Nominally we are all “journalists” under the press code of practice, but this rough trade has none of the attributes of a “profession”. Instead of a guild, practitioners are hired to do their masters’ bidding, even when that can mean spreading disinformation and disregarding evidence.

Polly confesses all!

Or is she about to tell us that she isn’t actually a journalist?

Definitely her finest article. Or maybe she’s finally the indefinite article.

1
Mark
February 24, 2012 at 14:11

I read the first couple of paragraphs of Polly’s dreary prose (more than I usually manage) and was hoping to leave an excoriating comment (for swift moderation) but sadly the Graun has decided that “For legal reasons, this article will not be open to comments”.
So the sainted Polly can comment, but not us mere plebs – such egalitarians.

2
Richard
February 24, 2012 at 15:05

” Instead of a guild, practitioners are hired to do their masters’ bidding, even when that can mean spreading disinformation and disregarding evidence”……..well then, that`s our Polly to a T, isn`t it ?

3
Demetrius
February 24, 2012 at 15:24

Polly Toynbee with an axe,
Hit Rupert Murdoch forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She hit poor Cameron forty one.

4
Criminonymous
February 24, 2012 at 17:05

Nice.

5
fred
February 25, 2012 at 18:31

Eric Joyce, with just his head,
hit Stuart Andrew ’til he bled.
Then, to show it weren’t a blip,
went on to thump the Labour whip.

6
SadButMadLad
February 24, 2012 at 21:56

I think Polly’s trying to say that she’s distancing herself from the journalists on the other side who commit such acts for their boss.

She also talks about Marie Colvin’s death in Syria without acknowledging that Marie was one of the journalists working for the other side – the Sunday Times.

This bit is the real kiler though – “I have never felt much professional comradeship with people hired to promote the self-serving views of a few eccentric far-right billionaires controlling large parts of the British press.”

That’s because she’s promoting the self-serving views of an eccentric far-left company that actively carries out tax avoidance and other dodgy business practises whilst actively denouncing such activities. Hypocrisy?

7
Ted Treen
February 25, 2012 at 15:52

Has our Pol ever been anything other than a patronising, smug hypocrite?

8
Spiral Architect
February 25, 2012 at 02:58

Polly Toynbee is not a journalist – she writes propaganda.

Even for her though this piece was monstrously unbalanced.

It’s not acceptable for ‘……..right-wing billionaires……’ to own newspapers, but it is OK for left-wing millionaires control trusts that own newspapers.

She also completely forgot to mention that for 13yrs the Sun and NOTW backed Labour, and that Blair and Brown did absolutely nothing to repeal the legislation that Thatcher enacted to enable Murdoch to own N.I.

No mention either of the Daily Mirror’s famously high standard of ethics.

Toynbee is a shameless ideologue and a hypocrite – try exposing tales of her avarice and cant on CIF, and see where it gets you. Rusbridger is the same.

Banker bonuses?? No reward for failure??……So how is it that Guardian Media Group has lost squillions in the past 10yrs – laying off 100s of staff in the process – and Rusbridger et al trouser bonuses worth 100s of 1000s?

I fucking loath the Left.

9
Ted Treen
February 25, 2012 at 15:53

“…this piece was monstrously unbalanced…”

Entirely in keeping with its author, then.