Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Why do some sections of the media seem unable to take 'Don't Know' for an answer?

We all know that the London media love to count Don't Knows in independence referendum polls as firm Nos, but the website Tennis Earth seems, for reasons best known to itself, to be taking the practice into a whole new dimension.  In a short piece on Andy Murray's recent political comments, they accurately quote him as saying that he has yet to make up his mind whether to support independence or not -

"As it gets a bit closer to the time, I think we need to do what’s best for the country – what’s best for Scotland. Nearer the time we will start to see in more detail what is the best decision, and I’ll make my decision based on that."

So how on Earth do they reconcile that with the headline "Andy Murray against Scottish independence", and the introductory comment : "Without hurting the sentiments of his fellow Scots, former World No.2 Andy Murray has put his weight behind a unified Great Britain with Scotland being an integral part of the Union and not as an independent nation."

What? Where? When? If you have the exclusive quote, guys, don't be bashful about it - there's not much point in getting the scoop of the year and then using a quote of him saying the complete opposite, is there?

I tried to leave a comment to set the record straight (although to be fair Murray had already done it for me in the article itself!), but the website demanded a ridiculous level of access to my Twitter account - the right to follow new people on my behalf, no less. I wonder if one of them would have been Blair McDougall...

3 comments:

  1. I read somewhere the other day that the Queen has said that she will not ever abdicate (like anyone except Charlie gives a damn).

    I think I might write an article saying that she has decided that it's time to step down and spend her retirement growing vegetable marrows with Hercule Poirot, and that Mrs Parker Bowles is being fitted for her crown as we speak.

    Why not...?

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  2. I read that the Queen is a definite Yes.

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  3. The Queen maybe a YES.
    The Duke o Embra is a Don't know, a don't know what day it is.

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