Feeding frenzy in the Guardian Travel section.
February 15, 2008 by Neil Maclean
I am beginning to re-think trying to get my son commissioned to blog his half-term holidays for the Sunday Times next week. As if…
The thing about this storm in the Guardian - 473 comments so far - is that a whole generation of travel writers’ kids have featured in holiday stories in the national press over the last few years. There are two good reasons for this: they can test drive family-friendly packages on behalf of the paper/readers and it’s a cheap way to take your own kids on holidays. Occasionally they have even added a few paragraphs-in-a-box, offering a child’s-eye-view, usually without provoking critical letters to the editor.
Seems though Guardian readers don’t like the idea of Max Gogarty doing a whole series on his own.
Three things would have saved the plan:
- A pen name.
- A better reason for making the trip, a tangible goal. Go on, sell us the idea, make us care.
- Better editing.
I once judged a young travel writer of the year award for the Telegraph. We didn’t award the prize that year; every article handed in was a self-absorbed, cliche-ridden piece of adolescent rubbish.
It’s not as easy as it looks.
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17 Responses to “Feeding frenzy in the Guardian Travel section.”
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I know what you mean Kevin. And Guardian readers have leapt all over the (part time) Skins connection but at the moment I can’t see the value to the brand of a teenage backpacker writing about getting a dodgy tummy in Thailand. I wonder if it’s more likely the Guardian picked the url to give blog a cooler aura.
i guess the point is that they are perhaps trying to be ironic - a la nathan barley.
oh those trendy advertising types with their clever ideas.
Take a look a the URL of the “blog”:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/travelog/2008/02/skins_blog.html
skins-blog……..??
and which new E4 series launched this week?
Skins.
got viral marketing written all over it.
I know what you mean Kevin. And Guardian readers have leapt all over the (part time) Skins connection but at the moment I can’t see the value to the brand of a teenage backpacker writing about getting a dodgy tummy in Thailand. I wonder if it’s more likely the Guardian picked the url to give blog a cooler aura.
update: they have now closed the comments section on the post.
i guess the point is that they are perhaps trying to be ironic - a la nathan barley.
oh those trendy advertising types with their clever ideas.
Yes, that leaves the field clear for Gawker commenters to wade in
http://gawker.com/356615/the-guardian-hipster-t...
I hope it’s not a hoax - it’s just too funny.
It’s crapness would be enough - but what is angering people is that this talentless prat is the son of a Guardian writer. For a paper that crusades against Political nepotism it’s pretty stupid.
update: they have now closed the comments section on the post.
Yes, that leaves the field clear for Gawker commenters to wade in
http://gawker.com/356615/the-guardian-hipster-travelblogger-who-prompted-comment-shutdown
I think the travel editor was a bit peeved that Gawker etc suggested Paul Gogarty had his job.
Anyway, he’s posted a response today and it doesn’t look as if he has grovelled enough for his readership’s taste:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/travelog/2008/02/ed...
Among other things: “It says skins_blog in the url. This was put in as a working title, and we forgot to change it. My fault. No one from Skins approached me in order to get a bit of free publicity for the show.”
I hope it’s not a hoax - it’s just too funny.
It’s crapness would be enough - but what is angering people is that this talentless prat is the son of a Guardian writer. For a paper that crusades against Political nepotism it’s pretty stupid.
I think the travel editor was a bit peeved that Gawker etc suggested Paul Gogarty had his job.
Anyway, he’s posted a response today and it doesn’t look as if he has grovelled enough for his readership’s taste:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/travelog/2008/02/editors_response_to_yesterdays.html
Among other things: “It says skins_blog in the url. This was put in as a working title, and we forgot to change it. My fault. No one from Skins approached me in order to get a bit of free publicity for the show.”
Loool!
I was gonna drop u a note saying “have you seen what’s happening on Guardian?”
Should have known u’d be all over it!
A.
Loool!
I was gonna drop u a note saying “have you seen what’s happening on Guardian?”
Should have known u’d be all over it!
A.
Two thungs are genuinely staggering about this:
1) That the Guardian failed to see that this would cause a storm. Their community were on it in seconds.
2) That the Guardian and Observer have continued to stir the shit, evade apology and blame everyone else. The whole affair passed me by until I read the Observer newspaper.
I’ve blogged it here: http://www.wilsondan.co.uk/2008/02/18/the-gogar...
Two thungs are genuinely staggering about this:
1) That the Guardian failed to see that this would cause a storm. Their community were on it in seconds.
2) That the Guardian and Observer have continued to stir the shit, evade apology and blame everyone else. The whole affair passed me by until I read the Observer newspaper.
I’ve blogged it here: http://www.wilsondan.co.uk/2008/02/18/the-gogarty-affair-%e2%80%98old-media%e2%80%99-vs-web-20/