Chandlers story in the Mail

[photodog]

Having witnessed first hand events which were subsequently 'published' in the Daily Mail, I regret that I have NO confidence in that papers ability to report factually about almost any event involving the armed forces.

I am amazed that there seem to be people on these forums who think that any of the national newspapers work in any sort of dispassionate straight factual way. All the press reports 'from an angle' - the DM has various axes to grind, and for those who are the subject of their axe from time to time, its fairly tedious stuff. When something happens in the RN that can be spun to be embarrassing, then one can predict fairly accurately what the headline will be in the DM.

On the subject in hand, I also happen to know some of the background to the Chandlers - some friends of mine were involved locally at the incident and in the management chain - and I very much regret the innocent and total acceptance of stories that have been spun in the national press and in particular the DM. The DM may not actually lie - after all that would mean that people could take recourse through the courts - but the DM is VERY selective in how it reports events - and the reasons that some events take place. Have sense of proportion people. Just because the DM reports something in a particular way doesn't mean it actually happened for the reasons they claim in the editorial spin!!!

I hope that the Chandlers make lots of money for their story but I am very sorry that their story has been hijacked for the political whims of the DM and that people actually might believe what they read as a true and accurate analysis of what happened.

+1

.... and I work for the Mail.

 

[VO5]

Several years ago an acquaintance of mine was flying a kite in Hyde Park, as he habitually did on Sunday afternoons. Suddenly the wind dropped. The kite fell on the roof of Kensington Palace.

A Daily Mail reporter who had nothing better to do pounced on this trivia and made a story out of it and it got published.

His name was wrong, his surname was misspelt, his age was not correct and the description of the colours of the kite and its shape was wrong too.

I came to the conclusion that if the press are able to make a c#ck up of such a simple and trivial incident then we ought not to take anything reported seriously.

Not unlike a discussion between a tortoise and an alligater I read that was presented in cartoon form in a comic that I saw as a child in which the alligator comments to the tortoise "My mother says...if its in a book its true".



I no longer bother to buy or even read newspapers. My view is all they are fit for is cat litter. You would all save yourselves expense and grief if you were all to do the same.

 

[Heckler]

+1

.... and I work for the Mail.

As a small time politician I am well aware of how the media works and perhaps if Guapa and Uber had qualified their statements by saying ALL papers play tricks with the way they report things then we could all agree.
I still remember well, month on month off in Angola, we switched to Sabena. Used to get in to Brussels dead early. We were booked on the later flight because the office were never sure whether there was enough time to get the 10 o clock puddle jumper to Manchester. Us northeners would mob the Sabena desk to try and change the flights to get home early. Even in those days the dead hand of the EU could be detected in the atitude of the Sabena staff and their atitudes. However the worst thing about Sabena was that the freeby newspaper was THE GUARDIAN!! YUUUUKKKKK!!! Our resident lefties go on about the Mail, hmm after reading that Guardian a few times I knew what propoganda really was!
No wonder Sabena went bust!
Stu

 

[Ubergeekian]

Over 2 million peeps buy it everyday, its writers win awards, it stands on its own two feet, it isnt subsidised by govt. A joke?

OK, that was perhaps a little strong. But it's a tabloid, and a sensationalist one at that. Sensationalism sells, after all. Citing the Daily Mail as a source is about convincing as citing the Sun, which is also well written and unsubsidised.

You might find this interesting. It's a collection of Daily Mail articles on the things that cause or cure cancer. Or, frequently, both.

 

[Ubergeekian]

As a small time politician I am well aware of how the media works and perhaps if Guapa and Uber had qualified their statements by saying ALL papers play tricks with the way they report things then we could all agree.

Of course. But what makes the Daily Mail such a wretchedly unreliable source is its combination of right-wing populist bias and tabloid sensationalism. No other paper gets that close: the Sun is sensationalist but much less politically biassed (most Sun readers vote Labour) and the Telegraph is right-wing but keeps broadsheet standard of reporting.

 

[ukmctc]

So it appears the majority seem to agree that the chandlers were stupid and arrogant and should have listened to the advice given, instead they ignored it and put other peoples lives at risk. The Navy. Military, negotiators other sailors, but hey its ok now, they are going to sell their story and what a lovely picture in the paper, them back on their yacht, wonderful isn't it.
Lets hope any money they get goes to charities, Navy, Military, and RNLI and maybe charities overseas which attempt to stop people being caught by pirates by giving free info and advice.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Its Never Really Clear

.... Anyway via the Mail they are "telling their story". .... the passion that we all have for sailing and the enjoyment it gives us

The Chandlers story is obviously interesting for many reasons, not least because we are mostly sailors on these fora. What I have found interesting is how nuggets of information have been presented about the decision that the Chandlers made to sail to Tanzania / Madagascar from the Seychelles.

Did their passion for sailing make it easy to lessen the risk that the warnings suggested? Were those warnings nothing more than bar room talk and the usual officials taking a risk averse approach? Was there agents passing on information to the Pirates on departing yachts?

I wonder what I would have done in their situation, being ensconced within the cruising community, evidence of yachts cruising from the Red Sea without pirate attack, planning a more southerly route to justify a decision to sail through pirate waters?

Given that we have information now from both the Chandlers and Gupa's inside information (I have no reason to doubt him), its interesting to see how when even more informed, the positions are still varied and not convergent.

I guess it's just being human. No one ever got anywhere by not taking risks.

A humorous newspaper story. A friend worked for a local Dunoon (small town) rag. He wrote up a story about some flower show and then went to the pub to see if he could trawl up something interesting. He found out that a local guy in a nearby village kept Pythons. He talked to the guy, took pictures of the snake and sold the lot to the News of the World who were into animal stories at the time. About six months later he got an irate phone call from the guy with the Pythons. Apparently the News of the World used the picture and wrote a story along the lines of "House of Horror, Snake infested home fear of villagers; context and taking liberty springs to mind. Its a shame that we cant trust the context of what we read in the newspapers.

 

[Fire99]

Sun readers vote Labour

I don't buy that (excuse the pun!) , with the Sun's political pendulum stance and with it being the paper of choice at my previous companies.

 

[Koeketiene]

As a small time politician I am well aware of how the media works and perhaps if Guapa and Uber had qualified their statements by saying ALL papers play tricks with the way they report things then we could all agree.

So, your stance has changed from 'It's true because it's in the Daily Mail' to 'What's in the Daily Mail may not be true because all papers lie'.

 

[reginaldon]

From time to time, I dip into this long-running saga, and it seems to me that those who are most predjudiced against the DM are those who have some connection with 'them as 'as the rule over us' or those who are connected with the higher eschelons of the services.
The truth hurts and possibly they are still smarting from some past revelations of the DM.
There was a time when the Times was known as 'the Thunderer' from when it made revelations that stung the Establishment. We certainly need a paper to be a Thunderer in EU Britain in the C21!

 

[Ubergeekian]

I don't buy that (excuse the pun!) , with the Sun's political pendulum stance and with it being the paper of choice at my previous companies.

As I recall, around 60% of those who read this copy of the Sun voted Labour that day.

 

[angelsson]

Simply untrue, unless you wish to call them liars, and or have evidence to the contrary, opinions are rather like noses, everyone has one. They are often based on a variety of motives when negative.

 

[angelsson]

A good point, it is rather long running, and I am pleased to seee that Guapa has ceased, as requested, his comments which he refuses to back up with any facts, on the basis, sensibly that his job would be on the line, he has said far to much anyway, possibly compromised himself, and should have thought of it earlier.

As to EU Britain, the Express are doing a great job in being the first to propose we leave the wretched EU, I am sure there are going to be replies to that, but please do not expect me to argue in favour here just note my support.

 

[Fire99]

As I recall, around 60% of those who read this copy of the Sun voted Labour that day.

Are you referring to Scotland? I think i've met both the Conservative voters in Scotland.

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

Lets face it, the Mail article is a dreadful piece of writing. Sentimental pap; putting thoughts and words into print to pander to needs of their readership.
I will wait for a more calm and considered account of the events.

 

[reginaldon]

A good point, it is rather long running, and I am pleased to seee that Guapa has ceased, as requested, his comments which he refuses to back up with any facts, on the basis, sensibly that his job would be on the line, he has said far to much anyway, possibly compromised himself, and should have thought of it earlier.

As to EU Britain, the Express are doing a great job in being the first to propose we leave the wretched EU, I am sure there are going to be replies to that, but please do not expect me to argue in favour here just note my support.

Another who has not lost all vestige of common sense or patriotic loyalty - that view of Kinnock's face reminded me of another guilty of treason.

 

[Koeketiene]

Another who has not lost all vestige of common sense or patriotic loyalty

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
Samuel Johnson - 1775

Care to count how many young men have been sent out to die because 'my country is better than your country'?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Simply untrue, unless you wish to call them liars, and or have evidence to the contrary, opinions are rather like noses, everyone has one. They are often based on a variety of motives when negative.

Who or what is this post addressed to please?

 

[angelsson]

It was a reply to UKmtct post by me John, should have made that clear.

 

[angelsson]

My dear Guapa, you repeat now out of context quotes from one of our most revered writers amongst other matters, here in full is what he said in his book The Partiot:
"A patriot is he whose publick conduct is regulated by one single motive, the love of his country; who, as an agent in parliament, has, for himself, neither hope nor fear, neither kindness nor resentment, but refers every thing to the common interest."

Here is another, would you like to tell us which applies more closely to your demeanour:
"Let us take a patriot, where we can meet him; and, that we may not flatter ourselves by false appearances, distinguish those marks which are certain, from those which may deceive; for a man may have the external appearance of a patriot, without the constituent qualities; as false coins have often lustre, though they want weight."