Pete,
I too noted, with interest, that your post#92 was ignored.
Interesting.

airlineratings.com is owned by The West Newspaper

Registrant Name: Nick Sertis
Registrant Organization: West Australian Newspapers Ltd
Registrant Street: 50 Hasler Road
Registrant City: Osborne Park
Registrant State/Province: WA
Registrant Postal Code: 6017
Registrant Country: AU
Registrant Phone: +61.894823386
Registrant Phone Ext:
Registrant Fax:
Registrant Fax Ext:
Registrant Email: Email Masking [email protected]

The West Australian also owns Aerospace Technical Publication International P/L who also printed Qantas Flightpaths which is still held up as an example of why FGD135 has an "enormous respect for the man". Can you give me some guidance FGD as to what you found so awe inspiring in the publication?

As a consequence of the unholy link described by Hasherucf, the West Australian carries page after page of GT tosh - far more than most of you guys on the East Coast see (unless you are crazy enough to seek it out online). I suppose you could look on GT as WA's revenge on the wicked East; fix up the GST and we'll take him back. (There you go..I'm practically a local now).

I don't buy the West myself, it being distinguished in my memory as the foul organ that front-page serialized a woman's death and subsequent legal proceedings for the entertainment of the masses. However, colleagues often shove the GT stuff my way, invariably with a shake of the head.

I've found the thread interesting and, noting that most journos are lazy buggers who enjoy feeding on each other, I reckon the idea of an alternative source of higher grade, pre-written tosh is a good one. As a complement, the Media Watch encouragement is also good. Forget the legalities of the Press Council etc and go for good old-fashioned public derision.

Thankyou stanwell. It is bizarre.

What is also bizarre, is that this webpage

Geoffrey Thomas | LinkedIn

lists GT as FOUNDER of airlineratings.com

It's all very interesting.

.
.
.

And that above, is the sound of the continued silence from FGD on this matter.

Hmm, "Aviation Professional", eh?
I'll have to tell my mate down the road - who spent a month or two as a bag-chucker, that he was an "Aviation Professional".

I read that post #92, but couldn't see anything to get excited about - Ppruners jumping at shadows is something that happens every day.


Any website can do any study or analysis on anything it likes. Any journalist can then write about the findings. Any news outlet is free to buy the story from the journalist and publish it. What's the big deal?


If GT was the journalist, then the outlet doing the publishing probably should mention the link between the journalist and the website. Was said mention made?

The big deal, GT, is that Qantas MAY or MAY NOT be the safest airline in the world.

You appear (and I may be wrong) to be sprouting personal opinion from your own website as irrefutable fact.

There would be no difference if I started a website called pilotratings.com, nominating Jo Bloggs as the safest pilot in the world, and then selling stories to Yahoo7 saying that Jo Bloggs is the safest pilot in the world because pilotratings.com says so.

What a farce. :D

No.

Anyone else's BS meter peaking?

Not personal opinion. There is some methodology by which the ratings are made - and you could have established that by yourself.


You think Yahoo7 would buy that story?

Well, given that it is about as factual as yours... And also given I have chucked a couple of bags in my time, I don't see why not?

Why was there no disclosure on your AirAsia article?

Your response ignores my point that the view of professional pilots on this list that the accuracy of his information is poor. Your reply seems to suggest the public have no need or will not understand accurate technical information.

Dumbing down info to the point that is facile or even misleading is a low brow response. Espousing high tech info which public wont understand doesnt work either especially if it is innacurate.

Accuracy is a cornerstone of journalism.

The public are able to understand the mechanics and science of life.
It is critical for the interviewee to be knowledgeable on the subject! but also as critical to show restrant by shutting up and not talking crap.
Ive just heard abctv news london correspondant reporting on the terrorist seige in France, describe supa puma helicopters as "attack helicopters"
We can excuse him for that mistake as he is not an expert, but there is no excuse for an aviation expert to apparently regularly make mistakes about simple stuff.

Speaking on a specialist subject in a way the public can understand is possible!
If any ppruners are interested a good technique is to research and practice responses to likely questions relating to aircraft incidents. This is good fun and a challenge to accuratly describe what flaps do or how a pitot works.

The last page of posts about connections is very interesting when you refer to the ethics and standards that govern broadcasters and publishers.

I edited a technical trade mag for 5 years and am shocked by lack of disclosure portrayed in this thread.



Mickjoebill

What lack of disclosure would that be, Mick?

You guys bang on about journalists reporting the truth, yet you're all accusing FGD135 (and others) of being Geoffrey Thomas without one iota of proof.

I don't give a flying fig who FGD is, but the hypocrisy in this thread is astounding!

So seeing as none of you know how the media industry works, I'll try to solve the mystery for you . . .

Geoff Thomas is employed by The West Australian.

Geoff Thomas can write whatever the hell he likes in his Linked in bio - that doesn't mean it's true (hint - do your research!).

In all likelihood, The West registered airlineratings.com as a spin-off publishing venture.

Geoff Thomas may have been a founding editor (as opposed to financial founder), but he likely wasn't the only one.

"Managing Director" is a title - it doesn't mean the MD has shares or any other fiscal interest in the company.

airlineratings.com may - or may not - have been Geoff Thomas's idea, pitched at newspaper management. In all likelihood (I am speculating - I have no inside knowledge), he may have partly come up with the idea jointly with the newspaper and possibly other writers, now employed as airlineratings.com editors.

Joint publishing ventures between journalists and media organisations are common.

It's really not that hard to understand.

Have a look at the list of editors: Airline Ratings

Half of them are West reporters, while the remainder are freelancers.

Is it ethical? Not in my opinion. But it wouldn't be the first time a media organisation has quoted its own spin-off venture or specialist supplement to mutually benefit both parties (which are really one and the same party, after all).

You know, when the pot (loony conspiracy theorist pruners) call the kettle (media) black, it's time for the pot to stop smoking its namesake!

The rumour-mongering and lack of basic knowledge in this thread is embarrassing. Maybe even more embarrassing than the media's understanding of our sacred cow aviation industry! :eek:

Je suis Geoffrey Thomas!

LOL! :}

"None of you know how the media industry works.."
Oh, OK.
I must have been dreaming about my twelve year involvement in it, then.
Thanks for letting me know.

Then if you're as experienced as you say, why couldn't you address Slippery_Pete's post at #92?

And surely you realise the folly of trying to finger everyone as GT without any evidence.

I don't agree with everything FGD has written, but he doesn't deserve to be pilloried for his views. Because of all the people posting here, he is one of the few who does seem to have a genuine understanding of how the media industry works in the real world.

Others are simply displaying the same industry bias and ignorance against which they, themselves, have been rallying.

You can't have it both ways.

I have not suggested fg is gt. In respect to disclosure I refer to GTs connection with organisatons listed here.

No he can't write what he likes and at the same time conform to the ethics and standards of the profession.

You may think ethics and standards dont matter when speculating and investigating on the sudden death of hundreds of people.



Mickjoebill

I do believe ethics and standards matter - at all times - firmly. And I do not absolve any journalist of that responsibility to his/her industry and the public they serve.

But the reality is, many journalists only serve themselves, and such is the cut-throat, bankrupt industry these days (most media organisations still haven't found a way to make money online), few new journos receive proper training like they used to, while other, more experienced journos just don't have the time and resources they are expected to have to do their job properly.

Sound familiar? You could apply the same to another industry I'm thinking of.

Yes, there are lazy journos who hurt not only themselves and the industry at large, but the general public, victims and families as well.

But so do lazy pilots . . .

Geoffrey "Biggles" Thomas had his heart set on indulging in some liquorice delights.

From today's West Australian: :rolleyes:

http://s18.postimg.org/cakpp8yph/image.jpg

OK so everyone's agreed on that.

FGD135 is suspected of being GT because of your second quote. Banter on an anonymous forum can hardly be compared with paid journalism requoted around the world. That needs to be correct.

When one reads or watches 'the news', we expected factual, accurate reporting in the time available. To wildly speculate is human, to print it is not journalism.

I've never subscribed to the idea that news needs to be dumbed down for the lowest common denominator. Educate them.

Please, don't give this hack of a human any more publicity. He thrives on it.