Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • 38 Degrees – losing it?
  • AlexSimon
    Full Member

    I’m finding the 38 Degrees site is growing increasingly similar to the type of media publications I try to avoid.

    Just received an email from them about the Murdoch issues.
    http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2011/07/05/help-break-murdochs-grip

    I found it far too sensational and lacking in any real meat.
    I’m not overtly political as I find most people involved to be too self-serving and I had hoped 38 Degrees would better represent my views, but I felt compelled to write this on their comments section (at the bottom of the page above).

    ———————-
    I worry that your editorial style is stooping to the same levels as many of the spin doctors and tabloids that you suggest you dislike.

    Putting 2 and 2 together like this with regards to the entirely separate issues of a newspaper’s inappropriate actions and Rupert Murdoch’s media control is sensationalist and cynical.

    Like many, I joined 38 Degrees because of the Forest campaign which seemed to capture a groundswell of dissatisfaction which previously didn’t have a voice.

    I agree that Murdoch already has too much media control, but I find that this communication doesn’t do anything to sum up the issues involved and has, instead, used an unrelated but sensationalist news piece to try and gain people’s attention.

    Regards
    Alex
    ———————-

    I could have probably expressed myself better, but I’m busy with work. I’d be interested to hear other people’s views.

    grum
    Free Member

    I have complained about this before, but perhaps this is the type of message necessary to achieve success. Never overestimate the intelligence of the British public.

    ScottChegg
    Free Member

    It’s like the Daily Mail would be if it thought it had a conscience.

    fbk
    Free Member

    Simple solution – I left them soon after the initial campaign, once they started spouting similar “sensationalist” views on other topics

    TuckerUK
    Free Member

    Never overestimate the intelligence of the British public.

    “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter” Sir Winston Churchill

    “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Albert Einstein

    “Most people would rather die than think; in fact they do so.” Bernard Russell

    “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” Mark Twain

    “Once in a while you will stumble upon the truth but most of us manage to pick ourselves up and hurry along as if nothing had happened.” Sir Winston Churchill

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    I see it’s not just me then!

    soobalias
    Free Member

    i was directed to 38deg once, from here
    iirc it was about the potential for a megafarm in lincolnshire

    I found that it made up for fact with the increase of sensationalisms.
    its like reading a tabloid.

    take with a pinch of salt and linger on P.3 as much as the sport pages

    julianwilson
    Free Member

    fight fire with fire, i say.
    38 degrees is bit reductionist to say the least, but if the government caves into similar apparent sways in public opinion that the popular media attempt to create elsewhere, and it happens to be for a cause i support then so be it.
    It is IMHO more than a little bit funny that this tack is being used ‘against’ Rupert Murdoch, but then he is at least partly responsible for creating the circumstances and climate in which this sort of ‘action’ makes a differece. 😀

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    Perhaps you prefer the style of Avaaz. If so, get on their mailing list.

    Dear friends across the UK,

    Jeremy Hunt just said he’ll let Rupert Murdoch own all of BSkyB. We have three days to flood the public consultation with requests to stop the deal, and call on the government to initiate a public inquiry into the hacking scandals. Let’s save our media and democracy. Send a message now.

    We’ve done it before — in the last consultation Hunt said our avalanche of 40,000 messages delayed the deal as his officials had to read each email carefully, fearing a legal challenge. But the government is pushing the deal through despite the hacking scandal of murdered Milly Dowler — the latest grim episode that shows how Murdoch’s media tramples standards and ignores ethics.

    Murdoch already controls more of our media than is legal in many countries – and is notorious for using his power to skew our politics. The official consultation ends this Friday — let’s tell the government we don’t want his media empire to control our largest commercial broadcaster. Send a message now calling on Jeremy Hunt and David Cameron to refuse Murdoch’s BSkyB deal until there’s a full Competition Commission review and a full public inquiry into phone hacking. And tell your friends to do the same.

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_messages_2/?vl

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation already owns 40% of British newspapers and 40% of BSkyB, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster. In the US, Australia and elsewhere this degree of media dominance would not be allowed. News Corporation has admitted responsibility for hacking the phones of politicians and celebrities, and now stands accused of listening to messages of a murdered 13 year old girl. But our government wants to give Murdoch power over half of our media, allowing him to then squeeze out his rivals one by one.

    Since November we’ve repeatedly rallied to stop Murdoch. We’ve sent messages, phoned ministers, done stunts, and funded adverts and legal challenges. Jeremy Hunt says our actions have delayed the deal and persuaded him to make changes to how Sky News will be treated if Murdoch takes over BSkyB. He’s had to hire extra lawyers and is nervous about a battle in the courts. We’re making an impact, but the conditions Hunt plans to put on the takeover won’t work, as Murdoch regularly runs rings round regulators.

    Now is the moment to stand up for our media and our democracy and build pressure on the government. Let’s send messages calling on Jeremy Hunt and David Cameron to refuse Murdoch’s BSkyB deal until the deal has been reviewed by the Competition Commission and a full judge led public inquiry into the hacking scandal is conducted and completed. Send a message now, and encourage your friends to do so.

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_messages_2/?vl

    An independent and diverse media is vital for holding governments to account and should not be in the hands of someone known for unethical journalistic practices and who often seeks favours in return for endorsing politicians and parties. But people power can stop this deal. If we all stand up together now in the UK, we’ll give hope to independent media advocates across the world.

    With hope and determination,

    Alex, Sam, Brianna, Alice, Ricken, Luis and the whole Avaaz team

    More information

    Power that threatens both an industry and democracy
    http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-power-that-threatens-both-an-industry-and-democracy-2305054.html

    News Corp’s battle for BSkyB shows global ambition
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8612669/News-Corps-battle-for-BSkyB-shows-global-ambition.html

    News Corp/BSkyB deal underlines Murdoch’s political clout
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jun/30/news-corp-bskyb-murdoch?intcmp=239

    Rupert Murdoch: Empire of the Sun
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/30/rupert-murdoch-empire-the-sun

    Police to meet NoW executives over Milly hacking claims
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14024668

    Cameron: Dowler phone hack allegations ‘truly dreadful’
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8617387/David-Cameron-allegations-of-Milly-Dowler-phone-hacking-are-truly-dreadful.html

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    So which came first 38 Degrees or Avaaz?

    MrBlond
    Free Member

    Looks like you’re wasting your breath there….

    neil853
    Free Member

    I just delete them when they come through now, waste of my time

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

The topic ‘38 Degrees – losing it?’ is closed to new replies.