Truth or amnesia
Sir: One of the things trainee reporters tend to learn in their first week in journal- ism is to check facts. It is odd that Stephen Glover — whose past accomplishments include a spell editing a national newspaper — should feel he is able to write a weekly column on the practice and ethics of jour- nalism without himself observing the ele- mentary basics of the profession.
Mr Glover appears not to have checked any of the 'facts' in his article purporting to reveal what is happening at the Observer (Media studies, 9 March). He certainly did not bother to speak to me.
He says that I believe the best way of cut- ting costs is to `turn the Observer into a sev- enth-day edition of the Guardian'. This is untrue. He says I have interviewed at least two journalists for the job of executive edi- tor of this paper. This is also untrue. He says I have recently had a meeting with Stewart Steven. This, too, is untrue.
Alan Rusbridger The Guardian,
119 Farringdon Road, London EC1
Stephen Glover replies: Mr Rusbridger appears to suffer from alarming memory loss. Unless — no, the thought is too terri- ble to contemplate in respect of the editor of a great, high-minded newspaper.
He may recall that in early January he discussed with a senior journalist the possi- bility of that person becoming the new edi- tor or executive editor of the Observer in a set-up over which Mr Rusbridger would preside. The journalist sent a letter to Mr Rusbridger setting out the terms under which he might edit the paper.
Last week Mr Rusbridger had a meeting with another senior journalist. The purpose was to sound out this person for the role which he had discussed with the other jour- nalist several weeks earlier. Mr Rus- bridger's denial of a recent meeting with Stewart Steven, the chairman of Mohamed Al Fayed's new publishing empire, is a quibble. The two of them spoke on the tele- phone as recently as Thursday 29 February.
I did not suggest that Mr Rusbridger planned to kill off the Observer, only that he apparently believes the title has a better chance of prospering under him. This is a view I share, though with a little less confi- dence now that I have had an insight into his chronic amnesia.
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