Can Robert Peston please just FU*K OFF !

[Uncle Spielberg]

Basically.

I'm going back to the condiments poll, because I'm certain someone is rigging it.

you just can't help yourself can you Al ? I still remember you did the odd flounce in your time.

 

[The Large One]

When it's a prediction of what is to come then it's not a case or lying, because it's an opinion, a forecast, and he's not saying the Earth will stop spinning, the predictions he offers are within the boundaries of possibilities, and as I've said, become MORE probably as a result of his prediction. George Soros highlights what share to buy, and loads of people follow his advice, and that increased demand alone can push the price up. Self fulfilling prophecies do happen in the markets, that is a given. What Preston seems to have done is straddled the divide between markets and the public, and has the ability to affect people perceptions of what their future holds, and how they should change their spending patterns accordingly.

I'm not saying what he should or shouldn't do, just that his constant bleating on about impending doom is not helping, in fact it is making such a prediction more likely to come true.

Should he ignore the fears he has for the future? No, but it would be nice if he did also highlight some of the successes, or the green shoots that appear from time to time, but back to US's take on this ..... doom and gloom, particularly as he has made such a big thing about it coming now needs to happen for him. It keeps him in work, and tbh, avoids a certain amount of egg on face if we do pull out of this in the short to medium term.

A market analyst who works for say Barclays Sharedealing may talk the market up to increase activity which is what helps their job, and Roberts career is helped by impending doom. Don't exaggerate his influence, or indeed what you may believe I think of him, I generally enjoy reading his stuff, but I do agree with US that his contant predictions of doom and disaster are contributing to the problem of spending levels being down.

All understood, but is no-one out there - someone independent - to counter his opinion?

 

[Bozza]

And you are another Bozza. Its funny but everytime I see a name come up on one of my threads I know from the person that it will be a negative thread or someone with nothing good to say about my posts. I may give people an open goal but people just love to take it. I did actually do a post ackowledging my problems with my mindset earlier Bozza and what I hoped to do this year to change, maybe you missed it ?

Well good for you - I'm genuinely pleased and I mean that.

But it doesn't change the fact that over the last few years you've been spouting doom and gloom repeatedly, exactly the same thing you are accusing Peston of.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Well good for you - I'm genuinely pleased and I mean that.

But it doesn't change the fact that over the last few years you've been spouting doom and gloom repeatedly, exactly the same thing you are accusing Peston of.

Because of what I have been through, the way it has affected me and that at times it has made me unwell. Read up on it mate, best to be informed on these things.

 

[The Large One]

His blog today was about Tesco's basically condeming them to hell. It is titled, " Is this the end of Tesco's UK growth ? ". Their figures are disappointing and doesn't he just love it ?

BBC News - Is this the end of Tescos UK growth?

In that blog, he's doing no such thing.

Now, business reports may well be a bit baffling at times, but I do understand nuances in basic English.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

To be fair to Peston - he was appointed as the financial crash occurred and so had not been the economics expert in good times. And we all know what is better for news outlets when it comes to good news or bad news. And Peston - with his ridiculously affected manner of speech looks like a bit like box office when it comes to the news.

But like with all Uncle's rants - there is an element of truth. Peston does take the gloomy view. It is good for him, and mostly it has also been the correct perspective. Does it influence people. Well it must do mustn't it ?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

In that blog, he's doing no such thing.

Now, business reports may well be a bit baffling at times, but I do understand nuances in basic English.

So you don't think the title is taking a negative slant then ?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I can see this decending into another binfest so I am out as I am determined not to get wound up by antoganists anymore. Have a good evening.

 

[The Large One]

So you don't think the title is taking a negative slant then ?

Was that as far as you got?

 

[KZNSeagull]

I could write an essay on this, but I will try to keep it succinct.

I am not a journalist but last year I was asked by a local businessman to become the editor of his website. He started a company 7 years ago in South Africa because he was utterly fed up with all the newspapers etc publishing doom and gloom. He was at a dinner party where people were spouted the usual stuff (SA will become the next Zim etc), so he decided that in order to argue with these people, he needed to get hold of the facts. So he set up a business that all it does is publish good news about South Africa. He has published several books used by corporations, the tourist board, embassies etc to promote SA as an investment/tourist destination and won an entrepreneurial award a few years ago.

So my job is to essentially scour the daily news stories, find positive ones and post them on the site. We get sent a lot of stories from charities, companies and members of the public which highlight the great things that are done in this country which people may not otherwise hear about, plus any good news story that the press association publishes.

I have a lot of sympathy with what US is saying. I have seen stories published on the press association that are 95% positive, but have a negative aspect to them and some of the papers or whomever will highlight the negative and play down the positive. Whilst only publishing positive news is somewhat myopic, it can be extremely therapeutic! Trawling through all the negative stories can get depressing, as there are far more negative ones than positive ones as "bad news sells".

What I have also noticed is that circulating around SA (and abroad) are various extremely distasteful emails, which can only have been created by the sort of person who used to run this country (and is probably now living overseas). A lot of people here will believe them without checking the facts and spread them around. 99% of them are completely made up.

I believe that a by-product of social media, the internet and 24 hour news is now that everyone is better informed, it is easier to push an agenda, whatever that agenda may be. If your agenda is a negative one, it is much easier to spread your message and unfortunately, a lot of people are lazy and will believe anything they read if their own views remotely match those that they are seeing/reading. It is also easier to get things done in a positive manner of course, but the prevailing journalism ethos of "bad news sells" is, in my view, thriving.

Anyway, keep your pecker up US. I have no idea who Robert Peston is but my advice would be to turn off the telly when he comes on. There are plenty of others around who will give you the same news in perhaps a less negative manner. Being positive is not about being less informed, it is finding the positive in everything and if certain people only spout negative stuff, ignore them.

 

[Storer 68]

Point is... is he lying? Or distorting the truth?

But is that what Peston is doing here? Are you suggesting that he should involve himself in a conspiracy of silence when things in banking or the market aren't going well? Is that responsible journalism?

If he is reporting that things are bad, is it not because things are bad?

Calls it as it is. I was always advised as a hack (a long time ago I hasten to add) if it's bad, call it bad

 

[Storer 68]

I don't know what you mean. Peston is putting a negative and hysterical slant on every bit of bad data. It is open to interpretation and Peston ALWAYS take the worst case scenario, the Doomsday scenario and predicts the end for us all. This seeps into people's heads if drip fed day by day for 1500 days and it will be hard to get the public to shrug off that mindset when this financial nightmare does finally end. As I said there are still lots of people with lots of money but they are not spending. We will need to spend one day for the economy to recover. Peston is doing all he can to prevent this imo.

Well the economy has hardly been a "good news" story for a couple of years now. And to be fair to Peston, tesco's figures are concerning for a company of its size, to the extent that its shares have plummeted more 14% in value at points today, at times wiping almost £4bn off the value of the company.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Because of what I have been through, the way it has affected me and that at times it has made me unwell. Read up on it mate, best to be informed on these things.

I don't get it, if doom & gloom is doom & gloom, whatever the reasons behind it

Here's a thought: Peston's economic pronouncements won't make a shred of difference to this country because the people who actually cause the financial problems in the first place don't give a flying shit (why would they: they're doing alright still), and a very significant proportion of the population form their opinions based upon what the Sun or Daily Mail tells them to think that day, not what some boffin of a financial journalist decrees. They won't pay any attention...and some won't understand even if they do read it or watch the news, as opposed to Celebrity Big Brother.

I hope that helps you to sleep easier at night.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I don't get it, if doom & gloom is doom & gloom, whatever the reasons behind it

Here's a thought: Peston's economic pronouncements won't make a shred of difference to this country because the people who actually cause the financial problems in the first place don't give a flying shit (why would they: they're doing alright still), and a very significant proportion of the population form their opinions based upon what the Sun or Daily Mail tells them to think that day, not what some boffin of a financial journalist decrees. They won't pay any attention...and some won't understand even if they do read it or watch the news, as opposed to Celebrity Big Brother.

I hope that helps you to sleep easier at night.

Thanks Edna.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Thanks Edna. Peston feeds on negativity and as such affects my mindset and my present depressive problems. I am doing my level best to try and shrug this mindest off in 2012 for my sake but also all the people who I love as its not much fun for them either.

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

I can see this decending into another binfest so I am out as I am determined not to get wound up by antoganists anymore. Have a good evening.

Excuse me for butting in but I don't think it's your place to start getting on your high horse about what direction this thread is heading. Just take a look at the thread title and tell me you didn't intend to start a polemic. You have created the conditions for a binfest by being so aggressive and rude in your first post. I'd have sympathy for you if you had kept your emotions in check and written something that had a bit of credibility but you didn't. If this is a binfest then you have only yourself to blame. Don't start pointing the finger at someone else.

Your first post is possibly the second most antagonistic post in this thread.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Excuse me for butting in but I don't think it's your place to start getting on your high horse about what direction this thread is heading. Just take a look at the thread title and tell me you didn't intend to start a polemic. You have created the conditions for a binfest by being so aggressive and rude in your first post. I'd have sympathy for you if you had kept your emotions in check and written something that had a bit of credibility but you didn't. If this is a binfest then you have only yourself to blame. Don't start pointing the finger at someone else.

Your first post is possibly the second most antagonistic post in this thread.

Thanks for your feedback. The post was a rant about something I have felt strongly about from a well paid, journalist whose manner I do not like and stand by my views. I have not directed my ire at any NSC members so am not going to accept personal attacks, or go down the binest road as seems to happen nowadays. I know my posts are robust and provoke reaction so I accept some of what you say.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Is it really necessary to use swear words such as Robert Preston in thread headers..please sort this out mods

 

[looney]

US, shooting the messanger.

 

[narly101]

Wow, out of interest, what do you think of Richard Littlejohn?

I dislike him but not as much as Peston