In which we look at the making of a new Bondiplus programme tonight… and answer a few of last week’s questions.
And we’re back again. Just in case we needed to make a point about the anomalous lowering of standards on the by now infamous Bondiplus a week ago we have a little “scoop” for you. It would appear that Bondiplus will be shorn of its GWU and MUT panel members this evening since both unions have refused to participate on the show. Here’s Lou Bondi’s take on the issue on facebook (where else? how long till J’accuse gets unfriended?) (my underlining):
Lou: Flash News: The GWU and MUT or any of the other unions have refused to take part in Bondiplus this evening. Neither did they accept to give us a prerecorded interview. On Saturday and Sunday they went on Super One twice within a span of 12 hours.
A lady named Sue asked whether they gave a reason for this late defection and here is Lou’s answer (again, my underlining):
Lou: Susan, no they did not give a reason. They only wanted us to send them questions by email, which is unacceptable for two reason – we are a TV programme (not a newspaper) and followup questions are necessary in such an interview.
Bingo! First of all how dare the GWU and MUT (and other insignificant unions that number only a couple of hundred members – pace Bondi) participate on Super One and NOT on awardwinning Bondiplus? Is Bondi aspiring for a sort of par condicio of some sort? Are the GWU & MUT going to be obliged to balance out their appearances on Labour’s TV by appearing on Bondiplus (aired on national television)?
Better still is the answer given to Susan. Lou finds the the GWU and MUT requests unacceptable. They did not settle for the prerecorded interview. Worse still they insisted on being told what questions will be asked and would thus be avoiding follow up questions.
Well Lou. How about you take all the declarations of the GWU and MUT made in the press AND on Super One as the source of their position? After all only a week ago you were quite prepared to take the contents of a blog being “all that she has to say, (if not more snigger snigger)”. The bumbling unions have been quite active and reported in the media (presumably via the long winded press releases) so judging by Lou’s standards of investigation last week he could go ahead and take all that was reported as read.
Follow up questions? Since when? Last week they did not seem to be necessary – what’s the big deal now?
You see Lou. I tend to agree that follow up questions are necessary in your kind of programme. I agree that sending people a set of prepared questions would defeat the spirit of a talk show- – particularly one that seeks answers and clarification. You’re right Lou, you are not a newspaper and the best scenario for tonight’s programme would have Zarb and Bencini sitting at the table answering the questions you pose legitimately in the interests of journalistic investigation. What I fail to see is how come you suddenly feel this way with regard to Zarb and Bencini but had no problem with Musumeci or Caruana Galizia.
By the way, congrats for the Malta TV Award. I’m sure you feel you deserved it.
12 replies on “Gurnalizmu fuq Kollox”
Idejjaq hej is-Sur Bondi ghax tal-unjins ma jridux pre-recorded interview. Forsi jisuspettaw li jqacctilhom bicca jew jitfaghha f’nofs diskursta tal-Ministru Qaddis Tonio Fenech…Tony Zarb missu qallu “Ghidna kull ma kellna nghidu fuq il-website” (parigg ta Daphne li qalet kull ma kellha tghid fuq il-blog taghha). Insomma…jkompli jdahhakna ftit is-Sur Bondi …u jaghmel ta bir-ruhu li dan il blog ma jezistix….kif qed taghmel Daphne (li intefghet titfa il-kummenti fuq il-forum tal-Pjazza taht il-psewdonimu 1234567) u kif jaghmel Fr. Joe Borg. X’taghmel hux?
ghalhekk ma marx jigri wara l-parlament biex forsi jilhaq slot fuq BondiPlus dak it-tank tax-0xaham Tony Zarb. Mela qabel tattakka l-Bondi Plus, kun af li l-kummidjant mhu hadd hlief Tony Zarb li l-ewwel ma ridt jaghtih kumment l-inqas pre recorded, u wara l-froga li ra ssir quddiemhu, mar jigri lsienu barra biex forsi jtih 5 minuti halli jkompli jghajjar llil Gvern GUDA. Il-guda huwa tony u l-GWU tieghu. Dawk huma l-guda tal-haddiem Malti. Li ma hallewx ir-riformi jsehhu fl-Enemalta. ghax hekk kien jaqbillu.
Ikalma siehbi. Dan l-eccitament kollu ghax xi unjins m’ghogobhomx jmorru fuq il-programm tas-Sur Bondi…..mhux xorta ghamlu l-programm? Ma kellux lil Vince ( ex-kandidat tal MEP mal-PN)?
Hello Mr Saliba, you raise an interesting issue that may support the argument that the quality of journalism in Malta may have hit the pits, leading to a culture of obtuse mediocrity.
You suggest that the union led by Mr Zarb may have resisted changes at Enemalta.
Now, Enemalta reform is indeed at the heart of the tariffs issue. Yet this issue failed to get a mention in, say, yesterday’s Bondiplus.
We were, instead regaled with intricate matters such as who protested when, who said what horror horror and other utter irrelevances.
The key issues, in my opinion were the following:
1. Structural reform dictated by the Union (not Mr Zarb’s of course) demands that Malta can not subsidize, ‘inter alia’ its utilities.
2. This means that Government must do two things with Enemalta – reduce operational costs and increase tariffs that will hopefully reflect an efficient Enemalta, hence an efficient Maltese economy.
3. Now Government seems to have failed in providing efficient supply of energy. It failed to rationalize employment (reason you may be slightly miffed at Mr Zarb?) and, more importantly, failed to invest in efficient sources/processes
4. Faced with budget-deficit problems and it still being mid-term, Government took the opportunity to caress two birds with one stroke: increase tariffs to compensate for all sorts of (Government-induced) inefficiencies and at the same time penalize an already stagnant economy by reducing purchasing power and nibbling away at our ability to promote investment.
Now all this may be somewhat heavy and beside the point, the point being that our capacity to discuss matters, ranging from divorce to democracy, is as stunned as a 20 year party in government.
@Sully. I don’t really care whether 1234567 is DCG or someone else. It’s quite beside any point being made.
Re: Bondiplus latest update is that a viewer asked Lou whether tonight’s programme would be cancelled. Lou answers:
“XXX as we have done over the last 18 years, Bondiplus will go ahead as planned. Rachel is in Valletta at this very moment, during the protest, trying to get Tony Zarb and John Bencini to explain their treatment of Bondiplus.”
persistenti fejn iridu!
what is the computer equivalent of a slow hand clap of appreciation on a blog? Well jacques you really deserve it for this post..bravo!
and another thing…did anyone else notice that lou’s status announcing tonight’s prog was changed (when he described it as a gwu protest) and comments complaining about it deleted…? There was quite a long comment from jeremy camilleri on it..
And this is the latest from lou bondi – sent to all the press and assorted email addresses.
Il-GWU u l-MUT jiddiskriminaw kontra Bondiplus
Press Release
L-edizzjoni ta’ Bonidplus tal-lejla se tittratta z-zewg protesti li ghamlu l-GWU, l-MUT u unjons ohrajn dwar il-kontijiet tad-dawl u l-ilma. Ghal dan il-programm, stedinna fl-situdjo lil Tony Zarb (GWU) u lil John Bencini (MUT) bhala l-organizzaturi tal-protesta. Dawn qalulna li ma’ jistghux jigu ghaliex se jkunu l-parlament isegwu d-dibattitu. Stedinnihom jigu fil-programm wara l-vot kif izda qalulna li ma setghux ghaliex se jindirizzaw konferenza stampa. Fic-cirkustanzi, tlabnihom li jibghatu zewg ufficjali gholja ohra tal-unions rispettivi taghhom. Huma qalulna li ebda wiehed mill-ufficjali ta’ 12 il-union ma jista’ jitkellem dwar din il-kwistjoni u m’accettawx lanqas din l-istedina.
In vista ta’ dan, tlabna li ssir intervista pre-recorded ma’ Tony Zarb li irrifjuta. Tlabna intervista simili ma John Bencini li accetta. Wara li John Bencini accetta, biddel il-fehema Tony Zarb u t-tnejn accettaw li nintervistawhom dalghodu. Fil-fatt, fuq talba ta’ Tony Zarb stess, l-intervista kienet skedata ghal dalghodu fl-10.30 il-Corinthia Attard. Ma’ John Bencini l-intervista kellha ssir wara.
Il-bierah filghaxija ircievejna sms minghand John Bencini tghidilna li kienu qed jikkancellaw iz-zewg intervisti. Riedu biss li nibghatulhom il-mistoqsijiet bl-email. Ghalina dan mhux accettabbli ghal zewg ragunijiet (a) ahna programm televiziv u mhux gazzetta (b) il-gurnalizmu veru jsir permezz ta’ mistoqsijiet supplimentari.
In vista ta’ dan kollu :
· Huwa car li l-GWU u l-MUT ma’ jridux jirrispondu l-mistoqsijiet ta’ Bondiplus, la live u lanqas irrekordjati.
· Dawn il-unjons qed jiddiskriminaw kontra Bondiplus. Dan ghaliex fi 12 il-siegha, bejn il-Gimgha u s-Sibt li ghaddew, ufficjali ta’ dawn iz-zewg unions, inkluzi John Bencini u Tony Zarb, marru fuq One Radio jitkellmu fuq dan is-suggett.
Lou Bondi
DIRECTOR
“(b) il-gurnalizmu veru jsir permezz ta’ mistoqsijiet supplimentari”
Like a happy take away food customer… I’m Lovin’ It!
does this man not KNOW the meaning of irony?
Bir ragunament ta Lou, jekk per ezempju Jacques jibghatlu xi mistoqsijiet biex iwegibhom u Lou jigi ala l-bubu u ma jwegibhomx (forsi ghax ikun qed jaghmel il-gel u jqaxxar is-suf ghal xi award night), imbaghad Jacques jkun jista jghid li qed isir diskriminazzjoni kontrih ghax Lou gieli wiegeb mistoqsijiet ta nies ohrajn….
Kellu scoop spettakolari llum. U l-mistoqsija supplementari mid-dehra hija dwar jekk hux se jitlob ir-rizenja tal-gvern. Qed jiddejjaq li r-risposta hija le.
What spinners underpinning power may be failing to notice this time round is that these protests are not just about government policies that erode future lifestyles, but about a good number of eroded lifestyles that can not make ends meet, or at best need to take a deep-deep breath to make ends meet.
There is real anger out there. And not all anger is fueled by the spinners underpinning wannabes. Anger is also fuelled by genuine fear of tomorrow.
This fear is not limited to peroxide coffee-morning ladies derided and humiliated by the shrinking core of well-to-dos as per yesterday. It is also the fear of a new class that can analyze and articulate their fears.
Spinners may be so full of their sense of immortality that they believe they can slide away from any situation. They bark away like a chiwawa at any person who can put perceptive to issues…these increases will taking away 50m from business 20 million from households…and the chiwawa bursts into action like a tree grappling with xynthia.
But guess what, history shows that there is always one hurdle too high where spinners fall flat on their faces. There is always an honest/ naive voice that will shout – the emperor is naked…
rant over…