The Newsroom

Margaret Thatcher

(March 2007)

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PS
Psythor
One of the big political blogs is reporting that Margaret Thatcher has died, apparently. It's the only source on the internet so far and the rest of the media is silent... but I've created this thread assuming it's true, to discuss how the broadcasters handle it.

Presumably there's some sort of embargo going at the moment (again, assuming this story is legit)... could any insiders drop us any hints at what time it will all "kick off"?

I'll be interested to see how the coverage plays out - she (was?) hated and loved in equal measures, so will all of the news programmes give fawning tributes or will they address her destruction of the unions, firing on a retreating army, etc?

I apologise if this is a load of rubbish, but I reckon this could be for real. Because I'm massively gullible.
PT
Put The Telly On
Shocked

If this is true (which I very much doubt at the moment), then God bless her! Perhaps it was known she was ill(?)hence the unveiling of her statue just over a week ago. What a fitting tribute.

No news reported on Sky or BBC as yet. Nothing on the 2am headlines... I should think this is embargoed until breakfast at 6am.

Someone on Wikipedia has "of course" edited that "she died last night" but thats unreliable anyway.

I'm strongly hoping she hasn't taken her final bow just yet. I'll await the breakfast news.
Confused
SJ
sjhoward
She's not dead. Recess Monkey has posted a correction.

How embarrassing... If you could post only one thing to damage a political blog's credibility, that's probably it.
PE
Pete Founding member
and with this, I think we should have a ban on crappy "so and so has died" threads. They're pathetic.

Unless it's on BBC News or something, it hasn't happened.
HE
Hermes
...and can we start to understand that it is not usual practice to have embargos when someone dies. If someone famous has died it'll be on the news channels, it wouldn't be embargoed except for some strange situation that I can't even really think of. The only delay would be checking the story is genuine / waiting for a wire from PA. Every one of these type of threads says "it must be embargoed". No, the person isn't dead, that's the problem with running the story! Laughing
BR
Brekkie
Don't raise our hopes! Rolling Eyes


It says alot about the credibility of the blog that they post Thatcher has died and it gets a few replies here.

Now, someone turned up to work in black at News 24 and we'd be on the 50th page by now!
PE
Pete Founding member
Brekkie Boy posted:
someone turned up to work in black at News 24


WHAT??!!?? HAS SOMEONE IMPORTANT DIED??!!
LO
Londoner
Hymagumba posted:
Brekkie Boy posted:
someone turned up to work in black at News 24


WHAT??!!?? HAS SOMEONE IMPORTANT DIED??!!

It's not on Wikipedia yet so it can't be true.
SP
Spencer
Hermes posted:
...and can we start to understand that it is not usual practice to have embargos when someone dies. If someone famous has died it'll be on the news channels, it wouldn't be embargoed except for some strange situation that I can't even really think of. The only delay would be checking the story is genuine / waiting for a wire from PA. Every one of these type of threads says "it must be embargoed". No, the person isn't dead, that's the problem with running the story! Laughing


Princess Diana's death was embargoed by Buckingham Palace, presumably wanting to make an official announcement, but PA broke the embargo.

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