GrodsCorp

The future of journalism

Thursday 31 January 2008, 11:10 pm

The Editor

Categories: Australia Decides '07, Lachlan Connor, Independent, Media

Tags: Crikey, journalism

The recent Lachlan Connor action has reminded me about something I meant to blog at the time but completely forgot about. In the middle of November I received an email from a journalism intern at Crikey addressed to Lachlan Connor.

From: Alesha Maree Capone (XXXXXX@student.rmit.edu.au)
To: lachlanconnor@gmail.com
Date: Nov 13, 2007 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: Hillsong stuff

Hi, I’m an intern at the journalism site crikey.com and I’m wondering where you found this quote “lesbianism as a sin that their residential program assists girls to ‘walk in freedom from.’” that is was posted on your blog on 22 October?
Thanks- this would be a big help with a story I’m working on

Easy enough mistake to make, I suppose, given that his name is on the front of the website. So I answered her question and politely informed her that Lachlan didn’t exist.

From: The Editor (XXXXXX@gmail.com)
To: Alesha Maree Capone (XXXXXX@student.rmit.edu.au)
Date: Nov 13, 2007 5:51 PM
Subject: Re: Hillsong stuff

Hi Alesha,

The quote comes from here (http://www.talkaboutparenting.com/
group/alt.adoption/messages/437079.html) and is spoken by Sarah Scantlen, Assistant Programs Manager at Mercy Ministries:

Approximately 40 girls live at Mercy for up to a year, coping with everything from drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, unplanned pregnancies and lesbianism. “We do have girls who have a history of lesbianism, and that’s definitely an issue that we deal with,” says Scantlen. “We are cautious to make sure that we’re not putting them in an area where there’s going be more struggle or temptation because this is a girls’ home. In dealing with it in counseling, they have been able to walk in freedom from that.”

Do you reckon you could email me a copy of the finished article?

Cheers,
The Editor

ps/- Lachlan Connor is a fictional YouTube politician created by my site (http://www.grods.com/lachlan-connor-independent/). Sorry about the confusion.

I reckon I spelled it out pretty clearly so imagine my surprise when I received this email the next day addressed, once again, to Lachlan Connor.

From: Alesha Maree Capone (XXXXXX@student.rmit.edu.au)
To: lachlanconnor@gmail.com
Date: Nov 14, 2007 3:54 PM
Subject: Crikey article
mailed-by student.rmit.edu.au

Hi Lachlan,
You can find the article at the link below. Thanks very much for your help- Alesha Capone.

http://www.crikey.com.au/
Politics/20071114-Borders-between-charity-and-Hillsong-church-thin-.html

That’s some fine attention to detail right there.

13 Comments

Wah (Friday 1 February 2008, 7:22 am) #

Bless her, interns are so cute.
Crikey would be the first to criticise a news organisation for not getting the truth get in the way of a story.
Good to see Grods watching the watchers.
Ant Rogenous (Friday 1 February 2008, 11:42 am) #

Al(esha) Capone? Someone at Crikey is taking the piss, surely.
Bron (Friday 1 February 2008, 2:45 pm) #

She’ll go far… unless Ant Rogenous is right.
Bridgit Gread (Friday 1 February 2008, 7:58 pm) #

The future’s bright:

Journalism
Herald and Weekly Times Award
Alesha Capone
Awarded for the best all round performance in first year of the Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) program.

Sponsored by the right publication, at least.
Wah (Saturday 2 February 2008, 12:49 am) #

Great spotting Ant. Her nickname would have to be Scarface.

She only won the award because “the family” would have smashed the judges’ kneecaps in if she didn’t.

If ever you’re at a meeting with her and she picks up a baseball bat and starts talking about ‘teamwork’ find an excuse to leave the room.
invig (Saturday 2 February 2008, 12:55 pm) #

Geez but you people are hopeless!

How are us bloggers ever gonna gain a bit of mainstream acceptance if you a) expect people to refer to you in official communication by a dumb name like ‘the editor’ and b) take the piss when a commercial channel endeavour to get you involved to improve their rubbish program. I mean, these people know who you are, and just cause they don’t publicise the fact doesn’t mean it ain’t the reality.

Lets all show a bit more style hey fellas*

*in the perjorative sense
krypto (Saturday 2 February 2008, 7:01 pm) #

Oh just drop a penny to media watch, they live for that shit.
The Editor (Sunday 3 February 2008, 9:47 pm) #

Just for the record I used my real name in the email, not “The Editor”.
The Editor (Sunday 3 February 2008, 9:48 pm) #

Ms Capone is certainly a worthy recipient of the HWT award due to her total reliance on unpaid bloggers to do the journalism for her.
krypto (Monday 4 February 2008, 11:57 pm) #

I suspect she got the HWT award for making Crikey look like shit actually Ed.
Alesha Capone (Sunday 17 February 2008, 5:18 pm) #

I have to admit my attention to detail is not brilliant and I would like to apologise to Scott.
I was really nervous to be interning at Crikey and that makes me do silly things.

I’m sure one day I will end up on Media Watch for a similiar mistake.

And I’m not related to anything to do with crime.
Bruce (Sunday 17 February 2008, 7:32 pm) #

I have to admit my attention to detail is not brilliant and I would like to apologise to Scott.

Well at least you can say you’ve trumped a lot of the seasoned veterans. I can think of a number of journos who would never admit this kind of thing. Good for you.
The Editor (Sunday 17 February 2008, 8:05 pm) #

Yep. Seconded.