Have you ever taken a story to a newspaper?

Thank you for your comments.

Contacted a newspaper regarding treatment my DH received by NHS in 1998. To my astonishment It was on the front page next day. The surgeon who was involved actually said to me if I "knew anyone" I should create a stink. Happened I did! Meeting with Chief Exec. Head of Surgery, Head of Nursing 2 days later. The CE acknowledged their system wasn't good enough. I asked what he intended to do and wanted to be informed. I was, 5 weeks later. The surgeon left the local NHS moved to another region. He had a wonderful reputation and was just not prepared to put up with management failures. Even the ward staff were grateful for what I did.

Several years ago, the Daily Mail did a feature on Esther Ranzten after she'd become a GM again and she talked about grandparent alienation and she felt for GP's not allowed to see their GC.

Readers were invited to write in about their own experiences and I did so. My letter was printed the following week, exactly as I'd written it with the only change being my name which I agreed too. I was called Gloria.

That morning I received a 'phone call from the DM telling me they had been contacted by ITV's This Morning, and asked if they could pass on my contact details, which I agreed too.

I received a 'phone call at lunch time, asking if I would agree to take part in a segment about grandparent alienation and I said I would, thinking it would be sometime in the future.

They said they wanted me to appear the following day so arranged 1st Class train travel from the North East for me and Mr. S. down to London and to be taken to overnight accommodation with an evening meal.

We were collected the next morning and taken to the studios and I was the first guest on the show interviewed as Gloria, by Ruth and Eamonn Holmes .

Some very sad and a few truly awful stories. They did remind me of an old cartoon from Punch where a servant was saying to a woman at the breakfast table. "Excuse me ma'am, there are two journalists and a gentleman from The Times at the door."

Hate to say it but British papers have a very bad reputation. ( ducking for cover ) And no, I do not dislike the UK. I think it is a wonderful country with a fascinating history.

My brother committed suicide many years ago and the inquest was reported in a local paper. His ex wife was reported as saying some awful things about my brother, but an aunt and cousin were at the inquest and told us she never said anything that was reported. She actually said very little.

I was away from home at the time and didn't find out until after the funeral. I suspect the whole family kept quiet because they knew I would go and kick a few doors in - I was seething but had to focus on parents who were unwell.

Yes.
It was about the lack of seat belts in the buses used for taking my primary school children to their swimming lessons.
I backed it up by taking them myself in my car, as a (very) few others were in a situation to do.
Yes it made front page of local rag.
It highlighted the issue which was controversial then and I hope was helpful in the campaign to make this law.
The whole village fell out with me as they were in close relationship with the head teacher.
Would I do it again? Certainly!

We're not all like that, I can assure you. Throughout my career, I can honestly say I never misrepresented anyone and I always tried to be caring and respectful to anyone I interviewed. I worked in local newspapers, not national press though, which is very different.

Chocolatebiscuit -I'm so sorry that your daughter died and some vile journalist had to wrote a story about it .
It's really sick .

No and never would. What you say and what they print are two very different things. I don't trust journalists. I knew someone who had a very bad experience with a newspaper story about their family, it caused hell on earth and the newspaper had to issue an apology. That incident caused much distress to the people involved. The standard of journalism today is, quite frankly, rubbish.

Back in the day I used to have a column in the local paper every week. I am not a journalist but my job was one that interested people and we used to recruit many volunteers. Journos used to sometimes contact me for comments . Many years ago now.

My daughter did and lived to regret it.
She was contacted after a journalist saw something she posted on X.
He interviewed her over the phone and said he would just use her info in a larger piece.
The whole article was focused on my daughter.
They even dug around and got photographs of her with her husband and children.

That's quite shocking butterandjam. Was nothing ever said? I hope you weren't affected longterm.

As for your experiences chocolatebiscuit and Tess. There are no words.

Stoker48

Just that really.
What happened after that and, in hindsight, were you pleased you did it?

Yes I did. What happened? It was buried.

A scary incident that I and scores of other people had been involved in, mysteriously disappeared as if it never happened to us. Presumably because it didn't match the official version released to press by the powers that be.

You can read the official media version here
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1198275.stm.

I was travelling south on that line, from Edinburgh, when our train did a hard stop just outside Torness power station.
The driver made an intercom announcement, apologised for the delay, some problem on the line; he was waiting for information. We sat. Eventually he came back on the intercom and said he had been instructed to give us the following information. There was a derailment involving nuclear flasks, and because we were so close we were not to eat or drink anything; not even our own snacks/water etc. Radiation risk.

Over hours, he made various announcements. He was not allowed to reverse the train away from the radiation risk area and the doors were to be kept locked and heating off for our safety, he apologised. Some wanted to get out and walk back up the line. Nobody could leave the train. We were waiting for safety inspectors and emergency services. (nobody came).

It was cold, snowy. After over four hours of sitting in the freezing stranded train wondering about radiation exposure , driver announced we could not continue the journey south; our train was now to return to Edinburgh where it was going out of service and we should report to the Stationmaster who was expecting us and would arrange onward transport for all.

We arrived in Edinburgh, went to the station masters office and the SM denied any knowledge of us, the Torness derailment, our train incident, or any other arrangements for our interupted journeys. We explained; he stone walled. Nothing to do with him. There were no transport arrangements.

None of the many press or media reports of that Torness incident contained any mention of a full passenger train held right at the scene for over 4 hours with repeated warnings re radiation.

I wouldn’t hesitate under the correct circumstances. Certain things do need exposure and I’m all for investigative journalism of the correct calibre.

No I wouldn't though I admit to being sorely tempted to out an extremely nasty person .
Some journalists have got a lot to answer for .
I know of two people ,
who were very upset by some ghastly rubbish about them which was sold to the local press .
The first gentleman was so distressed over it that he developed a heart condition from which he never recovered .
The second person was already suffering from cancer and eventually died .
A recording device was found in her kitchen so that was the source of her vile neighbour's information on her .
And all the bad feeling
has started over a parking space .

I was once interviewed by the local paper and the journalist just wrote a piece that was totally made up and bore no resemblance to anything I said. Perhaps what I actually said was too boring.

Two journalists came to our door after my brother died tragically. I told them to xxxxx off and pushed one and he fell back off the step. It was 55 years ago so be arrested for that now but I’d still do it. They may be doing a job but when you are in the depths of despair they should know better.

Well yes, frequently - but then, I spent my entire working life on the other side of that particular fence!

Nope.
Wouldn't touch the press with a bargepole unless I literally couldn't avoid it.
Tiger by the Tail.......

DH’s best friend took a story to a newspaper, had trouble getting through the assembled picket line (Wapping)

Made the front page and picked up by most Nationals.

How upsetting for you Chocolatebiscuit dreadful journalism.

Chocolatebiscuit, that is just appalling.

I've not sent a story but a reporter for our local newspaper saw my picture of one of the largest ships in the world anchored off our coast. I'd put in on a local FB page and he asked me if he could use it and it was in the paper along with a story about it and mentioned my name.

No but a journalist and his editor decided that my baby daughter's sudden death was worthy of a front page column in the Christmas issue of a local paper. We had no knowledge of this report until I picked up the rag on the day of her funeral. It was not true what was reported and I still some 40+ years later would like to give them a good kicking.
Please do not believe the press or social media etc.