When Garcia Compliments Gulf News

By John Cheeran
I haven't seen an astute salesman other than the celebrated newspaper designer Mario Garcia. Garcia belongs to many schools,as and when it suits him, but most part of the time, he swears by packaging.
Now Garcia has redesigned many Indian newspapers including the Hindu and Hindustan Times. There may be admirers for such changes in design. I don't want to quarrel with that. But essentially Garcia is the guy who believes in packaging the shit.
And that's what he has done with Gulf News in Dubai. Gulf News is an huge free mailer masquerading as a newspaper. It relies on syndicated stuff and wires to fill up its 72 pages of main edition, assorted supplements and throw away magazines.
Now, I respect Garcia as a designer. I'm not surprised when he praises Gulf News in his latest blog entry.

But Mr. Garcia, you have improved the design of the paper. But what about the content? Gulf News can't even get right a promo, which you have shown in your blog.
The newspaper proudly says: Beyond the news: a variety of magazines compliment the Gulf News's content and coverage."

Now Mr. Garcia, what do you have to say about magazines COMPLIMENT the Gulf News?
When you next time preach your gospel at the spacious, and anti-septic news room of Gulf News, will you tell the editors at the newspaper that there is a difference between COMPLIMENT and COMPLEMENT, and the ability to choose the right word helps a great deal to produce a decent newspaper?
I'm sure you will not. For I remember the last time when you talked about split infinitives at your impromptu sermons, its managing editors fainted.
So what if Gulf News murders English, the murder happens on glossy pages and in a pool of expensive North American templates.
Long live the salesman.

Gulf News and its quote maker in Kolkata

By John Cheeran
A fellow blogger points out how a gentleman named D Datta manufactures quotes of international cricketers for Gulf News and makes a living out of it. Readers of Gulf News Sport section are subjected every other day to an interview from this quote maker from Kolkata – one day it is with Brian Lara, the other day with Gordon Greenidge and then, you have Sarfraz Nawaz.
Does he speak to the cricketers he allegedly interviews?
This blogger friend doubts. He points out the Zaheer Khan interview by D Datta published by Gulf News on April 8, 2008.

Wisden honour will motivate me to perform better - Zaheer

What was the recipe of your success?

I want to credit the Derbyshire Cricket County Club for the success. I was then out of the national squad, but Derbyshire helped me to get back into rhythm. My sincere thanks to Graeme Hick too, who was inspirational at the initial stages.

D Datta claims Gulf News spoke to Zaheer Khan.

Zaheer or Graeme Hick never played for Derbyshire.

For the record, ZK represented Worcestershire. Hick is a Worcs legend...

Internet Fix: Journalism Made Simple at Gulf News

By John Cheeran
Old habits die hard.
Ask any journalist, s/he will tell you.
Internet has eased the lives of typists masquerading as journalists. Offenders often try to couch their plagiarism by claiming to do research. And in the Middle East journalism, ‘lifting’ stories is a way of life.
On July 12, 2008, Gulf News Sport section carried a horse racing preview for the Ascot Summer Miles Stakes, where the Dubai-based stable Godolphin ran, as the lead story.
It’s a by line story. When a newspaper lets you take a by line, it’s a signal to readers that here the writer has done some hard work to ferret out information. A newspaper, normally, should take pride in by line stories because that’s what it gives a distinct voice in a crowded media market.
In this STAR RETURNS story, the Gulf News journalist has stooped so low to denigrate the newspaper and his profession by lifting the entire story from the website of the stable Godolphin, www.godolphin.com
The Gulf News horse racing expert normally pretends that he has a direct line to trainer Saeed bin Surour’s thoughts. So in the second paragraph itself, the Gulf News writer says Surour is ‘excited’. In fact it is the Godolphin website which says the trainer is ‘excited.’ The Gulf News expert only swallows the same feeling.
And he goes on to quote Surour three times in the story without spelling out whether he actually spoke to the trainer. Camouflaging, at its best.
All quotes attributed to Surour is a straight lift from the preview www.godolphin has published on its site. Godolphin has uploaded its preview at a convenient time for would be plagiarists. At 14.55 hrs. (Read the original preview at http://www.godolphin.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=4038)
That gives plenty of time for journalists to cook up their own by line stuff.

By not attributing Surour’s quotes to www.godolphin.com, the Gulf News horse racing specialist has misled his readers and editors. To anyone believing in the integrity of journalism this is nothing but unabashed plagiarism.
No one who has left some pride in his profession and integrity (after more than 20 years in the business) would resort to such desperate measures while taking a by line.
Only when quoting Simon Crisford, the Gulf News horse racing expert refers to the Godolphin website, but again without naming the website’s details.
So by carefully not attributing Surour’s comments to www.godolphin.com, the Gulf News horse racing expert has tried to claim that his quotes are exclusive.
Take out quotes from this preview which are straight lifts from the godolphin website, there will be only a gaping hole in the place of preview. For that the writer has shamelessly taken a by line!
And any defence on part of the writer that he has not committed plagiarism but only research is shredded to pieces by the last paragraph of his preview.
The Gulf News Preview’s last paragraph, which is not a quote, is a word-to-word lift from www.godolphin.com.
In fact the last seven paragraphs of the Gulf News Preview, by lined by its horse racing expert, is a word-to-word lift from the www.godolphin.com
Respected sirs, ladies and gentlemen, what should one call this? Please advise me.
Is this journalism?
Faithful Xeroxing of another’s Intellectual Property?
Today I find it highly embarrassing to recall that I once worked for Gulf News.
As the BONEY M song said about Rasputin, “It was a shame how he carried on.”
The tragedy is that he still carries on.

Gulf News carries on with its assault on readers

By John Cheeran
Gulf News refuses to learn. Or better still Gulf News revels in its own mediocrity.
Here are two gems from the paper's sport section in the last two days. On July 7, 2008, Gulf News sports editors honoured the BCCI president Sharad Pawar making him a 'double'. (view the image and headline.)
On July 8, 2008, an interesting story on Sri Lankan spinner Ajanatha Mendis was ended abruptly. (view the image and headline).
I could have understood the errors made by the paper but for the boastfulness of the paper and its illiterate editors. In fact I had heard 'quiet' a smart editor there saying 'even New York Times makes mistakes.'
Wonderful.
Read Gulf News at your own peril.

Is Mohammed Asif grappling with mystical forces in Dubai?

By John Cheeran
Now where is Mohammed Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, who was stumped at the Dubai International Airport for allegedly possessing some illegal substance?
I have been eagerly reading Gulf News for update on Asif, especially after the newspaper sentenced the rookie bowler to grapple with mystical forces for his ‘crime’.
But it is Indian newspapers and wire agencies who are ferreting out information on the bowler’s status.
Gulf News, being a Dubai newspaper, and if reporters and editors there have any remains of pride to call themselves journalists, should be bringing us news on Asif’s plight rather than indulging in pathetic commentary.
A gloating advertisement for the newspaper says its journalists are exploring every lead to bring you a top quality paper. They are committed every minute to quality, claims the ad.
If that be so these guys should be breaking news rather than living on wire services. And consider, this is happening right at their doorsteps.
The mere fact that Asif has been detained by Dubai authorities since June 1 and will go on trial only on June 22 speaks a lot about the case.
Have we heard about 'justice delayed is justice denied'?
This, really, is a classic opportunity for a local newspaper to dig deep and identify a deep throat, and break fresh ground on the subject instead of wallowing in lazy and unintelligible assertions.
Or is it that the Gulf News commentator, who had a revelation about ‘mystical forces’, is busy stripping the Pakistani bowler of his influence in detention?
Come on guys, live up to your masthead. Give us some news.
You can save the earth a little later.

When mystical forces blow through Mohammed Asif's wallet in Dubai

By John Cheeran
It is quite amusing that Gulf News, a newspaper published from Dubai, has woken up from its slumber by carrying a comment piece in its sport pages on June 9, 2008, a week after Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Asif was detained at the Dubai International Airport for allegedly possessing an illegal substance.
And what a piece of juvenile journalism it has turned out to be!
The verdict from Dubai Courts is yet to arrive and Pakistan Cricket Board has diligently maintained that Asif will be presumed innocent until authorities prove him guilty. That’s natural justice, by any reckoning.
But Gulf News on June 9, by carrying a signed comment piece, has jumped the gun and proclaimed Asif was caught with drugs.
Really?
What proof the Gulf News commentator has to write so?
Let me quote from that piece. “But with his latest transgression of getting caught with drugs on his person he may have sold out to the mystical forces.”
My God! What does the writer mean by ‘drugs on his person’? Where has he learnt his English from? All along the wire agencies said that a substance was found in Asif’s wallet. And to use a generic word such as drug, in this instance, is outright lazy and unpardonable journalism.
And come on, how on earth you can write that by “getting caught with drug on his person” becomes selling out to the mystical forces?
First let someone enlighten the Gulf News writer on what mystical forces mean. Is selling out to mystical forces something bad? I don’t think so. Many mystics have done it and instead of condemning, we revere them.
It is quite true that juvenile and amateurish writers take refuge in grandiose words such as ‘mystical forces’ to sell their point. Choose your words carefully. Trafficking in ideas needs not glib words but education and willingness to learn, two qualities the Gulf News writer sorely lacks.
And when did smoking a joint become such a precarious issue, a fight between good and evil?
And mind you, the GN guy in his desperation to sound intellectual is trying to elevate a 25-year-old gawky athlete to Christopher Marlowe’s Dr Faustus.
And will you please tell me what rewards Asif stood to get through “his apprenticeship with this powerful moral force”?
A brand ambassadorship from Afghan poppy farmers?
So who is naïve? Asif, or the juvenile journalist?
Leave all that alone. I suggest that Gulf News writer should refrain from inflicting mixed metaphors on his readers. Again allow me to quote from the writer’s masterpiece. “The graveyard of international cricket is littered with many tales similar to that of Asif’s.”
Aha. How many graveyards have you seen that are littered with tales? Corpses, yes. Skeletons, yes.
But tales?
Come on, mate. You need to develop yourself. And I don’t know how many chances you have been given by life.

(Click on the below links to get a better understanding of the quality of journalism in Dubai)

http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/06/gulf-news-carries-on-with-spot-mistake.html

http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/05/by-john-cheeran-do-you-want-to-work-as_1728.html
http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/05/journalism-in-dubai-take-close-look.html
http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/05/by-john-cheeran-do-you-want-to-work-as_3293.html
http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/05/by-john-cheeran-do-you-want-to-work-as_3391.html
http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/05/by-john-cheeran-do-you-want-to-work-as_01.html
http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/05/by-john-cheeran-do-you-want-to-work-as.html
http://johncheeran.blogspot.com/2008/05/quality-of-journalism-in-dubai.html

Gulf News carries on with Spo(r)t the Mistake contest

By John Cheeran

Here is another example of excellence from the Middle East journalism. The market leader Gulf News has been running a long-term Spot the Mistake campaign for its readers. Here is the latest in the series.

Quite fittingly the editors have chosen a most important story to display their unfamiliarity with English language.

It's an AFP story and still Gulf News editors can't differentiate between it's and its. And look at the caption. The photo credit goes as 'dummy''.
So much attention to the detail is simply captivating!

Read it for yourself mates!

What price for getting the headlines right: Journalism in Dubai

By John Cheeran

Do you want to work as a journalist in Dubai?
Do you want to work for the market leader in Dubai?
Please take a look at these clippings culled from Gulf News, Dubai.
The editor / journalist who has given this sport page headline can't even get a world famous name spelled correctly.
Full marks for meeting the deadlines!

Such talent is rewarded without fail in the organisation!
God save journalism and readers of this newspaper in Dubai.

Journalism in Dubai: Take a close look

By John Cheeran

Do you want to work as a journalist in Dubai?
Do you want to work for the market leader in Dubai?
Please take a look at these clippings culled from Gulf News, Dubai.
The editor / journalist who has given this sport page headline does not know the difference between It's and its.
Such talent is rewarded without fail in the organisation!
God save journalism and readers of this newspaper in Dubai.

Where do you find editors who can't tell apart Its from It's? Go to Dubai! And Pick up a copy of Gulf News

By John Cheeran
Do you want to work as a journalist in Dubai?
Do you want to work for the market leader in Dubai?
Please take a look at these clippings culled from Gulf News, Dubai.
The editor / journalist who has given this sport page lead headline does not know the difference between Its and It's.
What a shame that despite the management investing hugely in American design (Mario Garcia) some of the flunkeys in editorial department makes the product a broadshit par excellence!
Such talent is rewarded without fail in the organisation!
God save journalism, and readers of this newspaper, in Dubai.

Gulf News: Giving Credit where it's due!

By John Cheeran
Do you want to work as a journalist in Dubai?
Do you want to work for the market leader in Dubai?
Please take a look at these clippings culled from Gulf News, Dubai.
The editor / journalist who has given this strap for the interview could not have fucked it up worse. He makes the Pakistani batsman Hameed say he has helped India win the Test during the 2004 series, when Pakistan outplayed India! Such powers of vigilance from a great journalist!
Such talent is rewarded without fail in the organisation!
God save journalism, and readers of this newspaper, in Dubai.

Gulf News, Dubai: It's and Its - all happening there

By John Cheeran

Do you want to work as a journalist in Dubai?
Do you want to work for the market leader in Dubai?
Please take a look at these clippings culled from Gulf News, Dubai.
The editor / journalist who has given headline for this sport column does not know the difference between its and it's.
Such talent is rewarded without fail in the organisation!
God save journalism, and readers of this newspaper, in Dubai.

Quality of Journalism in Gulf

By John Cheeran
Do you want to work as a journalist in Dubai?
Do you want to work for the market leader in Dubai?
Please take a look at these clippings culled from Gulf News, Dubai.
The editor journalist who has given this sport page caption does not know the meaning of the word astride.
Such talent is rewarded without fail in the organisation!
God save journalism, and readers of this newspaper, in Dubai.

'Dont' do this to journalism, my boss! Quality of journalism in Dubai!

By John Cheeran

Do you want to work as a journalist in Dubai?
Do you want to work for the market leader in Dubai?
Please take a look at these clippings culled from Gulf News, Dubai.
The editor journalist who has given this sport page headline does not know the difference between don't and dont. Such talent is rewarded without fail in the organisation!

God save journalism and readers of this newspaper in Dubai.