Why On Earth Would She Do This???

[sp1814]

Mind boggling.

Certain newspapers and their readers were all ove this earlier this week.

Cathy Newman claimed to have been ushered out of the mosque despite being dressed appropriately.

In truth, she was told that she's gone to the wrong mosque and that her colleagues were at another mosque a few miles away:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/cathy-newman-apologises-and-quits-twitter-over-inappropriate-claims-she-was-made-to-leave-a-london-mosque-10040982.html

Are we at a point now, where writers are biding by the rules of 'click bait' rather than journalistic integrity?

And do they now assume we are all gullible sheep?

[hc4361]

If she had tweeted along the lines that she had enjoyed an hour or so at the mosque open day (which she did) it wouldn't have been commented on in the media at all.

[jno]

I think she just got it wrong. As I read it, not all mosques were participating in the open day; she went to one that wasn't, someone misunderstood her and politely pointed to a nearby church, thinking that was what she wanted; she in turn misunderstood this as being ushered out.

But I don't think journalists' tweets are normally to be understood as news reporting, any more than anyone else's are. They're just telling the world what they're up to every 10 seconds or so.

[Orderlimit]

Yeh, just a run of the mill mistake turned silly.

[sp1814]

Orderlimit

I thought that at first, but no...she lied.

This is what she said at the time:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/02/cathy-newman-turned-away-from-mosque-on-visitmymosque-day

But CCTV video shows that she simply walks in, was told she was at the wrong place and she walks out!!!

[jno]

what she said was true as far as it went - she was ushered out (that doesn't necessarily mean "thrown out"). She just completely misunderstood the reason. The Guardian's first sentence overcooks it - it says she was turned away because women weren't allowed; but when it actually quotes her, she says she just assumed this was the reason. In fact it wasn't; both Newman and the Guardian got it wrong.

The real reason was just that the people at the mosque hadn't heard about the open day, thought Newman was looking for a church, and tried to show her where it was. By the sound of it, the person who did this was just another worshipper who didn't necessarily speak good English.

Just a mixup, I think, and a professional reporter shouldn't have tweeted without finding out exactly what was going on. But tweeters do that all the time.

[ludwig]

// - she was ushered out //

I bet she was dragged by the scruff of the neck and given a kick up the 4r5e as a parting shot. That's how muslims usher people.

[jno]

watch it for yourself, ludwig

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02/05/cathy-newman-mosque_n_6620026.html

[jno]

here's the mosque making a point you might agree with (well, I do, anyway): that it was regrettable that Newman instantly assumed that vile Muslim sexism was the reason she wasn't invited in

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/12/mosque-deeply-disappointed-by-cathy-newmans-reaction

[vetuste_ennemi]

"here's the mosque making a point you might agree with (well, I do, anyway): that it was regrettable that Newman instantly assumed that vile Muslim sexism was the reason she wasn't invited in".
There are three things I think I can read into your post, JNO:
(1) You think the journalist's intent was mischievous;
(2) You think her journalism was sloppy;
(3) You do not think Islam is sexist.
Which of my inferences (if any) are true?
Which of the inferences (if any) are false?

[jno]

vetuste, as I said in an earlier post, I think she was sloppy, but I'm not sure that tweets count as "journalism" even when they come from journalists. However, it appears that many people think they do; and if that's the case, journalists who value their professional reputation will have to be more careful in their use of social media.

[ludwig]

// watch it for yourself, ludwig //

Yep, it's pretty much exactly as I described.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Thanks for your reply, JNO. Got the answer to my second inference. Not sure whether you think Islam is sexist or not.Would you prefer not say?

[Orderlimit]

"This is what she said at the time: "

Sorry, SP, it's still just silly nonsense blown out of all proportion.

Trash like the Huffington Post, who have an irrational fear of islam have yet again tried to make something out of nothing to wind the usual gullible sheep up into an uncontrolled frenzy.