Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Sunday Telegraph checks up on "this frockwriter blog"


the sunday telegraph

Frockwriter applauds the practise of thorough checking. There can never be enough of it. That said, we could not help have a chuckle at a communication that has wafted our way via the Texas-based language analyst Global Language Monitor, the source of frockwriter’s Fashion Buzzwords story on Tuesday. The organisation was contacted by Elle Halliwell – who sources indicate is The Sunday Telegraph’s “new Melissa Hoyer/Kate Waterhouse” (ie the paper's main fashion writer) and whose first column, we understand, is to be published on Sunday. Halliwell wanted to verify the bona fides of frockwriter’s info, because the paper is interested in the story for this Sunday’s edition. It’s the wording which tickled our funny bone: “I was wondering if you could confirm that this Frockwriter blog is correct” (followed by an excerpt from Tuesday's post).

Look thanks for the interest in the story, to which you will note frockwriter beat The Sunday Telegraph by five days. We will take a bet that frockwriter will not be getting a mention.

At the bottom of Tuesday's post, Global Language Monitor was provided as the source of the information. And frockwriter understands that this blog, along with Reuters, were the first two global news outlets to have the report prior to a wider release. We beat Reuters as well apparently.

Memo to Halliwell: that's fair enough that you might not a/be familiar with the blog, because let's face it, plenty are not. And or b/be willing to take our word for something. Because frankly, why should you?

Frockwriter welcomes the arrival of any general newsroom-trained journalist to the fashion round, because we feel the round should be accorded more gravitas. Notably, in Australia.

We particularly enjoyed Halliwell's (above-linked) January 25 expose “Dogs becoming dumb and dumber” and feel that its brilliant observations could quite possibly be transferred across to an analysis of the profession of journalism period.

From the story:

“EVER wondered why Fido and Muffy prefer the toilet bowl to the water dish? Well, the truth could be that they're just airheads.

“A Swedish research scientist has discovered that the current generation of pedigree dogs, normally social and curious creatures by nature, are disinterested, shy and less responsive to commands than their ancestors.

“The study found show-quality and "handbag'' pooches were the most likely to lack the instincts of previous generations, which were bred for their strength, hunting and working abilities, rather than their looks”.


5 comments:

Sweetface McGee said...

Let's hope The Sunday Tele's new fashion writer has more of a clue than recent staff. At least Melissa Hoyer had some kind of knowledge and opinion on the Australian fashion industry... Did Kate Waterhouse ever actually write anything, or did Kirstie Clements just do it all for her?

Anonymous said...

And this is why I no longer read newspapers, especially Australian ones.

Paul said...

I know how this ends: Elle wins the big court case because she knows you can't wash your hair after you get a perm. Yay!

Anonymous said...

"The study found show-quality and "handbag'' pooches were the most likely to lack the instincts of previous generations, which were bred for their strength, hunting and working abilities, rather than their looks".

Hmmm, i think the same could be said about the standard of "journalists" at News.com.au these days.

Tricia said...

This is sad and appalling and very amusing.

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