BG Journalists Ignore Code Of Ethics With Impunity

A news story on a national TV channel this morning, provoked me to sit down and write about the problem, which has bothered me lately.

A Bulgarian journalist, Petya Dikova, clearly ignored one of the principles of Code of Ethics (COE) in a news piece for the morning show "Tazi Nedelq", broadcast on the national TV channel, bTV.

Dikova did a standard news story on the forthcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. She interviewed people from Bucklebury, Berkshire, UK, the place where Middleton grew up.

However, while showing the interviews with the local people, Dikova said that one of the interviewees did not want to talk on the record. It was a middle-aged British lady. The refusal of the lady to go on the record did not prevent Dikova from including her in her material, though. Dikova even said that the lady did not suspect that the cameraman, who was far away at that moment, was actually filming her and that Dikova was carrying a switched on voice recorder in her bag.

This harmless lifestyle news story leads to a broader problem - failure of journalists to comply with the Bulgarian COE. The Code states that journalists must gather their information by honest and lawful means. Needless to say, this way of gathering information does not qualify as honest means.

Lyuba Rizova, Head of News and Current Affairs in bTV, said in an interview after signing the COE in 2004, that the Code gives journalists not only freedom but also obligations. Easy to say, hard to follow.

The interviewed lady in Dikova's news piece would probably never find out that her conversation with a Bulgarian journalist was aired, as the interview was broadcast only in Bulgaria.

However, several rhetorical questions come to mind. Is it ethical for a journalist to disrespect the wish of its sources? Why are the editors of the media tolerating such an act? Why is the civil society silent about such disrespect of the rights of a random citizen?

Too many questions concerning the Bulgarian media arise from such a trivial news story. Sadly, this is not the only example. bTV is not the only media which does it. Just print a copy of the Code, sit in front of the TV, and cross out the violated articles. In an hour or two, the majority of them will be crossed out. Try it!

Photo: http://commentarama.blogspot.com

Pepsi Ad: Bend It Like Beckham

The latest ad of Diet Pepsi shows David Beckham kicking three balls into three distant trash cans on the beach. The video was disguised as behind-the-scenes shooting.

Doubts over whether the video was fake or real circulated the web during the past several days. Is Beckham the coolest player on the planet or has Pepsi gambled that so many people would watch the video, that it will meet the goals of the ad, regardless its execution. 

Two issues to point out concerning the idea and the authenticity of the ad:

First, the idea of the video quite resembles a commercial of Ronaldinho for Nike in 2005: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNwLn85I75Y

Second, disregard the first point for now and leave it to the authorities. The ad did meet its goals. It provoked its target group and has been watched almost 1.5 mln times since last Thursday.

Product sales are up, customers are happy with Beckham's ball tricks, who cares whether the video is fake or real?!

Bulgarian MPs donate limos to orphans!?!?!

Bulgarian members of parliament (MP) donated 30 limos to orphans last week, Standard newspaper reported. 

At first, the idea of the MPs was to put the limos for auction. However, that option was later dropped, as the MPs said they thought the luxury vehicles were too old and expensive to maintain and no one was going to buy them.

What a brilliant idea! MPs are so generous, plus they cut their costs. I suggest BBC does a follow up story on the Bulgarian homeless and abandoned children as there is clear evidence the national authorities are taking serious steps to better the living conditions in the orphanages.

Now, imagine some of these:

Photo: Party Limo Service

in front of this:

An orphanage in Bourgas, Bulgaria. Photo: www.news.bg

Priceless!

Nation Of Honor: Japan

Photo: The Inquisitr

Give the thumbs-up, applaud, take your hat down, or bow to show your respect for the nation of honor, Japan! The country was completely devastated by the earthquakes and the tsunami, but is reviving again.

The picture above has been circulating the web for the last couple of days. It shows it took the Japanese workers less than four days to tear up a road devastated by the earthquake and to throw a new one.

Respect!

Mission of the day: Attack Libya & Protect Japan

I don't even know how to start that topic, but it's been bothering me a lot for the last couple of days. Here is a short review of the situation in the world as I see it and my thoughts on it.

Japan experienced one of the worst catastrophes a country could experience ever. There was an earthquake and then there was the tsunami which not only killed thousands but also endangered the lives of millions due to the damage it caused to the nuclear power plants.

The whole world sympathized with the innocent Japanese. There were donations coming from all over the world, from the ordinary people who donated money though the Red Cross organization to governments and political leaders who donated millions.

On the other hand, in another part of the world, there is Libya. People are fighting and dying for their freedom from the totalitarian leader Muammar Gaddafi. However, the political leaders of the world powers did not send money or food to the Libyan citizens, they sent bombs!

Actually, the bombs were aimed to exhaust Gaddafi. Though a hundred bombs could not do that, they could only endanger the life of the people fighting for their freedom. Needless to say, Libyans need support, they do not need bombs. It's a sovereign country just as Japan is, and no one should do any harm to its population, they could only help.

There is one villain in each of those two countries - Gaddafi in Libya and the nature in Japan. The world leaders are bombing  the Libyan population because they think it's a way of doing good to them and are sending food and money to Japan, just cause bombing nature would do no help to the people there.

Two countries, two catastrophes. The world leaders are saving lives in the one and taking lives in the other. There's something completely wrong in the world and I hope people who make the decisions realize it before it's too late...

Split of the day: Faithless

The British electronica band, Faithless, announced their split after 15 years together.

On March 16,  Maxi Jazz wrote on his website, "it's time to close the book and return to the library..."

Faithless is best known for the songs God Is A DJ, We Come 1, and Insomnia.

Jazz also said: "If I devoted the rest of my life to the task, I could NEVER thank you enough. I have memories that will still be with me in my next life.(...) But, like when writing a song, you always just ‘know’ when it’s finished… this is and was the “Thank YOU And Goodbye’ tour."

There are no any official statements by the other members of the group.

Let's say goodbye to Faithless with one of their best songs:

Quote of the day: Nothing is impossibe

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself is spelled I'm possible."

This quote is to cheer one up after a long day or to give you a kicking start of the new day, depending on which part of the world you inhabit :) 

I would like to thank the English language for giving me the chance to find inspiration in each of its letters.:) Special thanks to the Life Is Good company and its fans for pointing this one out! :)

Soothsayer of the day: Bulgarian predicted the earthquake in Japan

A Bulgarian soothsayer predicted the earthquake in Japan 20 days before it struck.

In the period of 15th-22nd Feb., Maya Popova wrote in her personal website: "AREAS with STRONG seismic activity - North,East Asia-Japan or close,rather North but can’t exclude else where.The point is that it may be very strong."

Popova says she is able to predict the magnitude of the earthquakes and the region they will take place through a pain she feels in a specific part of her body. If her left knee hurts, an earthquake is about to hit Bulgaria. Her right hip is the zone of Turkey and Greece, while pain in the left side of her chest corresponds to Japan.

Popova predicted several shakes of the earth in the past as well. Among them are earthquakes in Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Italy, etc.  Once, about a year ago, she even called bTV, a national TV station, about an earthquake that is about to occur near Sofia five minutes before it actually struck.

After the devastating earthquake in Japan,  if Popova has the gift she claims she has, may her body never hurt again.

You can find Maya Popova's predictions at: http://mayapopova.info/

Performance of the day: Hugh Jackman's brilliant opening number at the Oscars

This is the night of the Oscars!

I have always been a fan of the awards, but I have never had a chance to watch them live. I just can't wait to wake up in the morning and see the winners.

Tonight, I would like to share with you one of the best opening numbers of the Academy Awards ever! It even got an Emmy! I have always been a fan of good-looking actors, good-playing actors and good hosts. Hugh Jackman is all of them. :) Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Terhj8mjPwY

Song of the day: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

I would like to share with you a very special song for me. It is performed by the late Hawaiian musician, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. Iz is one of the few Hawaiian musicians who has gained worldwide popularity.

The song is called "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and is to be performed at this year's Academy Awards.

I would like dedicate this song to one of the brightest people I have ever known. Thank you for being part of my life. You'll be always loved and never forgotten!