Celebrity Journalists. The Future Of Journalism ....?

It has been reported today in the Daily Mirror Online HERE that Lord John Prescott, formerly the Labour Party Deputy Prime Minister, English language specialist and secretarial swordsman, has been hired as a "Journalist" on the ITV Morning show, Daybreak.

Having read the quotes in the Mirror online, he says it will be the first time at a Labour Party conference as a journalist. First and foremost John Prescott is not a journalist, and nowhere near ever being one. I am appalled at the way the term journalist is bandied about as if anyone can be one all of a sudden. Especially a Political journalist, where tact, patience, in depth knowledge of the subject ( from a journalism point of view ) and hard work are the prerequisites of the trade.

Secondly, should he be attending the conference with journalist credentials, i hope that he is treated in the same manner as the TV, Press and Radio journalists and technicians at the conference, and wait in line for the interviews, deal with the PR lackeys and generally get pissed around like the rest of them. I would imagine that he will be taking off his press pass and reverting to Lord Prescott at the drop of a nobleman's hat, and his pathway to important people paved with sycophants and arse lickers the like of which the rest of us deal with on a day to day basis, with no interview at the end of it.

Interesting point here ... Will he have spent the previous evening researching his subject or interviewee? Will he be taking his camera crew cups of tea with sticky buns, writing down his journalistic machinations for future reference, taking notes and worrying about the edit and timings for his live slot? Dealing with his Producer and live Director? Or will he turn up with 10 minutes to go, grin for the camera, do the unbiased, probing interview with rapier like journalistic integrity, and then piss off, having reverted to his nobleness and hobnob with the very people he was just interviewing for the morning news? 

I think i know which...

So don't worry all of you journalists out there who have worked hard and learned your trade from the bottom up. His Lordship has it covered. The unbiased gossip and stories from a potential future Labour Government at the Labour Party conference, are being covered by Labour Party Peer Lord John Prescott.

Here's a thought. Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone is out of work at the moment. Can he have a go on the camera? Tony Blair as the soundman...?

May the Lord have mercy on our jobs.

Paul Martin. http://www.media-attention.co.uk