'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets' by Roger Lytollis

When was the last time you read a local paper?  This week?  This year?  Never?  You're not the only one.  Our habits have changed a lot in the past 20 years and most of us are now more likely to get our local news from online sources than a physical, printed newspaper.  'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets' is Roger Lytollis' entertaining story of a life in local journalism and an insider's view of how the industry has changed in recent years.

Shame, Shame!

In French, "What a shame" translates as "Quel dommage", which always sounded to me like it ought to mean "What damage?".  It may be more than half a lifetime since I last did A Level French, but this little nugget popped into my head recently while I was reading Jon Ronson's latest book, 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed'.

'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' is the journalist's exploration of 21st century shaming.  Gone are the stocks and pillory, the rotten missiles and the town square, but the idea that we, the public, have the right to expose and condemn perceived wrongdoing in the public sphere is alive and well.  Ronson's voyage of discovery begins when a group of academics set up a fake Twitter account in his name and, despite trying to reason with them, it's his followers' public shaming that finally makes them delete it.  Justice may have been done, but the method raises uncomfortable questions for Ronson.  It's just the start of a journey that leads to him meeting the victims, judges and executioners in the brave new world of modern shaming.  There are non-fiction writers whose work is just a bit too creative, ordinary joes and janes whose jokes leave a lot to be desired, reformers who think tackling shame would end crime as we understand it and the pioneers of the new science of Online Reputation Management.  The safety of the internet is in doubt and you will never think about it in the same way again.

This was a very interesting book that got stuck into a perspective that felt so new it was almost hard to get my head around.  Early on, Ronson shows why it's so difficult to acknowledge; shaming is something that everyone has been involved in, especially online, at one time or another, most people, even those who make the most vicious comments, usually think they have the moral high ground and are doing something good and we rarely see the full consequences of public shaming.

I've been a fan of Ronson's work for many years and would recommend 'Them: Adventures with Extremists' and 'The Psychopath Test'.  He normally has a slightly meandering style and there is charm in the way he lets curiosity show him where to go next.  But this book left me a bit dissatisfied.  It felt like the concept was a bit unwieldy and the book's structure didn't let him explore topics as much as I, as a reader, would've liked.  For example, a harrowing case study about the consequences of a rape trial cross examination are described, but there is no follow up with forensic linguists about the language of the courtroom and campaigns to make this type of shaming a thing of the past.  Also the section on why people shame seems to hit a dead end before even touching on whether the distancing effect of computer mediated communication is contributing to the rise in online shaming.  I know that the focus of the book was supposed to be victims and how they'd survived shaming, but perhaps more about why people shame would've made readers think about their own behaviour before jumping on the bandwagon.  I was also left a bit confused about shaming in new vs old media.  It might've been interesting to explore whether the case studies showed it's easier to get over a shaming by a weekly newspaper rather than by the massed ranks of Twitter. 

Overall, I did enjoy 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' and would recommend it to other readers, but it felt a bit unfinished and I sincerely hope that Mr Ronson returns to the topic at a later date.  I would love to read an updated and augmented version of this book in the future.

Now, what next...

Polite, Silly, Pointing

Two weeks and one cold ago, I finished reading 'Moranthology' by Caitlin Moran and it's taken me until now to get posting about it.  It turns out sometimes you just have to take paracetamol, go to bed and stay warm to get over mild winter diseases rather than just keep going.  Who knew?!

'Moranthology' by
Caitlin Moran
(Ebury, 2012)

'Moranthology' is a collection of columns and interviews written by everywoman, journalist, author and reviewer Caitlin Moran.  They are as wild, hilarious and eclectic as I imagine the Times columnist to be, saying "boo!" to the Zeitgeist before scampering off with an informative snapshot taken at an interesting angle.  Moran's subjects are wide ranging and varied, including everything from couple's pet names to hair copyright, 'Sherlock' to Aberystwyth, 'Ghostbusters' to Lady Gaga.  But she also uses her unique life experience to offer readers a new perspective on socio-political issues too, such as drugs, poverty, tax evasion, library closures, benefit cuts and mental illness.  We laugh, but we also learn.

Overall, this is a great 'dip into' sort of book, perfect for a short daily commute (on public transport, obviously) or anyone who 'doesn't have time to read'.  I stopped buying newspapers regularly when a) they started costing £1 a day and b) I realised I didn't really have time to read them anyway, so being able to get a book like this collecting some brilliant opinion pieces offered me a middle way.  Publish one once a year and I'm sorted.

My one criticism, I suppose, would be that this book starts on such a high that it was only ever going to go down.  The opening piece is a (possibly imagined) conversation between Moran and her husband about their pet names for each other.  I won't say any more, but Prince Charming also read this piece and laughed as much as I did.  It's almost unfair on the other columns!

'Moranthology' is a cool, funny, interesting, thought-provoking, sassy, proud book and when I reached the end I felt like I'd just finished the most interesting conversation I'd ever had.  So here's everything crossed for a 'Moranthology II'.

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Journo Wheeze!

I've just taken a little detour and read the short but sweet 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton.

'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is a collection of journalese - the words and phrases that only ever appear in the Great British press or have particular meanings in the print media.  The pages of this book are full of phrases so familiar to anyone who has read a UK newspaper that their idiosyncrasy has almost become invisible.  But this isn't a serious academic study.  Examples such as fat cat, funnyman, love rat,  fashionistas, U-turn, flagship, barrage of criticism, Champagne lifestyle and more are each accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek definition, many of which are very funny indeed.

This book is a fascinating peek behind the veil of ink and paper into the newsroom itself.  I've had a suspicion for a while that there was almost a code to using these words and phrases, but it was still a surprise to find out that there sort of is!  It is an intriguing must-read for anyone training to be a journalist or with an interest in language or the media. 

But before you rush out to buy a copy, I have to say that unfortunately, I do think 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is overpriced and risks limiting its audience as a result, which is a real shame.  Bearing in mind that 'Weird Things Customers say in Bookshops' cost me £7.99 and was a lot more varied, I don't think this book is worth its RRP of £9.99.  But then again, it may be much cheaper when it comes out in paperback.

Overall, I think there is a readership which would really enjoy this book, but I think the initial price will put them off.  Hopefully it will be much cheaper in paperback and will find its way into a lot of stockings for Christmas 2014.

Now back to 'The Pagan Lord'!

The Truth is Out There

After 'The White Queen', I needed a bit of a break from the Plantagenets, so did a bit of a lucky dip and picked up 'Will Storr vs The Supernatural' by Will Storr (funny that!).

In 'Will Storr vs The Supernatural', the journalist tackles some big questions; Do ghosts exist?  Can people be possessed?  Is there life after death?  In 21 snappy chapters, Storr interviews demonologists, paranormal investigators, exorcists, psychologists and psychics looking for answers in some of the shadowiest corners of eccentricity.  Will he find some truth or just get lost in the dark?

Like a scary story, this book just made you keep reading.  Each chapter is punchy and takes you somewhere that most people will never go.  After all, even the most hardened sceptic probably doesn't fancy spending the night in the cold, dark and damp of a supposedly haunted house.

'Will Storr vs The Supernatural'
by Will Storr
(Ebury Press, 2006)

Throughout, our guide manages to tread a careful path between open minded and sceptical, letting his curiosity take control.  The subjects' stories are told with compassion and humanity, never losing sight of the likely driving forces behind their often frowned upon beliefs: loss, insecurity and the fear of death.

Despite its subject, this book is anything but heavy and serious.  It's not a scientific or psychological treatise on the supernatural, so don't expect a convincing argument one way or another.  It's one person's conclusions drawn from his own experiences and encounters.  It's also written for entertainment and while it's not necessarily laugh-out-loud funny, it is amusing without mocking the interviewees or their beliefs.

Overall, I found this book fascinating and loved Storr's style of writing and turn of phrase.  Far from frightening me off, I will be looking up other books by the author and hoping for more of the same.

Now, a bit of time travel.  Back to the Red Queen!

Shop 'til you Drop

I'm afraid I've done it again. I borrowed a book from the library to see if it sounded interesting and ended up reading it all the way through instead of something from my list. I'm sorry.

On the plus side, it was a very interesting book.  I've just finished reading 'Consumed: How Shopping Fed the Class System', the first book by Telegraph journalist Harry Wallop.

Mr Wallop has noticed, like many, that the old definitions of class don't work in the UK any more. The decline of manufacturing and the growth of white collar industries means what we would think of as working class has rapidly shrunk, while the stereotypical layabout lords and ladies have morphed into farm shop managers and tourist attraction owners. Over the past 60 years, disposable income has increased and more and more people have started to consider themselves 'middle class'. Effectively all three labels have been rendered completely meaningless.

Wallop, however, has identified a number of new, more relevant classes.  Whereas the old system was based factors people often have little control over, such as where you went to school, who your family were and how you spoke , Wallop suggests that the biggest identifier of class today is what we buy and where we shop.

In the introduction to 'Consumed', he identifies several new classes; the Portland Privateers, the Wood Burning Stovers, the Hyphen-Leighs, the Sun Skittlers, Middleton Classes and the Asda Mums. Although his list feels incomplete, enough of what he said later in the book rang true to make me think he's actually onto something. And, no, I'm not going to admit which category I fall into, although his analysis was scarily accurate at times!

When someone writes a book on class, it's always a worry that it can become disdainful or judgemental about certain socio-cultural books. Although 'Consumed' did feel a bit so to start off with, possibly because the author comes straight out with his 'upper class' family history, it didn't really last long and by the end the book was at worst tongue in cheek and at best simply fascinating.

In reality, this is a book about marketing and segmentation.  It's a bit chicken and egg - are people slotting into particular consumer groups because of what they're sold or are they sold it because they're in a particular group?  I suppose we'll never know, but it was interesting to read about how shops decide where to open and what ranges to offer. Although I'd noticed that not every supermarket stocks the same lines, I had no idea that some places will never see certain shops because of the socio-cultural groups who live there. I suppose it makes good business sense, but it's still a little scary.

Is class based on shopping better than the old system? On the whole, I think it probably is a step in the right direction. So long as no one starts preventing people from buying items aimed at other 'classes'. But it would be nice to see Wallop's ideas developed further. For example, where does borrowing books from the library fit?

Overall, this is a very interesting, well written book. The author does a great job of balancing readability with raw data, but it does give the book the feel of an extended comment article.  Then again, Wallop is only mooting an idea and doesn't claim to be an anthropologist. I would be very interested to see these ideas picked up and analysed further by academia.  But, in the meantime, I think it's going to be a while before I stop thinking of people in terms of Portland Privateers, Wood Burning Stovers, Hyphen-Leighs, Sun Skittlers, Middleton Classes and Asda Mums!

I look forward to your next book, Mr Wallop. I might even buy that one!

Now, back to Georgette Heyer.