Pilots on journos' forum?

[kevmusic]

As but a lowly stude PPL but with a great interest in matters aviatical of most sorts, particularly military, I have a little question for you. Is there a journos' forum, and do pilots inveigle their way on there to ask naive questions & generally get their backs up? I ask because there is an interest in the press being well informed about big heavy things hurtling through the air but they seem to go only clumsily about it. Only Jackonicko, AFAIK and to his great credit, shows himself both as an aviation connoisseur and a pro journo, on this forum at least.

Most interest groups have their own fora. What does the aviation fraternity glean from the hacks when they're chatting among themselves?

(I could equally have asked this of the airliner drivers but I feel a little more comfortable with you lot, plus they're a little pre-occupied elsewhere a ce moment.......:} )

[Jackonicko]

Thank you, kind sir, though I am entirely unworthy of such extravagant and specific praise.

Because among those who PPRuNe, there are a number of very competent, very well-informed journos - Air Sound, Gainesy, Low Observable and Spruce Moose, for starters. And blokes like Mick Smith, who would admit to being a more general defence hack (not specifically aviation) who has the balls to post under his own name.

There are many good journos, who are air-minded, who generally support the services, and who are sympathetic to service personnel and the difficulties and challenges they face. At least three of the journos mentioned in this post have served in the military themselves, in some form, to my certain knowledge, and many of us have PPLs. Others come from service families, and some are frustrated pilots. Most of the specialists are interested, care, and want to understand what they're reporting and then get it right.

We're not all generalist reporters who instinctively distrust the military, who couldn't tell one end of a 'plane' from the other, and who want to find scandal and bad news - though there are enough of those on some of the Fleet Street and local papers that the general journo stereotype disappoints but does not surprise me.

And even among the general reporters, many are worth helping, because they're honest, and decent, and given help, will try to avoid making howlers, and will try to avoid being unhelpful. Others are worth punching.

There isn't a journo forum (Can you imagine all of those egos? All that Bull****? It would be like a dedicated Bonamate forum!) and if we want to have our backs put up, we come here for Tourist and Minigun diplomat and all our other 'chums' to tell us what no-goods and worthless toe-rags we are.....

[Tigs2]

Jacko

There are many good journos, who are air-minded,

Where were they today on the news with the BA incident:rolleyes:

[Tourist]

I only abuse you when you deserve it, usually for your pro light blue anti dark blue bias.

[Gainesy]

Where were they today on the news with the BA incident

Blatting Phasianidae, aka Malaysian Ditch Parrots, then de-briefing in The Plough.

T'was a very wet day.:)

[Ewan Whosearmy]

Tigs

As Jacko said, there are those journos that know their stuff or are prepared to listen and learn, and there are those who conform to the stereotype.

Asking, 'Where were they?' after every newsworthy aviation incident is completely daft, as very few of the former work as broadcast journalists.

However, to answer your question, you'll see 'where they are' in a few weeks' time when their work appears in print in the aviation press.

[ShyTorque]

I liked the classic understatement from yesterday's TV coverage of the 777 accident: "Something, in those last few hundred feet, appears to have gone wrong."

I'm with that man all the way...... :)

[mustpost]

As journo type myself I larfed when the Beeb, attempting some semblance of explanation of triple 7 on news 24 came up with a new graphic entitled 'WIND SHEER' :}:}

edit
They've taken the clip off now..bah

[Phil_R]

To be honest given the reaction I first got I couldn't recommend that any but the thickest-skinned journalists came here - and I'm not even a journalist, even by the very loosest definition.

It has been very worthwhile in the long term, though. Anyway, the choice is clear, to anyone, in any profession - put up with the naive questions, or put up with the inaccuracies. I would have thought anyone who came here with the express intention of becoming more informed was probably owed at least common courtesy.

P

[airsound]

Why Jacko, thank you for those very kind words....
(blushes pinkly and shuffles off muttering incoherently....)

Returns to say, I believe you should add Algy to your list of “very competent, very well-informed journos”. He doesn’t post here often (too busy with his excellent aviation blog, and his aviation day job, I expect), but when he does it’s worth reading.

Anyroadup, I do feel that a lifetime’s involvement in aviation has made me realise that the stuff in my veins is probably Avgas, or Jet A1 - which maybe accounts for that high blood pressure my doctor’s always whingeing about. Well all right, maybe just a tincture of alcohol as well.... But I do see it as part of my day job to try and bring the aviation gospel to the non-aviation world. And you can see from the brilliant, informed, insightful aviation coverage that daily fills our media what a good job I’m doing. As Paxman says, Ye e e e e e e s...

Tigs, you ask
Where were they today on the news with the BA incident?
Well, I have been trying, honest. Since Friday pm, I’ve been on News 24, Radio Fivelive, Today on Radio 4, and Jeremy Vine on Radio 2. A perfect face for radio, you might say. Incidentally, I was honoured to be accompanied on Jeremy Vine by Danny. And if anyone (well, almost anyone) thinks I’ve been talking Ainsworths on those occasions, I’ll be happy to hear about it. Would prefer chapter and verse, rather than general denunciation, you understand. But ready to be corrected. And on Monday morning, O Frabjous Day, I shall be in a studio for about two hours talking to something like 15 BBC local radios (about the 777) and trying to remember what I’ve said to whom, which is a struggle at the best of times.

airsound

[kevmusic]

Thanks, Jacko, for putting me straight on that one! (Though that's why I covered myself with AFAIK.)

Nevertheless, the prevalent focus of the reporting of air incidents, both nationally and locally, is usually towards how many hundred schoolchildren were, were nearly or weren't killed; and goes straight to the front page regardless of that result. For example, my local rag ran a front page some months ago, whose banner proclaimed: PILOT CRASH LANDS IN MARSHES. Apart from the hilarious non-hyphen error (I mean, where else do you land a 'pilot crash' :} :ugh: ), the crew walked away, it was miles from civilisation and it made the front page!

I hope the aviation-minded hacks can spread a little light among their mundane brethren. :)

Ah, Airsound! You posted just as I was typing this. Thanks you for your hard work - I hope some of your colleagues were listening in!