I actually censored myself
May. 23rd, 2005 06:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peterbirksThere was an insurance story this morning that I quite simply could not work out how to run, so I censored myself.
Basically the Association of British Insurers, acting as it does as the guardian of all things righteous in the institutional investment world (looking after our pensions, to you and me), "red-topped" Terry Smith, a colourful character who has sued the FT (because it wrote something critical about his company that affected the share price) and has now given himself a hefty pay rise, despite the fact that his company's profit has fallen, "because some of the executives at companies he took over were being paid more", or some such excuse.
The ABI was not happy at this, and said so. Mr Smith's response? (And it is here that my problems with covering this story arose). "The ABI is as thick as shit and they can go fuck themselves".
Now, no matter what way you approach this response, it's a bit hard to phrase it politely. And unless you resort to asterisks, it's a bit hard to use the quote at all. And since, if you don't use the quote, there is no story, you can see the conundrum.
In the end I convinced myself it was a savings story rather than an insurance story, and didn't run it.
Basically the Association of British Insurers, acting as it does as the guardian of all things righteous in the institutional investment world (looking after our pensions, to you and me), "red-topped" Terry Smith, a colourful character who has sued the FT (because it wrote something critical about his company that affected the share price) and has now given himself a hefty pay rise, despite the fact that his company's profit has fallen, "because some of the executives at companies he took over were being paid more", or some such excuse.
The ABI was not happy at this, and said so. Mr Smith's response? (And it is here that my problems with covering this story arose). "The ABI is as thick as shit and they can go fuck themselves".
Now, no matter what way you approach this response, it's a bit hard to phrase it politely. And unless you resort to asterisks, it's a bit hard to use the quote at all. And since, if you don't use the quote, there is no story, you can see the conundrum.
In the end I convinced myself it was a savings story rather than an insurance story, and didn't run it.
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What's the problem?
Date: 2005-05-23 07:24 pm (UTC)A white feather mate, no apologies.
censorship
Date: 2005-05-25 09:56 am (UTC)I can't for the life of me see why you don't print it with asterisks. I'm surprised that you didn't print it straight, but surely there's no possible reason not to go with a Bowderelised version.
John Webley
The Terry Smith?
Date: 2005-05-30 08:57 pm (UTC)Re: The Terry Smith?
Date: 2005-06-03 10:08 pm (UTC)As a follow-up, Terry Smith's rise was passed through yestrday (June 2) (16.7% against) and the press were banned from the meeting where it was approved.