Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

RAF NEWS - Rag or What?

Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

RAF NEWS - Rag or What?

Old 29th Mar 2013, 06:52
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes on 7 Posts
RAF NEWS - Rag or What?

I have just received the latest edition of RAF News and I wonder why I bother to subscribe to such a rag.

This issue contains a report on the funeral of an RAF officer and reports that a party fired a ’21 gun salute’ – I think not. Recently, I found three glaring errors by just glancing through, on first receipt: my email to the newspaper’s editor went unanswered. A few weeks after, a photograph showing a memorial to a member of aircrew, clearly showed the aircraft involved was a Wellington but the accompanying narrative stated the pilot was flying a Lancaster – en route to the Far East in 1943 via the Middle East, by the way.

Of the three service newspapers, the RAF News is definitely the worst, despite changes and ‘improvements’ over the years. However, the standard of journalism and the proofing of articles seems to be exceptionally poor and errors of fact frequent.

Why is this the case and why does, whichever of the great and good is responsible for it, not take action and give it a jolly good shake up? Frankly, to me, it appears a poor reflection on the RAF’s PR effort and does not do justice to the service.

Old Duffer
Old-Duffer is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 06:56
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: England
Posts: 576
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've always found that Soldier Magazine and Navy News are better reads and more informative than the poor RAF effort.
P6 Driver is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 07:06
  #3 (permalink)  
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 1,874
Received 60 Likes on 18 Posts
They also failed to publish my letter regarding the first swallow of summer. Outrageous.
Two's in is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 07:29
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
OD ... The Flagship Publication the "RAF Annual Review" is no more than a glossy car showroom brochure these days IMO ... so I'm not surprised by your comments on RAF News.

But the PR People say "we're not the target audience" ... as if that's some justification for factual errors

Best ...

Coff.

Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 29th Mar 2013 at 07:31.
CoffmanStarter is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 08:15
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 1998
Location: England
Posts: 1,929
Received 7 Likes on 4 Posts
Rag. Definitely a rag. The RAF News has become worse than The Sun for cheesy headlines. The recent "Diamond Geezers" headline referring to the Red Arrows recent return to a nine-ship display team just made me cringe. Even more so when my RN and Army opposite numbers started taking the p!ss. TBH the paper wasn't too bad (although it still had a few cringeworthy headlines) when produced out of Innsworth, but since the move to HW it has become very "lower deck" to use a term provided by my RN office mate.

Last edited by Roland Pulfrew; 29th Mar 2013 at 08:15.
Roland Pulfrew is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 08:30
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Between a rock and a hard place.
Age: 52
Posts: 125
Received 15 Likes on 5 Posts
It's a joke of a rag. I still remember/fume about an article about a year ago which went along the lines of "good news for RAF as allowance budget is slashed". It is all PR for ex boys and girls, you don't even get the odd letter moaning about this and that any more.
4everAD is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 08:47
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,776
Received 253 Likes on 101 Posts
One of the earlier successes of PPRuNe was the fact that information, which the RAF News would certainly have suppressed, began to appear in the public domain. At the time, certain not-very-but-thought-they-were senior officers moved heaven and earth trying to establish who the posters were - even trying to get RAF Plod involved....
BEagle is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 08:56
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 45 yards from a tropical beach
Posts: 1,103
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I cancelled my subscription when, following swingeing Defence cuts, the RAF News carried the following banner headline:

"Leaner Force Packs Bigger Punch!"

That was in 1975.

Plus ça change....
Neptunus Rex is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 10:40
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There was a centre spread from the Jubilee flypast where the main photo was of a BBMF Hurricane taken head on from the tailgunner's turret of the Lancaster. The caption said it was a Spitfire!

There was a 'Top Trumps' style comparison between fast jets over Afghanistan a couple of years ago. Apart from the silhouette of an F3, the claim was that the Tornado GR3 (Yes, that too!) had a top speed of Mach 2.

Naturally, my letter to the editor didn't receive a response.

Does anybody use the 'leisure time' centre section for anything?

Calling it a 'rag' is too kind.
60024 is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 10:56
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Hiq et Ubique
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Does anybody use the 'leisure time' centre section for anything?
Toilet paper. Why on earth should I give two hoots about what some random service person thinks the top ten tunes on their iPod are?

But the PR People say "we're not the target audience"
If we are not the target audience, why are there 20 copies of the damn thing delivered to our crew room every fortnight?

Waste of time, energy, and certainly in this day and age, money. (Especially considering there are no decent Pen Pal entries for us to laugh about these days!)
MAD Boom is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 11:05
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: uk
Posts: 3,225
Received 172 Likes on 65 Posts
One of the earlier successes of PPRuNe was the fact that information, which the RAF News would certainly have suppressed, began to appear in the public domain. At the time, certain not-very-but-thought-they-were senior officers moved heaven and earth trying to establish who the posters were - even trying to get RAF Plod involved....
Spot on Beagle. I've had a few visits and always found a strident "**** ***" worked. But things have changed for the better. Many in MoD now use Pprune as the source of policy ideas, and is the de facto corporate knowledge base for working out how to implement extant policies.
tucumseh is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 11:06
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 653
Received 7 Likes on 3 Posts
I can understand the propaganda message that they are trying to convey, i.e, everything is wonderful in the RAF, to those who have no idea or to those who have a modicum of interest.

However, for those of us still serving who see the reality on a daily basis, there is a huge and growing divergence between spin and perception. If we scrapped the RAF and split our assets between Army and Navy, it would still be presented as a 'good news and success' story!

Sadly the many inaccuracies and downmarket, assumption of low readership IQ approach has compounded my view that the RAF News is no longer what it once was.

Still read it though, as they are given away free where I work. Just takes 5 minutes now from cover to cover, rather than 20 minutes, 10 years ago.

Last edited by Party Animal; 29th Mar 2013 at 11:07.
Party Animal is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 11:11
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Southern Europe
Posts: 5,335
Received 17 Likes on 6 Posts
Soft, strong and thoroughly absorbant. I can't see what any good airman could have against it. Apart from his bottom.

Last edited by Courtney Mil; 29th Mar 2013 at 11:11.
Courtney Mil is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 13:02
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,776
Received 253 Likes on 101 Posts
Whereas 60 years ago, there was a proper magazine published monthly. This was 'Royal Air Force Flying Review - The Journal of the Royal Air Force' which cost the princely sum of 1/- !!


When the RAF Brize Norton Education Section (which no doubt has some silly oo-rah rufty-tufty title such as 'Warfighter Enhancement Wing' these days...) was having a clear out, they found a box of old 1940s-50s copies of various aviation magazines. Including the first ever Recce Journal (astonishingly no references to 'curved handrails', 'slack tracks', 'GT wheels' etc. back then...). I was asked if I'd like it, so jumped at the opportunity. Most were susbequently donated to the Yorkshire Air Museum and the Shuttleworth collection, but I kept the 2 copies of RAF Flying Review!

How CAS appeared on parade for the Coronation (from the July 1953 copy):


Perhaps the present CAS should also appear thus on State Occasions?

Last edited by BEagle; 29th Mar 2013 at 13:15. Reason: superfluous conjunction!
BEagle is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 13:12
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
BEagle ...

That article "In the year 2004 ... an RAF Space Bomber takes off on a mission" sounds interesting ... any chance you could post a scan for us all to read

Coff.
CoffmanStarter is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 13:19
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,343
Received 2,546 Likes on 1,075 Posts
These days they tend to promote the horse over the man to high office, take Westminster for example...
NutLoose is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 13:35
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,776
Received 253 Likes on 101 Posts
Coff, I'll try:






Note the panel on the final page - I wonder who won the 10/6 and how the letter read!

Last edited by BEagle; 29th Mar 2013 at 13:36.
BEagle is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 13:59
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Thanks BEagle ... really appreciate you posting the article What a fascinating read ...

Yep ... The winning letter must have been a hoot

Sadly the reality was (more decline) ...

RAF 2004

Best ...

Coff.

PS. Magnetic Flying Boots ... I want some ... I thought my dinghy stabber caused enough "swing" on a Chipmunk compass

Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 29th Mar 2013 at 14:08.
CoffmanStarter is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 14:30
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: St Annes
Age: 68
Posts: 638
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Half a guinea...

Come come Beagle,
this is no time for modesty...

Note the panel on the final page - I wonder who won the 10/6 and how the letter read!
...what DID your letter say?

Dave

Last edited by davejb; 29th Mar 2013 at 14:30.
davejb is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2013, 14:54
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Not that I'm any kind of homophobe, however it does appear as though the RAF news should have a rainbow across the top of the front page these days...just to give the casual observer some hint of what seems to fill the pages of most editions.

I keep reading in the RAF News (apparently quoting our most senior officers) about how well we're doing in our rise through the rankings of the stonewall best gay employer table. I can't help wondering how we'd figure in any 'best hetro-sexual' employer ratings table....maybe it could be the stone-henge rating!
Corrona is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.