Sunday, September 21, 2008

Be Careful What You Wish For

Echo editor Alastair Machray blogs. No, seriously, he does. True, he's not a frequent blogger, but, then again, if you're republishing the Oldham statement ad nauseam in your paper, telling anyone who'll listen (& those who won't) what a success 2008 has been, & leading your front page with small-time local hoodlums & C-list celebrities, it may not always be possible to update it.
However, Machray, it seems, may be in hot water. One of the commenters on the Liverpool Times' take on the move to Oldham (http://www.liverpooltimes.net/2008/09/08/liverpool-echo-and-daily-post-to-move-to-manchester/ ) notes that his last post (http://echoeditor.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/09/sep_8_2008_10.html ) has been referred to the Press Complaints Commission (www.pcc.org.uk/ ).
The post, entitled, "10 things to do before I die", is a predictable wish-list of a middle-aged, middle-class hack (see kids graduate, watch a test cricket match abroad, improve golf handicap, etc.). However, Machray also lists as one of his wishes, "See Newcastle United win a trophy (more chance of shagging Catherine Zeta [Jones])."
Yes, he really did write that. Strange, really, when you consider that "shagging" is a word you'd never see in a "family newspaper" like the Echo. It's a comment which doubtless brought him out in a Swiss Tony-like moment of panic & crass judgement, as he goes on to write, "Celebrate my silver wedding with Lynne. (Only four years to go...)".
Whether Mrs Machray is thinking of the next four years in the same way after reading that is a moot point. Machray concludes his sorry missive with the entreaty, "What are yours? How pathetic are mine? Comments please."
Alastair, any comments from me on your list are entirely superfluous; you've said it for yourself.

No comments: