Deep inside the Guardian Education section today is the tale of how Graham Barnfield, a journalism lecturer at the University of East London, became an expert on “happy slapping” because a succession of journalists and PRs around the world failed to check their facts.
After a heavily-edited interview with him appeared on Tonight with Trevor McDonald, Barnfield says he was misquoted in an article on the BBC web site (this one, perhaps?) about “happy slapping”, allegedly saying that TV violence was to blame. From there
Within a week, Barnfield had drifted into a surreal world. Not only were his views being misquoted in the British, New Zealand, South African, German and Indian media without a single journalist bothering to check for accuracy, he was also being misrepresented as an expert on happy slapping, a title he had never claimed for himself.
…
…Although Barnfield had never suggested a causal link between TV and happy slapping, the press release sent out the night before the [Tonight] programme was shown on May 12 claimed he had, and it was on this that the BBC and other media based their stories.
There’s a lesson in there for both journalists and bloggers, but I can’t quite put my finger on it…
Update: Barnfield’s version of events is on Spiked. His blog, the Loneliest Jukebox, has more details about his 15 minutes of fame.
A former Revolutionary Communist and Living Marxism writer? Published by Spiked? How could it happen?
Great spot Martin. Just read the story backwards on his blog and it’s incredible. The creation of modern media mythology, and therefore stuff that ‘everyone knows’, even though nobody does. It reminds me a bit of the AP photo thing in the US (though I can’t quite remember the details now).
Martin’s summary more or less nails my recent situation. One thing that didn’t get into the Guardian is that, at the end of the day, I trousered the appearance fee and signed the release forms so I’m not wholly blameless. But a causal realtionship between TV shows and this so-called craze? No way! The link to the BBC website now goes to the edited version, updated to incorporate my grumbles. A few weeks ago it would have taken surfers to a “TV to blame” web page. (Interestingly, a piece appears elsewhere on BBC online asking if happy slapping even exists…)
GB