I've sat on it for years, but I have a nasty wee story to tell about the Scottish press and its arrogant disregard for ordinary people. It'll take quite a few tweets, unfortunately.
Back in the 90s, I was teaching at a Scottish university while trying to write PhD thesis. I had several tutorial groups of 1st & 2nd years, who all had my home phone number in case of emergency outside my office hours.
One Monday morning at approximately 6am, the phone rang. Who the f*** phones at that ungodly hour, I thought, blearily, and struggled out of bed to answer it. I was met with a vaguely familiar female voice, hysterically sobbing. I could barely make out what she was saying.
Two fragments came through clearly amongst the tears: "I need to leave" and "Did you see it". Realising this was one if my students, in a helluva state, I shook off the last doziness very quickly.
"OK. Slow down. I'm just newly awake, so you'll need to let me 'come to' properly. What's the matter."
Sobs and incoherence but I thought I knew now who the student was.
"Take a deep breath. Tell me what's happened."
Sobs and incoherence but I thought I knew now who the student was.
"Take a deep breath. Tell me what's happened."
She told me she'd got halfway through her essay, due to be handed in at 4pm that afternoon, and she'd planned to finish it on Sunday but couldn't because... and broke down again.
"OK. I'm giving you an extension. Don't worry about the essay. We'll work that out later. Tell me what's upset you, please. I can't help unless I know what's wrong."
It transpired that her photo had appeared in the Scottish edition of a notoriously scummy Sunday paper. It was a 'story' about Satanic rituals involving assorted academics and students, who apparently danced naked at sites of historic interest. Nasty tabloid bollocks.
They'd chosen to illustrate their fantasy with a large photo of my student - she was a very attractive girl, with a suitably gothic appearance. When she found out about this, she was horrified. She'd have to leave uni now, she said, as everyone would be laughing at her.
"No", said I, "You don't throw away your future because of a bunch of tabloid arseholes. Tell me, how many people on the course do you think see that piece of shite paper? Come on. Half dozen from hundreds? And if they're daft enough to read it, their opinion's nae worth a damn."
She giggled nervously but I knew she was calm now. Told her I wouldn't expect to see her or her essay at tutorial in the afternoon. "Go to bed, get some rest. Stop worrying. When do you think you'd manage to meet me - and I'll tell you how we'll sort out your classes & stuff."
She had two other subjects in addition to mine, of course, also with essays due imminently. She couldn't face explaining to her other tutors. "I'll sort it out". We agreed to meet on Wednesday. "Phone again if you need me before then. Go get some sleep."
I was raging. The lassie was eighteen years old and these f*ckers thought there was absolutely nothing wrong with making up a pile of shite and spreading her photo all over their rag. She was mortified and ready to throw her whole future away because of them. Bastards.
Spent the rest of the morning making phone calls, sorting things out. Managed to borrow a copy of the shitty paper from a mate. The splurge was worse than I'd imagined. Very prominent pic. Usual sex-obsessed bollocks. What kind of filth treats an 18 yr old lassie like that?
She didn't manage to make it back to tutorials for the rest of term, but she got the work done, & eventually passed with flying colours. She just wasn't comfortable being out on campus subjected to public gaze. The f*cker who concocted that 'story' nearly wrecked her young life.
And that is merely one reason why I have very little respect for a large contingent of the press in this country. The fact that I had to suffer working with the gits throughout most of my twenties & listen to their arrogant repellent shite on a daily basis, also contributes.
I hoped things would change and journalists would become better. I hoped they'd stop punching down and consider the consequences for the ordinary people they choose to vilify. Sadly it seems not. If anything, it's worse. So many of them will say /anything/ for clicks. *shudder*
