Yes, we receive emails

By Adrian Pearson on Aug 30, 11 02:36 PM

As well as keeping literally some readers up to date on regional politics type stuff, I also occasionally help out on the news desk for The Journal and our sister papers.
This affords me a fine insight into the world of general news, a sample of which I provide here.

Newsdesk phone: ring ring, ring ring
Me: "Hello, newsroom, Adrian speaking."
Someone else: "Hello, it's Felicity Shorten-Barrell here from Bother You PR, how are you today?"
Me: "Fine thank you, how can I help?"
Ms Shorten-Barrell: "I'm calling to see if your newsdesk received an email I sent regarding a survey our client (insert name of nationwide credit/insurance type agency here) has carried out into how families in your area are coping with (insert link between spending cuts and mundane activities such as selecting a cereal here). We think 40% of families in your area are no longer making that choice because of rising costs that they could save if they switched to our client."
Me: ...
Ms Shorten-Barrell: "Is that something you think you would be interested in?"
Me: "It's probably not a story we would run really."
Ms Shorten-Barrell: "Really? 40% of families in your area are affected by this."
Me: "Yeah. If you send it again anyway."
Ms: Shorten-Barrell: "Okay fab. Bye."

And that, kids, is the fun side of journalism.

Comment (1)

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1 Comments

john robertson said:

here is a poem on a controbersial issue regarding wind turbines in northumberland. Is this good enough to publish in your letters page:

Monsters on the Horizon
They catch my eye; standing, still and stationary.
Like aliens from an HG Wells story.

Iron Men waiting motionless to pounce.
Their outstretched arms ready to wind and resonate.

Standing Triffid like in their motionless, waiting and staring.
For the switch to click, displaying their majesty and glory.

They lie in the shadow of industries gone by.
Staring upon pain etched into a once coal bearing landscape.

They stand on the horizon without soul or empathy.
Ugly but magnificent in their technicality and size

Ellington, Ashington and Lynmouth lie in their wake.
Soulless, innate and silently spreading their lies!

August 30, 2011 5:58 PM

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