be though.

G2 must have at least one MN based article every week

What's G2?

it's a part of the Guardian

Actually it's not the first time I have read something in a magazine/newspaper and though, 'oh, we were talking about that on MN a little while back', don't know if it's just coincidence.

i do quite fancy doodle doo man!!

I don't get the attraction. I'm more of a Boogie Pete lover, although he is a bit short for my liking.

i like him because he acts so normal, as if its an everyday thing to hang out with gloved puppets!!!!

It must be awfully easy for a journalist to come on here and find posts that can be used to 'quote' for stories. Maybe they even start threads to read responses for different angles on whatever subject they're writing about.

I also think the various threads/categories are probably a great source for story ideas.

It is strange how the media seem to pick items discussed on mumsnet or are they refelecting the current trends as well as mumsnet. I have always felt that a lot of journo's are members of MN not sure why but there you go

i wish i had time to read the paper. [sigh]

I always thought it was just the sort of 'communal intelligence' at work, where everyone is kind of thinking the same thing and it is just co-incidence.

Then I saw the words 'fanjo' and 'norks' in one of those celeb magazine things.....

then it is a rip off. califrau! (i think i was her who first used the word) did you patent 'fanjo'?

we ought to start to patent MN terminology. i mean it. one basketball coach for the Chicago Bulls patented the word 'threepeat' and made a heap of money when the Bulls won the championship the for the 3rd yr running.

we can at least then force the theiving gits to say where they got the word from - or sue them for stealing our information.

I thought fanjo was Enid's word!!

I heard norks for the first time a few years ago, maybe on T4 or something. Fanjo, I only heard of on Mnet.

I first heard Norks and Fanjo at university many many years ago ! Not sure if they could be regional - as the person I heard them from was from Devon - but they soon became in widespread use !

I assumed they were colloquialisms ?

the was an article in Red last month about women fancying cbeebies characters that quoted mumsnet.

Hairy handed truckers has to be a MN creation though. Although have to admit am yet to see it mentioned in print. (Our lawyers are watching.)

No, it's a free resource for diligent, hardworking journalists who only spend so much time on Mumsnet because they are doing research.

And who should be paid lots, lots more for their absolutely peerless work as well

as is the context in which we use hairy arsed trucker. do we use hairy arsed trucker? [runs of to find out]

It may be a resource for lazy students, though... so get thee over to my eating and drinking in labour thread, pleeeeease