Rolf Harris

[logbox]

Today in court Rolf sang part of Jake the peg and demonstated how to play the digeridoo, tomorrow he might do two little boys.

[merehazle]

Sorry, #57 ed, Yes I agree. Thank you. 

[designer_label_girl]

Actually, that's not true. Newspapers are exceedingly careful when covering cases to avoid being in contempt of court or the trial having to be abandoned. They've even been incredibly careful over the Oscar Pistorius case and there's not even much chance of them being in danger of contempt for that.

There are very few specialist court reporters in this country and they have to undergo a long training because if they get any important facts wrong the newspaper is at great risk.

What does get 'spun' by newspapers, as you saw, is background detail and photos. But the actual court reporting is and has to be spot on.

Out of interest, why were you reading about your trial in the newspaper while it was going on? Jurors are not supposed to if it's a high-profile trial and 10 weeks is a looong trial.

[cee-dee]

The way things are reported are not accurate.

Sky news has, at times three reporters making comments supposedly "as things happened", nearly live at the trial and sometimes the same thing is reported three different ways.

If there's not a lot of "Headline news" during these high profile trials, you'll see for yourself if you look for the "updates" on the Sky News site.

A word altered here, a phrase reported differently there and the actul words changed someplace else doesn't give a lot of confidence in the accuracy of the press.

During the "Cold War", the Russians dismissed Western newspaper reports as "Capitalist Propaganda" and really, they were not wrong.

When I worked with a bunch of men, we all bought different newspapers and "borrowed" from each other and at that time, I read 5 different newspapers and the differences in reporting the same news item was really astonishing so I don't go for the "Newspapers are exceedingly careful when covering cases....." angle at all!

[designer_label_girl]

The Sky reporters are not specialist court reporters. Specialist court reporters just cannot make a mistake. The broadsheets use specialist court reporters - their reports go on the newspapers' legal pages where they are pretty impenetrable to the casual reader.

TV reporters and tabloid reporters are another breed of reporter entirely ... and *their* stories go on the front page.

During the Cold War capitalist westerners dismissed communist Russia newspaper reports - most memorably Pravda, ironically meaning Truth - as propaganda. We are surrounded by propaganda.

There's no shortage of it here either.

[cee-dee]

How many people read the broadsheets and even, how many actually read any newspaper?

It's fair to say that these days, the majority of people who see any News do so from the TV or the internet.

Certainly, during the Cold War, the West dismissed Russian news as "Communist propaganda" and although that was probably true, they all told the same tale.

[rose2008-2008]

Merehazle,, i shall wait with baited breath for your minuites of your meeting!. I dont know if im young or not now ,,im 50., but thanks anyway.

I tell you something,, i cant wait now to see how Rolfs trial comes out. Im on the edge of my seat!!.

[astrologica]

It wasn't a high profile trial, and it was ten weeks long as there were multiple defendants. There was nothing reported in National newspapers, and no extensive reporting of the offences or the accused. Before the jury was sworn in, no-one had any inkling about what the case was going to be about. Some days there were short columns in the local newspapers of what had already happened in court. What was reported in those columns made me realise that what gets reported in newspapers is not necessarily how things really are.

[astrologica]

Madame. DeFarge comes to mind.....do you have your knitting with you? Will you be watching the executions?

[evoman3957]

You're not the only one................."What about that young person you touched up in America"....."I've never been to America"........"so what's this Film we have showing You in America"..........."Oh I forgot about that, was that America?"........**bleep**!..........I can't wait to see how 12 other people are going to sort out this C**P...............all right so it wasn't America, but don't hold your breath the way this is going.

[saasher2012]

Ice lollies, choc ices, popcorn. Anyone Or even 2 ply wool ?

[rose2008-2008]

I have my Knitting at ready,,, i do so LOVE an Execution,,,, i would have loved those olden times when the old slicer was coming down!!!. ( rubs her hands together in delight). What flavour popcorn should i have this time,,, mmmmm me thinks.

Rose De Farge????, its got a certain ring to it!!!!!!. .

[cee-dee]

You might not have enjoyed those times so much when you realised that scolding wives were treated to a ride in the ducking stool and also that you only needed a few people to pick on you and accuse you of being a witch before you were summarily dealt with.

[saasher2012]

& men could go to the guillotine just for being rich!

[rose2008-2008]

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@saasher2012 wrote:
& men could go to the guillotine just for being rich!

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[rose2008-2008]

Oohhherrrr

[saasher2012]

Good job we are single then Rose cos C D thinks we are scolding wives & witches! lol.

[cee-dee]

You've completely missed my point but have absolutely illustrated what I meant.

Those two "offences" could lead women to retribution without any evidence and totally at the say-so of others without a shred of truth.

[saasher2012]

Glad I obliged you then!

[cee-dee]

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, don't tell everyone.

[saasher2012]

Have I done another foot in mouth comment again if so I apologise for it!LOL.