Boris Johnson is a liability.

[AlterEgo]

In response to Johnson's comments, what are the veil-wearing, Muslim women writing op-ed pieces for the Torygraph saying ?

Surely they can't all be upper-class, white twits who write for that rag.

Do you know of many niqab-wearing women who are also very successful journalists?

Can you think why there might not be many?

 

[433N]

Do you know of many niqab-wearing women who are also very successful journalists?

Can you think why there might not be many?

Boris Johnson isn't a journalist ... he got the gig. That is point of op-ed pieces.

 

[AlterEgo]

Boris Johnson isn't a journalist ... he got the gig. That is point of op-ed pieces.

Boris Johnson is a journalist.

And anyway, op ed pieces tend to be written by people with considerable visibility in public life, which is why you don’t get women who don’t show their faces writing op eds in Britain.

 

[433N]

Boris Johnson is a journalist.

And anyway, op ed pieces tend to be written by people with considerable visibility in public life, which is why you don’t get women who don’t show their faces writing op eds in Britain.

Journalists report without bias. You can call yourself a journalist and you can make your money writing drivel but that does not a journalist make.

From wiki : "A journalist is a person who collects, writes, or distributes news or other current information to the public."

Not really a description of what Johnson does, is it ?

FYI : Op ed pieces can be written by anyone - that is point. Are you saying that women who don't show their faces have nothing to say ?

 

[AlterEgo]

FYI : Op ed pieces can be written by anyone - that is point. Are you saying that women who don't show their faces have nothing to say ?

I’m sure you know that’s not what I was saying, but rather I’ll reiterate my point that there are pretty much no women who wear niqabs that I can think of who are in any sort of position in society where they’d be invited to write an op-ed.

An op-ed in a national newspaper can’t be written by “just anyone”.

 

[furnessvale]

Journalists report without bias.
<SNIP>

Wherever did you get that idea from.

Never mind the Sun, Mail, Morning Star or most other rags, you don't even get that from the BBC. Just watch Fiona Bruce's eyebrows twitching when she is reading stuff she doesn't believe in!

 

[najaB]

An op-ed in a national newspaper can’t be written by “just anyone”.

There's a difference between "can't" and "isn't likely to be".

 

[AlterEgo]

There's a difference between "can't" and "isn't likely to be".

Yeah, I can’t play Premier League football either. Semantics, whatever.

 

[najaB]

Yeah, I can’t play Premier League football either. Semantics, whatever.

The point is that there aren't any special skills required to write an op-ed - certainly one doesn't need to have any journalistic experience or skills, just an opinion and an editor's ear.

 

[Groningen]

Does BJ always have a column in the Daily Telegraph?

 

[najaB]

Does BJ always have a column in the Daily Telegraph?

Sophomoric, I know, but LOL at that!

 

[Groningen]

How can you be on both sides? Be a journalist and be a member of government. And than attacking your own PM May.

 

[Bromley boy]

From wiki : "A journalist is a person who collects, writes, or distributes news or other current information to the public."

Not really a description of what Johnson does, is it ?

This is a bit of a silly post.

Since he writes a weekly newspaper column, (and edited the spectator at one point), I’d say it it’s an excellent description of what he does!

He’s a politician, but that doesn’t mean he can’t also be a journalist.

 

[Groningen]

You are a special country.

 

[433N]

This is a bit of a silly post.

Since he writes a weekly newspaper column, (and edited the spectator at one point), I’d say it it’s an excellent description of what he does!

He’s a politician, but that doesn’t mean he can’t also be a journalist.

Bit like Goebbels then.

 

[Bromley boy]

You are a special country.

Do you not see politicians moonlighting as journalists in The Netherlands?

How can you be on both sides? Be a journalist and be a member of government. And than attacking your own PM May.

The UK political system is adversarial (just look at the House of Commons - rows of seats facing each other).

It’s very common for British politicians to openly disagree with their own party and speak out against the leadership both in parliament and outside it, usually through newspaper articles and speeches. We are seeing this at the moment in both the Tory party in relation to Brexit, and the Labour Party in relation to its leader’s anti-semitism.

 

[Groningen]

Goebbels had blood on his hands (at the end). Lets hope that BJ does not end up that way.

 

[Warwick]

That’s not the same as thinking that the person in the niqab is *actually a bank robber*.

He was being a plonker by ridiculing the women who wear them. He wasn’t saying they were going to commit more crime.

That’s why the satire doesn’t work.

He wasn't ridiculing the wearers. He was ridiculing the apparel. There's a difference.

 

[433N]

Do you not see politicians moonlighting as journalists in The Netherlands?

You see, there's a basic flaw in your thinking here.

If someone decides to be a plumber without appropriate training, they will either end up picking up no work or learn on the job and use their experience to become a better plumber and get work.

As far as I can see, Johnson has no training in journalism (and is not, correct me if I'm wrong, a member of the NUJ). So he says he is a journalist and becomes paid and is quite good at pleasing his readership ... he still gets work and it pays the bills. But that does not make him a journalist. He has no interest in reporting news or disseminating information ; or at least only in so much as it reinforces his (and his readership's) world view.

Your self-appointed plumber might learn the basics, Johnson gets paid despite not learning them and so has no motivation to learn them.

As I say, bit like Goebbels then.

On Edit :

Perhaps you are confusing journalism with copywriting.

 

[SWTCommuter]

You see, there's a basic flaw in your thinking here.

If someone decides to be a plumber without appropriate training, they will either end up picking up no work or learn on the job and use their experience to become a better plumber and get work.

As far as I can see, Johnson has no training in journalism (and is not, correct me if I'm wrong, a member of the NUJ). So he says he is a journalist and becomes paid and is quite good at pleasing his readership ... he still gets work and it pays the bills. But that does not make him a journalist. He has no interest in reporting news or disseminating information ; or at least only in so much as it reinforces his (and his readership's) world view.

Your self-appointed plumber might learn the basics, Johnson gets paid despite not learning them and so has no motivation to learn them.

As I say, bit like Goebbels then.

On Edit :

Perhaps you are confusing journalism with copywriting.

Journalist
NOUN
A person who writes for newspapers, magazines, or news websites or prepares news to be broadcast.

Boris writes for newspapers

 

[WelshBluebird]

Boris writes for newspapers

There is a difference between a description and a profession.
I sometimes play football, only a kick around with friends, but based on your logic I could call myself a footballer (which of course is rubbish).

 

[433N]

Boris writes for newspapers

Is the person who writes the Stannah Stairlift advert at the back of the Torygraph also a journalist then ?

Who is this 'Boris' ? Sounds like some soft and cuddly, loveable, old rogue cartoon character ? Do you know him personally, is that why you call him 'Boris' ?

 

[Bromley boy]

As far as I can see, Johnson has no training in journalism

You mean apart from his graduate traineeship at the times?

So to summarise you are saying you think that Boris Johnson who:

- trained as a journalist at a national newspaper;
- was employed by the Times and the Telegraph as a full time journalist for years before becoming a politician;
- established himself as (and remains) a prominent and highly successful political journalist;
- and edited the spectator;

isn’t actually a journalist at all.

If you wish to deny reality in order to make political points, fill your boots, but don’t be surprised if people consider you a little silly.

 

[SWTCommuter]

Is the person who writes the Stannah Stairlift advert at the back of the Torygraph also a journalist then?

No, advertisements are written by copywriters.

Copywriting is the act of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copywriting

There is a difference between a description and a profession.
I sometimes play football, only a kick around with friends, but based on your logic I could call myself a footballer (which of course is rubbish).

It's a definition, not a description. If he wrote unpaid for a parish magazine your analogy would be appropriate. However, he is paid extremely well to write a regular column in the Telegraph. The footballing equivalent would be playing for a Premier League team

The former London mayor has previously worked as a journalist, and earned almost £23,000 a month writing for the Daily Telegraph before being appointed as foreign secretary last year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45121976

 

[433N]

You mean apart from his graduate traineeship at the times?

So to summarise you are saying you think that Boris Johnson who:

- trained as a journalist at a national newspaper;
- was employed by the Times and the Telegraph as a full time journalist for years before becoming a politician;
- established himself as (and remains) a prominent and highly successful political journalist;
- and edited the spectator;

isn’t actually a journalist at all.

If you wish to deny reality in order to make political points, fill your boots, but don’t be surprised if people consider you a little silly.

Well, you might consider me 'silly' but what do I care about that ? You seem to have a problem with lack of respect ... as well as an inability to ask yourself basic questions like 'what is a journalist'. You don't have to go far to find out what Chris Patten said about his 'journalism'. What is actually journalistic about saying muslim women look like letter boxes or bank robbers ? If it's journalism, it's not very professional is it ?

Still, love is blind, so there's no point in arguing any further with you.

 

[433N]

No, advertisements are written by copywriters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copywriting


Wikipedia says : "Copywriting is the act of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing"

So , just thinking outside the box here a little , what I might be saying is that Johnson (not 'Boris' note) is actually writing copy for advertising his political dogma ? Gasp, shock horror. Oh no, sorry since Johnson is writing it, it must be 'journalism' - it's in some definition somewhere on the internet.

 

[SWTCommuter]

So , just thinking outside the box here a little , what I might be saying is that Johnson (not 'Boris' note) is actually writing copy for advertising his political dogma ? Gasp, shock horror. Oh no, sorry since Johnson is writing it, it must be 'journalism' - it's in some definition somewhere on the internet.

Newspapers and magazines normally contain two types of content: editorial and advertising. The editorial content is commissioned by the editor and produced by the editorial staff (journalists), some of whom may be freelancers such as Mr Boris Johnson. The newspaper's advertising department sells space on the pages to advertising agencies who produce the advertisements to fill those spaces.

There is a third category known as an 'advertorial' where a PR or advertising agency may pay to insert an advertisement in the style of an article. This will usually be labelled as an 'advertising feature'.

If Mr Boris Johnson was paying the Telegraph to have his articles published then they would be classed as advertisements or advertorials.
The Telegraph is paying him so they are not. They are part of the regular editorial content contributed by a freelance journalist.

 

[Bromley boy]

Newspapers and magazines normally contain two types of content: editorial and advertising. The editorial content is commissioned by the editor and produced by the editorial staff (journalists), some of whom may be freelancers such as Mr Boris Johnson. The newspaper's advertising department sells space on the pages to advertising agencies who produce the advertisements to fill those spaces.

There is a third category known as an 'advertorial' where a PR or advertising agency may pay to insert an advertisement in the style of an article. This will usually be labelled as an 'advertising feature'.

If Mr Boris Johnson was paying the Telegraph to have his articles published then they would be classed as advertisements or advertorials.
The Telegraph is paying him so they are not. They are part of the regular editorial content contributed by a freelance journalist.

An informed and well reasoned post. It’ll be wasted on this thread.

 

[Groningen]

Well we (in the Netherlands) have a foreign minister who says that ethnic groups can not life together. There is a debat coming up on his remarks. He wanted to light up the fire and surely he did! And before that we had one that said that he had a meeting with Vladimir Putin. He had to resign.

 

[Darandio]

Well, you might consider me 'silly' but what do I care about that ? You seem to have a problem with lack of respect ... as well as an inability to ask yourself basic questions like 'what is a journalist'.

You repeatedly claimed Boris Johnson wasn't a journalist, you asked to be put right and were, you now seemingly don't like being wrong. To then see you claiming others have a lack of respect, I find that childish.