WHO SHOULD GET BIG SALARIES? 4

Here is NN's take on the issue.

"I'm intently following the discussion on salaries for media workers. How's about we call some names of editors, managers and owners now? I'm not sure how much the field of journalism has improved in the last 46 years. The quality of reporting may be alright but there is no overarching industry standard set so that the young, green cub reporters coming in have something to aspire to. Do any of the media houses have a content and writing style guide? A procedures manual? A journalist's handbook? Any document that tells people what the newspaper/media house stands for?

"This brings me to an errant article in the Newsday in the Sunday edition (3 August) which reported a missing La Brea teen found DEAD. Fortunately I had access to the Guardian which seemed to have the correct story that the young woman was found ALIVE, seemingly drugged but alive. The Guardian found the grandmother who expressed relief at her granddaughter being discovered.
Who the hell was the Newsday talking to?!

"This occurrence is altogether too frequent. Even Media Watch reports on inaccuracies in crime reports when details are different in all three dailies. Here's a suggestion. Why don't the media collaborate with the the Police Service on the best means to conduct daily media briefings on crimes that have taken place across the country. Journalists shouldn't even have to go to Police HQ for this information; it should be compiled and distributed electronically to each media house to ensure that everyone has the same basic information.

"There are precious few media houses that can be taken seriously in this country. It seems like they operate by vaps more often than not."

"NN"

We could not have said that last part better ourselves if we tried.

And for our readers outside of Trinidad and Tobago who don't understand the use of the slang term 'vaps', it means "making an impulse decision, sudden desire to do something or doing something impromptu", eg, 'We caught a vaps and went to see the movie.' (Trinis would say 'We ketch a vaps and went to see a show.)'