Saturday 30 January 2010

Not-for-profit?

Local newspapers have always been happy to print PR pieces as if they were news, providing free advertising for companies, and A4e have been quick to take advantage of this with "news" items such as this one in the Warrington Guardian.
But a story in the Plymouth Herald today is not so much A4e spin as the paper's carelessness. A chap called Kevin Kelway is the star; he's doing a cartoon strip for the paper about penguins. "The penguins' fictional impact on Plymouth is almost matched by their author's own profile in the city. He was constantly in the headlines as a campaigner on issues ranging from curbing loutish behaviour by binge-drinkers in the Barbican to restoring Tinside pool. Now aged 47, he has stepped away from politics and is a media co-ordinator for A4E, which is contracted by the government to help people on benefits get back into employment. The not-for-profit company's work includes boosting some clients' literacy and Kevin believes the Rockhoppas might help get the next generation hooked on reading. "Children need to be encouraged to read," he said." Have you spotted the mistake? There's no excuse for this kind of "journalism".

4 comments:

  1. When the phrase Not for profit, is bandied about i hear in my mind, ok they are not for profit, as most of the money they make go into the administrators and managers as wages.

    Children should read, but in part its the parents fault, my father sat with me and read me a book at bedtime, just a chapter or 2, that gave me the love of reading, i dont feel comfortable going anywhere without a book with me. If i could i would read in my sleep. So while i deplore kids not reading, i dont think a4e could do anything, Because a4e isnt set up to teach remedial reading skills.

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  2. Thats a very naughty claim. A4e is very much for profit.

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  3. I've commented on the Plymuth Herald story, an pointed out that A4e is a commercial business. Your so right, there's no excuse for such a factual error.

    The local press seems to make these sort of basic mistakes all the time. And they seem less inclined to do any investigations into issues that concern the local population.

    Perhaps this is just a reflection of the times we live in with falling revenue from declining sales that has been going on for years

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  4. Shadow's reference to wages in his post got me thinking about what A4e directors pay themselves. Does anyone know?

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Keep it clean, please. No abusive comments will be approved, so don't indulge in insults. If you wish to contact me, post a comment beginning with "not for publication".