Posted 12 months ago
makin’ news
So this letter/piece is being passed around as a story about how a British tabloid writer is resigning from his post over baseless anti-Islam content published by his paper. I mean, that is what it is, so, ok!
But the letter spends more time describing the brazenly cynical way in which these papers create content:
Daily Star favourite Kelly Brook recently said in an interview: “I do Google myself. Not that often, though, and the stories are always rubbish. “There was a story that I’d seen a hypnotherapist to help me cut down on the time I take to get ready to go out. Where do they get it from?”
Maybe I should answer that one. I made it up. Not that it was my choice; I was told to. At 6pm and staring at a blank page I simply plucked it from my arse. Not that it was all bad. I pocketed a £150 bonus.
You may have read some of my other earth-shattering exclusives. ‘Michael Jackson to attend Jade Goody’s funeral’. (He didn’t.) ‘Robbie pops ‘pill at heroes concert’. (He didn’t either.) ‘Matt Lucas on suicide watch’. (He wasn’t.) ‘Jordan turns to Buddha.’ (She might have, but I doubt it.)
Uni friends who’ve snagged jobs at or adjacent to the British tabs have described this culture to me before, and it’s always fascinating. And while it may be an open secret, Peppiatt’s willingness to recount his involvement in detail makes for good (but queasy!) reading.
Anyway, it’s the fluidity of the decision-making process that elevates this from distasteful to nauseating: The choice between fabricating a story about a c-tier celebrity and extending an unnecessary pinch to an entire country’s already irritated MOSLEM nerve is basically thoughtless. The celebrity has entered into an informal agreement to trade fame for public flagellation. All British Muslims, not so much.
Also, there’s that thing written in invisible ink between every line in the piece, which can only be read if you have a spray bottle full of lemon juice OR any experience working at any American web or print publication: It happens here too.
