The last post?
I haven't written for a while and the purpose of this post is partly to explain why that is and partly to explain why I won't be writing again anytime soon.
There are essentially two reasons I haven't updated this blog lately, despite starting it up with such great enthusiasm.
Firstly, life has been hectic. Sure, everyone says that. But, whether or not it's a decent excuse, the fact is the blog got squeezed out.
Secondly, after spending all day staring at a computer screen and writing for a living, the last thing I feel like doing in my limited spare time when I get home is staring at a computer screen and writing.
So that's why I haven't written anything lately - despite having drafted a couple of posts.
The reason I haven't actually posted them and the reason I won't be posting anything else anytime soon goes a little something like this:
It has been brought to my attention that expressing my own personal views through this blog might be perceived to be in conflict with the objective and impartial reporting of news, which makes up the bulk of my day job, and that eagle-eyed Google-fanatics looking to impugn me might try to draw some sort of link between what I write in this blog and what I write in the paper.
In my view, however, to say that having opinions is inconsistent with impartial news reporting is both unfair and unrealistic. For starters, who doesn't have opinions? I mean, who are you going to find to report news that is a complete tabula rasa?
Indeed, the same people who report the news in newspapers are also frequently called upon to write opinion or analysis columns, sometimes directly alongside their news stories. Does this damage the integrity of their news report? Maybe. But an argument could be made that at least you know where they're coming from, unlike other, exclusively news reporters whose views remain hidden behind their supposedly objective copy.
After all, if it truly was problematic, maintaining this blog (on my own time) would be prohibited by obligations contained in my employment contract, which, as I understand them, it is not.
In any case, I take my professional integrity seriously. I am universally cynical and question everyone's motives when I'm writing a news story. There is probably an equal number of people on each side of politics at any one time who are displeased with the coverage I have given them.
Nevertheless, the combination of potential scrutiny (and the resultant mischief that could cause), an absence of time and a lack of adequate creative mojo means that I won't be maintaining this blog in the near future.
I doubt there are too many avid readers who will be shattered by that news, particularly in light of the absence of any recent posts - but, if you do want to follow my writing in the meantime, you'll just have to read my news stories in the paper.
They'll be completely impartial and objective, of course.
There are essentially two reasons I haven't updated this blog lately, despite starting it up with such great enthusiasm.
Firstly, life has been hectic. Sure, everyone says that. But, whether or not it's a decent excuse, the fact is the blog got squeezed out.
Secondly, after spending all day staring at a computer screen and writing for a living, the last thing I feel like doing in my limited spare time when I get home is staring at a computer screen and writing.
So that's why I haven't written anything lately - despite having drafted a couple of posts.
The reason I haven't actually posted them and the reason I won't be posting anything else anytime soon goes a little something like this:
It has been brought to my attention that expressing my own personal views through this blog might be perceived to be in conflict with the objective and impartial reporting of news, which makes up the bulk of my day job, and that eagle-eyed Google-fanatics looking to impugn me might try to draw some sort of link between what I write in this blog and what I write in the paper.
In my view, however, to say that having opinions is inconsistent with impartial news reporting is both unfair and unrealistic. For starters, who doesn't have opinions? I mean, who are you going to find to report news that is a complete tabula rasa?
Indeed, the same people who report the news in newspapers are also frequently called upon to write opinion or analysis columns, sometimes directly alongside their news stories. Does this damage the integrity of their news report? Maybe. But an argument could be made that at least you know where they're coming from, unlike other, exclusively news reporters whose views remain hidden behind their supposedly objective copy.
After all, if it truly was problematic, maintaining this blog (on my own time) would be prohibited by obligations contained in my employment contract, which, as I understand them, it is not.
In any case, I take my professional integrity seriously. I am universally cynical and question everyone's motives when I'm writing a news story. There is probably an equal number of people on each side of politics at any one time who are displeased with the coverage I have given them.
Nevertheless, the combination of potential scrutiny (and the resultant mischief that could cause), an absence of time and a lack of adequate creative mojo means that I won't be maintaining this blog in the near future.
I doubt there are too many avid readers who will be shattered by that news, particularly in light of the absence of any recent posts - but, if you do want to follow my writing in the meantime, you'll just have to read my news stories in the paper.
They'll be completely impartial and objective, of course.
posted by Ash at 11:48 pm
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