FW Update
Allied Newspapers has given Matthew Bonanno, the reporter who liaised with Nicola Abela Garrett and her spontaneous outburst, the sack.
Let’s not say that Facebook inanity has cost yet another person his job.
If people behave and think like that, then they’re not fit for the job in the first place. The Times cannot be perceived as complicit in setting people up for a fall – whoever those people are, but still more when they are politicians and there is a risk that the newspaper will be thought to have an agenda-driven ulterior motive, like Malta Today.
Unfortunately, there is too much of the feeling already that the new generation of reporters (and some of those of my generation, it goes without saying) are far more loyal to their political and personal agenda than they are to the newspaper they work for, and its readers.
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You pays your money, you takes your chance.
Tough shite, Matthew.
Now, since you are jobless, how about taking up an honours degree in, let’s say, Theatre Studies? N.A.G. will help you out with that.
……You poor, sad boy.
Brian, your comments in the regard of this young man who has not only lost his job but had it plastered over the internet are insensitive, to say the least.
@ Il-Hmar
Insensitve my left foot. This poor sod was led by the nose by Abela Garrett. Read below the code of ethics for journalists found on… e How (of all places..lol)
Because journalists have the important job of gathering information and presenting it to the public, they have a particular responsibility to their readers and their sources. On one hand, they must remember that their readers deserve clear, unbiased reporting. On the other hand, journalists need to consider the well-being of the sources whose lives are affected by media attention.
(Fifth line, second word…does that word ring a bell to you?)
And while we are discussing insensitivity, take a look at Daphne’s “Nice one, Coconut – il-vera klassi (pronounced like Lassie)”
What are your comments on that?
Don’t get me wrong here, I am not discussing the superimpostion of Dr. Gonzi’s face. I am referring TO THE BACKGROUND PICTURE. SHAME to whoever thought of this sick, tasteless intention.
Brian, yes, your comment was insensitive.
This man in particular found himself in this pickle not because he was out to do a disservice to his profession or to organise a coup on Gatt.
It was simply an error of judgement which his superiors seem to have found to mean that he could no longer work as a journalist with the Allied Group.
May I remind you that Matthew Bonanno did not work on the story himself.
Your jibe inviting him to join a Theatre Studies also happens to be unfunny as well as insensitive, so congratulations on that double whammy.
If you were to put yourself in his shoes, you might begin to see why I said your comments were insensitive.
This is the least Allied Newspapers could do.
This is the bottom line.
When The Times of Malta was what a real newspaper should be, the editor would have carried the can.
Mabel Strickland would have expected nothing less.
Agreed. Where was the editor? An apology to the readers is called for.
As regards to Mr Bonanno, may I suggest that he “let not this crisis go to waste”. Whilst it’s easier said than done, acknowledging one’s mistakes makes one stronger in the long run.
LOL Talking about the bottom line (presumably what was meant was the depth of the pits) in such a shitty blog is the pinnacle of black comedy. But again, most probably the faithful elves of the black witch wouldn’t know what is the meaning of of either the bottom line (most probably they are not accountants) nor of black comedy!
As always it is the little fellow who gets sacked.
In those days Mabel Strickland used to call the chief editor for whatever reason, be it a picture in the newspaper of a woman with her back on show, or an editorial that was close to the border of the paper’s policy.
Back then when Mabel was in a bad mood The Times of Malta trembled.
Who is the chief editor today, and to whom is he accountable?
Henry Mifsud
To each his own, at least in this blog I do not write to please the leader-in-waiting for the new dawn of the progressive socialists.
I would rather be an independent elve than a Labour lackey. It means my choices are better and my standards are higher.
I am no accountant nor do I enjoy black comedy.
ROFL …..
Peter Pan wants me to believe that he is an independent elf …. so independent that whilst being an avid follower of the queen of black magic, he is coward enough not to reveal his real name. By stating that he does not like black comedy, he confirmed that he does not know what black comedy is. Such are his high standards that he doesn’t even realize that he is living in morbid, gloomy, grotesque, and calamitous situations! But that will soon change and he shall be living in a seance instead.
Would you not like to know, Hen, who I am.
Of course, the chess-board that is our mortal battle-field can always be called black with white squares or white with black squares – in your case, everyone who disagrees with you is on the black square.
mabel strickland is dead an buried and lived in different times (no pun intended)
Standards don’t age, much less die.
Only opportunists change standards according to their needs. We are talking editorial standards, reporting standards, language standards and not Sundays rant by Joseph Muscat.
Standards are not subject to U-turns and do not vary from village to village, topic to topic but are constant across the board.
l-Orizzont, Illum, Maltastar, MaltaToday and it-Torca share the same standards or better, sub-standards. The Times, from time to time, seems to be gravitating towards the standards of the aforementioned rags.
Mabel would have had nothing of it and along with Bonanno, half the staff would either not been hired in the first place or sacked at their first boo-boo.
GWAP you are so right, BUT, are we better or worse when it comes to the quality of some newspapers and or information sources?
During Miss Mabel’s time we used to consider her newspaper a reliable source of news and information.
I’m sure Glen can find him a job. Seems suited to join this bunch of nitwits. Maybe he can find out how inmates are allowed mobiles at Corradino. http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=16782
IT TAKES A NITWIT TO KNOW ONE.
Truth hurts sometimes Glen !
He might find a new job with Malta Today.
I do believe that The Times has lost its way and forgotten its glorious past and the dark days when it was burned down and continued publishing.
Its reporters need to be taught the craft of journalism from scratch.
A look at the online edition is ample proof. They just report a story as is without any real background research or verification. A sad story indeed
I’m sure they would be very willing to learn from a master such as you, xmun.
Hanqa ta’ hmar qatt ma waslet is-Sema.
Wow, Daphne! 231 total comments (so far) on this ‘saga’. Is that a record? Congrats to all the elves for their contribution.
Could the next canned Facebook stupid possibly be a certain ‘judicial’ representative?
A matter of time, my friend.
Shame! Why are the PN terrified of a 20 year old first time voter who let her feelings show? A sure sign of panic! I am dreading to think what is going to happen come election time.
[Daphne – How does ‘the PN’ enter the equation, Albert?]
Today’s headline:
STUDENT PROTESTS AT UNIVERSITY
Yesterday’s headline:
STUDENT BEATEN FOR PROTESTING AT UNIVERSITY
The PN were not terrified of a 16 year old murderous, corrupt and undemocratic regime.
The party confronted it and eliminated it peacefully and without panic
It will certainly not flinch in the face of the premeditated charade of a semi literate vulgar wench.
Moreover the PN will have no truck with any puerile and desperate attempts at undermining it.
Aha…so is it being implied here, dear Anthony, that the PN is in some way involved in the reporter’s sacking? Your thrust seems to be that “you don’t mess with the PN”, right? Fine. Point taken. Point very well taken. I so love it when the PN’s mask comes off. I am only sorry for those who have to suffer the blows.
[Daphne – What a ridiculous assertion, Albert. The trouble with you Labour people is that you project your party’s own ghastly standards and abhorrent behaviour onto everyone else. Perhaps you forget that the present-day editor of The Times, Ray Bugeja, was asked to leave The Malta Independent on Sunday, where he was editor, because of a story he published about Alfred Sant’s views on marriage, when Sant was the prime minister. And no, the story wasn’t mine.]
……. and a friend of NAG on Facebook is……. Evarist Bartolo
Do you think these two kids were manipulated by Varist?
You’re quite the detective, aren’t you?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111007/local/british-defence-minister-orders-probe-into-friend-s-role.388151
This annoyed me yesterday. Maltese so-called journalists who never question authority here but then jump on the British Defence Minister. You can tell he had no balls, his voice drops at the end. And the ‘in your country’ line kills me.
The Editor is at fault too. Why did he publish it in the first place and give it so much prominence?
As someone commenting on the story, you should be the first person to answer that question satisfactorily. It’s because it’s news, plain and simple.
€250,000 isn’t that much of an investment when you come to think of it in news terms, and having a student hurling abuse at a minister who is politically responsible for a fiasco is quite something.
I sincerely doubt it was one of the editors who put in that unfortunate “Heroine” heading, to be quite honest.
[Daphne – An editor’s job involves checking all the pages, ESPECIALLY THE FRONT PAGE.]
Serves the FW right for having no professional ethics and besmirching the names of both The Times and journalists in general.
Here’s my reply:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/matt-bonanno/my-side-of-things-by-matthew-bonanno/262837083754952?notif_t=like
[Daphne – Yes, I read it. You’d do well not to sound like a 16-year-old if you wish to be taken seriously at 23. Have you considered that Allied Newspapers’ decision not to keep you on might have had something to do with this aspect of your general performance?]
Mr. Bonanno has posted his side of the story on his facebook wall. You’d do well to read it before posting any more comments.
http://www.facebook.com/notes/matt-bonanno/my-side-of-things-by-matthew-bonanno/262837083754952
The Times could do well to extend a massive clean-up of infiltrators who take every opportunity to blatantly support Joseph and his inane utterances and go as far as to manufacture news.
Stopping at Bonanno would be a disservice to the readers who over decades have always relied on accurate news, fair analysis and above all, the correct use of the English language.
Maybe Claire Bonello should be put on notice since in today’s The Sunday Times she conveniently omitted to say that Minister Gatt’s incident at the university was preplanned by the student in cahoots with Bonanno.
You really have no idea, do you?
http://www.facebook.com/notes/matt-bonanno/my-side-of-things-by-matthew-bonanno/262837083754952