Hallam Fm News Team are wanting to hear from anyone who was given a parking ticket after abandoning their cars last night or this morning due to the snow. If you have then please get in touch at news@hallamfm.co.uk or telephone 0114 2091010.

Just wondering if anyone knows if they have to be stuck to the car? Was stopped in a safe place yesterday just of Crookesmoor Rd whilst trying to help other drivers get through the snow. Came back to my car and saw a warden noting down the Reg No. She ran off as soon as I came near and didn't get a ticket on the car.

Is this going to be a story how someone who decided to go out against all common sense and then found they weren't competent enough to drive a car, abandoned it somewhere and couldn't see the parking restrictions is now saying that it can't possibly be their own fault they got a ticket?
The attendants I saw yesterday weren't ticketing badly parked abandoned cars. On the one hand it would seem a little harsh to ticket them, but on the other - if you can't drive in bad weather, don't, it's not someone else's fault you couldn't and a ticket is the likely outcome. Quit complaining.

Hallam Fm News Team are wanting to hear from anyone who was given a parking ticket after abandoning their cars last night or this morning due to the snow. If you have then please get in touch at news@hallamfm.co.uk or telephone 0114 2091010.

There's some quality journalism going on there!
Don't bother to go out and find news - instead decide what the story is going to be and throw out a few feelers for the obvious evidence.

Just wondering if anyone knows if they have to be stuck to the car? Was stopped in a safe place yesterday just of Crookesmoor Rd whilst trying to help other drivers get through the snow. Came back to my car and saw a warden noting down the Reg No. She ran off as soon as I came near and didn't get a ticket on the car.


Oh crikey- i have to abandon my car on there last night- hope i havn't got a ticket!

There's some quality journalism going on there!
Don't bother to go out and find news - instead decide what the story is going to be and throw out a few feelers for the obvious evidence.

Yes... South Yorkshire's Sony Award Winning news team Hallam FM are today using the Sheffield Forum to get in contact with people who've been caught up in the snow and ice. This forum is full of great people, who are the reality behind our news, and we think it's a great resource for finding out stories. So if anyone wants to contact us feel free to do so.

Katy White
Hallam FM
0114 209 10:thumbsup:10

... if you can't drive in bad weather ....

How do you know if you can't until you try and fail? ;) :D

Is this going to be a story how someone who decided to go out against all common sense and then found they weren't competent enough to drive a car, abandoned it somewhere and couldn't see the parking restrictions is now saying that it can't possibly be their own fault they got a ticket?
The attendants I saw yesterday weren't ticketing badly parked abandoned cars. On the one hand it would seem a little harsh to ticket them, but on the other - if you can't drive in bad weather, don't, it's not someone else's fault you couldn't and a ticket is the likely outcome. Quit complaining.

Just hope it's not going to be something along the lines of...someone goes out fully prepared with shovel and snow chains, is stopped from driving by someone else blocking the road who wasn't so well prepared. Whilst the road was blocked the kind and sensible person stopped out of the way on a pile of snow to help those less well prepared, and clear a way for himself. During that time the traffic warden sneaked round the corner and gave him a ticket.

Yes... South Yorkshire's Sony Award Winning news team Hallam FM are today using the Sheffield Forum to get in contact with people who've been caught up in the snow and ice. This forum is full of great people, who are the reality behind our news, and we think it's a great resource for finding out stories. So if anyone wants to contact us feel free to do so.

Katy White
Hallam FM
0114 209 10:thumbsup:10

Perhaps contacting parking services themselves might be a start? They'd probably confirm they aren't actually out today and are getting a high volume of calls from residents asking them to come out and ticket abandoned cars which are causing a hazard. :(

Yes... South Yorkshire's Sony Award Winning news team Hallam FM are today using the Sheffield Forum to get in contact with people who've been caught up in the snow and ice. This forum is full of great people, who are the reality behind our news, and we think it's a great resource for finding out stories. So if anyone wants to contact us feel free to do so.

Katy White
Hallam FM
0114 209 10:thumbsup:10

quite agree, this is a public forum, where members of the public 'congregate' to discuss issues, good idea i think, where do you think the star get all their info?
i bet some poor sod has had a ticket because they bothered to park rather than abandon their car before leaving it and walking home.

at least hallamfm are doing it with dignity!

Yeah we have called the council who are putting a statement together for us.

Hi Katy, in the interests of balanced reporting, would you like those of us who didn't receive a parking ticket to contact your Sony award winning news team on 0114 209 1010 too?

It's good to know that the forum is full of so many great people - how on earth did you find time to meet them all?

Katie, the only thing you needed to do was to stand on Addy Street in Upperthorpe today and collar everyone who'd had to abandon their cars last night - there were a fair few.

I don't think however, they'd have received tickets on there as the permit area is a bit higher up.

Still, a bit of a bugger having to leave the cars half way up a hill and go back to get them today eh?

Well I hope no one got a ticket yesterday or this morning, but I do think they should now think about going out and moving their cars, as was said before some are parked in stupid places causing chaos for other people who can actually drive in the snow. As most main roads have been gritted now, there is now excuse.

Is this going to be a story how someone who decided to go out against all common sense and then found they weren't competent enough to drive a car, abandoned it somewhere and couldn't see the parking restrictions is now saying that it can't possibly be their own fault they got a ticket?
The attendants I saw yesterday weren't ticketing badly parked abandoned cars. On the one hand it would seem a little harsh to ticket them, but on the other - if you can't drive in bad weather, don't, it's not someone else's fault you couldn't and a ticket is the likely outcome. Quit complaining.

It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that someone went to work in the car in the morning, and then in the afternoon left town on the main gritted roads but then had difficulty getting home on smaller roads, after the amount of snow that fell during the day, is it? Personally I couldn't even get off my road on Monday morning, it was so icy I was just sliding about (and this is nothing to do with driving competence. I lived in Canada for several years and regularly drove in far worse snow than we had yesterday, but in Sheffield it's not the norm to have snow tires and for all roads to be cleared and gritted like it is in countries which are used to large amounts of snow), but if I lived on a road that had been gritted then yes, I would have set off for work and then potentially got into difficulties if I'd had to go on a smaller road which hadn't been treated. I'm not saying it's OK to just abandon your car in a place which is going to inconvenience other road users, but I'd be willing to bet that a lot of people left their car in a designated parking space after realising they weren't going to be able to get to their destination, and then weren't able to move it within the time allowed so ended up getting a ticket.

Hallam Fm News Team are wanting to hear from anyone who was given a parking ticket after abandoning their cars last night or this morning due to the snow. If you have then please get in touch at news@hallamfm.co.uk or telephone 0114 2091010.

I'm intrigued by this question as hallamFm have just had a man on from wardening team saying ' there have been no traffic wardens on the streets for the past 48 hours ?? ,:huh:

I'm intrigued by this question as hallamFm have just had a man on from wardening team saying ' there have been no traffic wardens on the streets for the past 48 hours ?? ,:huh:

It would seem the attempt to create news has failed then - although I'm pretty sure they were reporting as fact that some people had been ticketed after abandoning their cars when I was listening this morning. Was that Hallam, or one of the other stations?

I notice that the cars around here with windscreens covered have clearly not been checked for permits as the snow hasn't been wiped off - this would be consistent with the wardens not being out, and there being no story.

Katy - did you ask the man for parking services what the wardens have been doing for the past 48 hours - there are still cars being parked that haven't been abandoned.

It was definitely HALLAMFM!!

Hallam Fm News Team are wanting to hear from anyone who was given a parking ticket after abandoning their cars last night or this morning due to the snow. If you have then please get in touch at news@hallamfm.co.uk or telephone 0114 2091010.

Here is one for you, last night on the way home traffic was moving so slow they were trying to issue tickets as the traffic was moving, how crazy is that?? I think they managed to slap a few on in between the wiper strokes.
________
Millechili (http://www.ferrari-wiki.com/wiki/Millechili)

Can anyone from the Hallam FM news team explain how it came to pass that they were reporting as fact that people had been ticketed on the 10 o'clock news this morning, when it turns out that they hadn't?

Can I just ring up with any old tale and hear it read out as a headline?

Do you have any journalistic checks?

Will the 6 o'clock news have an apology to Sheffield Parking Services?

Call me a cynic, but if a Radio Station were to telephone the powers that be and inform them of a number of illegally parked vehicles, and then run a weather related story . . . .

I wonder, have any radio stations been handed out a fine for playing lame, predictable, safe and tediously boring music?

Maybe a fine each time we hear Don't You Want Me on the Golden Hour (ie, every single time Hallam FM gets out its 1981 CD)?

I reckon my six year old daughter's got a more interesting and varied CD collection than Hallam FM.

But if the yellow lines were covered, then there is no justification for a ticket.

If the council do not keep the restricted areas clear (i.e. covered in mud or leaves) then they don't have a right to fine you.

But if the yellow lines were covered, then there is no justification for a ticket.

If the council do not keep the restricted areas clear (i.e. covered in mud or leaves) then they don't have a right to fine you.

It's al lright - they haven't. Katy is just hoping they have, now that they have broadcast it as news :)

But if the yellow lines were covered, then there is no justification for a ticket.

If the council do not keep the restricted areas clear (i.e. covered in mud or leaves) then they don't have a right to fine you.

Wrong.

Parking restrictions should also be stated on nearby signs (on lamp posts and walls), although I have certainly struggled to find these in the city centre.

To the uninitiated, these signs are usually white (parking restriction times) and yellow (delivery restrictions), the latter, where applicable.

Remember, people, this is a radio station who employs a man who thinks putting his voice through a machine and making it pretend to be a hamster passes as entertainment and comedy.

Wrong!

Wrong.

Parking restrictions should also be stated on nearby signs (on lamp posts and walls), although I have certainly struggled to find these in the city centre.

To the uninitiated, these signs are usually white (parking restriction times) and yellow (delivery restrictions), the latter, where applicable.

You are right, you do need a sign indicating the restriction, but if you cannot see the areas to which the signs pertain (i.e. the parking restricted areas) then how can they enforce the regulations?

I would hope that the council will not be giving out any tickets until the side roads have either been gritted by the coucil so that it is safe to drive and park on them or until all snow/ice has melted!

Are you there HallamFMNews?

Are you there HallamFMNews?

did you used to be the school bully? get a grip, or do it properly and go down to their studios instead of hiding behind your computer, you clearly have a problem with that radio station..... oh, hang on, stop listening to it!

problem solved.

so did anyone get a ticket?

did you used to be the school bully? get a grip, or do it properly and go down to their studios instead of hiding behind your computer, you clearly have a problem with that radio station..... oh, hang on, stop listening to it!

problem solved.

so did anyone get a ticket?

Bad day?? :confused:
________
Ford 385 engine specifications (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Ford_385_engine)

No no-one got a ticket FACT, No CEO's were out after 4pm yesterday.

did you used to be the school bully?

No.

get a grip, or do it properly and go down to their studios instead of hiding behind your computer, you clearly have a problem with that radio station..... oh, hang on, stop listening to it!

Perhaps you can explain why you feel my physical presence at their studios would be preferable to attempting to communicate via the means Hallam FM News have established?

so did anyone get a ticket?

If you'd read the thread you'd know that no wardens have been on duty for the past 48 hours. Have a guess...

did you used to be the school bully? get a grip, or do it properly and go down to their studios instead of hiding behind your computer, you clearly have a problem with that radio station..... oh, hang on, stop listening to it!

problem solved.

so did anyone get a ticket?

Not sure why littlebuzz has copped for that very unfriendly reply, maybe you should look at yourself before branding someone else a bully!!

Call me a cynic, but if a Radio Station were to telephone the powers that be and inform them of a number of illegally parked vehicles, and then run a weather related story . . . .


couldnt agree with you more mate!

No.



Perhaps you can explain why you feel my physical presence at their studios would be preferable to attempting to communicate via the means Hallam FM News have established?



If you'd read the thread you'd know that no wardens have been on duty for the past 48 hours. Have a guess...

i have read the thread, i have read all of little buzzes remarks taunting the original poster because they are using the forum for their purpose and then being attacked for it,

posting "are you there hallamfmnews" is requesting a response in a demeaning manner, so i suggested that he/she take the issue up with them personally.

then i referred back to the OP with has anyone got a ticket, and i know noone did as i know there have been none working, as i have read the thread.
the OP was not an open invitation to attack hallam fm news, it was a request for information, hence if you do have issues with hallam fm, take them there directly, rather than the roundabout way of attacking the person who is doing their job, but just happens to work for them.

and i was awaiting your response to my inflammatory remark - if you cant take, dont throw it:hihi:

posting "are you there hallamfmnews" is requesting a response in a demeaning manner, so i suggested that he/she take the issue up with them personally.


I really dont think that the way that was posted was demeaning :loopy:
________
Chevrolet Lakewood (http://www.chevy-wiki.com/wiki/Chevrolet_Lakewood)

watchcoll. do you know for sure that there was no traffic wardens out ?? I'm only asking as i seem to be the only one that heard it on the radio

i have read the thread, i have read all of little buzzes remarks taunting the original poster because they are using the forum for their purpose and then being attacked for it,

Can you point them out to me?

posting "are you there hallamfmnews" is requesting a response in a demeaning manner, so i suggested that he/she take the issue up with them personally.

The forum is the medium hallamfmnews has decided to use to communicate with us - despite the fact that they have access to their own website and a radio station. I presume their broadcast request to 'call in if you got a ticket'
this morning got no response, so they are using this medium instead. It is poor form to then abandon it.

Your suggestion I 'take it up personally' sounds a little intimidating to be honest - especially as you suggest I 'go to the studio' rather than use the perfectly valid means of communication HallamFMNews is using, or email, or post, or phone. You still haven't told me why you think going there in person will help. Perhaps because you have no idea?


then i referred back to the OP with has anyone got a ticket, and i know noone did as i know there have been none working, as i have read the thread.

So what was your reason for asking a question to which you knew the answer?

Oh hang on, I'm at it now ...


the OP was not an open invitation to attack hallam fm news, it was a request for information, hence if you do have issues with hallam fm, take them there directly, rather than the roundabout way of attacking the person who is doing their job, but just happens to work for them.

and i was awaiting your response to my inflammatory remark - if you cant take, dont throw it:hihi:

The OP was fishing for evidence of something that hasn't happened, but that Hallam FM have reported as happening - and the whole thing was dressed up as 'News'. I find that a little insulting. If your job is as a news reporter then reporting something then looking for the evidence afterwards is not 'doing your job.'

Which was your inflammatory remark btw?

Can anyone from the Hallam FM news team explain how it came to pass that they were reporting as fact that people had been ticketed on the 10 o'clock news this morning, when it turns out that they hadn't?

Can I just ring up with any old tale and hear it read out as a headline?

Do you have any journalistic checks?

Will the 6 o'clock news have an apology to Sheffield Parking Services?


followed by "are you there hallamfmnews?"

attack, followed by a need for a response, so you got one:hihi:

followed by "are you there hallamfmnews?"

attack, followed by a need for a response, so you got one:hihi:

Was it an attack, or just valid question that make uncomfortable reading?

I could not justify not getting to work on Monday with the lightest smattering of snow on my car in the Morning. However not one person at work felt the need to communicate anything about the weather, so when we left at 4pm and got stuck at Manor Top and beyond for the next 2 and a half hours, I justifiably dumped my car in Morrisons car park, I spoke to the customer services desk and I was not the only one and they were really nice about it. THink they were getting custom on the back of it as they did not have a lot of shoppers, reckon there will be some food bargains when we can all be bothered to make the effort.

I think Hallam FM was wrong to even ask the question, all they seem to want to do is make bad publicity for CEOs who are only doing their job and get the backs up of the public who already have a dislike to CEOs. I would just like to ask what will you do when you can't park on your drive because someone has parked in front of it or you can't get round a corner because someone has parked on a double yellow line or you need Emergency Services and someone has double parked so they are unable to get through. Fact! no-one got a ticket.

Can you point them out to me?



The forum is the medium hallamfmnews has decided to use to communicate with us - despite the fact that they have access to their own website and a radio station. I presume their broadcast request to 'call in if you got a ticket'
this morning got no response, so they are using this medium instead. It is poor form to then abandon it.

Your suggestion I 'take it up personally' sounds a little intimidating to be honest - especially as you suggest I 'go to the studio' rather than use the perfectly valid means of communication HallamFMNews is using, or email, or post, or phone. You still haven't told me why you think going there in person will help. Perhaps because you have no idea?




So what was your reason for asking a question to which you knew the answer?

Oh hang on, I'm at it now ...




The OP was fishing for evidence of something that hasn't happened, but that Hallam FM have reported as happening - and the whole thing was dressed up as 'News'. I find that a little insulting. If your job is as a news reporter then reporting something then looking for the evidence afterwards is not 'doing your job.'

Which was your inflammatory remark btw?

take it up personally, means contact them directly - by phone, email or however you wish, and make a compliant, (which you can do in person btw)

it is not poor form to abandon it, it is professional preservation to not get involved in a 'political' arguement on a public forum over their codes of ethics and conduct, which is what you were bringing into question and then further antagonising with your underlying suggestion that a lack of response is as good as a submission of guilt.

if it irks you that much, get in touch with them personally and make a complaint, and leave the poor sod who gets paid to go to work alone.

ps, if people investigate a little further they will find that some poor sods that had the misfortune of abandoning their cars on car parks eather than public roads did get tickets, and can do nothing about it - people two doors up from me.

i got no such ticket so will not be responding to hallam fm

that would be the likes of NCP and Excel btw, stay away from there car parks

By trying to run the story (which implies sharp practise at best) without confirming the basic facts with the council, Hallam have acted irresponsibly, and Little Buzz was right to challenge them and ask for a response here, the forum that they chose to try to muck-rake.

How do you know if you can't until you try and fail? ;) :D

true we hd the pleasure of this type of snow since 1991 aparently so unless you was around then how would you know if you cant drive in it ?? it comes with experience doesnt it ? and it came with a vengance some people may have had no choice but to try and get home

take it up personally, means contact them directly - by phone, email or however you wish, and make a compliant, (which you can do in person btw)

Thanks - I'm doing it the way I wish to now.

it is not poor form to abandon it, it is professional preservation to not get involved in a 'political' arguement on a public forum over their codes of ethics and conduct, which is what you were bringing into question and then further antagonising with your underlying suggestion that a lack of response is as good as a submission of guilt.

It isn't a political argument. It's an discussion about what constitutes 'news'. Hallam FM broadcast this morning that people were getting tickets from the council when they had no evidence of this - and there is no evidence of this - and they did so as though it were fact. This is clearly not the case, and it is irresponsible of them to have ever broadcast it in the first place.

It is nothing to do with 'ethics' as this is not an ethical issue - and if it is I would suggest their code ought to cover 'broadcasting speculation as though it were news and then looking for evidence later'.

I did not suggest their lack of response was a '[sic]submission (admission?) of guilt' I merely asked if they could respond.

ps, if people investigate a little further they will find that some poor sods that had the misfortune of abandoning their cars on car parks eather than public roads did get tickets, and can do nothing about it - people two doors up from me.

So their suggestion the council had issued tickets is still wrong.

And there is nothing wrong in a car-park charging people for parking. It's their business. If you can't get out of the car park because of the snow, pay for more parking and go home.

Sounds like Sony need to have a look at who they give their awards to.

Sounds like Sony need to have a look at who they give their awards to.

Who cares? What criteria do they judge their awards on anyway?
If it was an award from a prestigious organisation connected to journalism then it might be an award worth having. But saying that they have an award from Sony sounds to me like Rimmer from Red Dwarf and his 100m swimming certificate.

Is this going to be a story how someone who decided to go out against all common sense and then found they weren't competent enough to drive a car, abandoned it somewhere and couldn't see the parking restrictions is now saying that it can't possibly be their own fault they got a ticket?
The attendants I saw yesterday weren't ticketing badly parked abandoned cars. On the one hand it would seem a little harsh to ticket them, but on the other - if you can't drive in bad weather, don't, it's not someone else's fault you couldn't and a ticket is the likely outcome. Quit complaining.You need shooting for being so narrow minded (as you should for agreeing with arbitrary barriers at station). In the adverse weather it is very reasonable to leave a vehicle if it would be more dangerous to continue driving it than parking it to a side. Even with special driving training, weather and vehicle type can prevent you from going anywhere; a hill, a speed bump, wide tyres, rear powered car, icy road, slushy road... Leaving a car sensibly (common sense definition, not nazy attendants' definition) is far safer than continuing to drive and park it legally... I'd love to see your face had you driven into someone just to park a hundred yards further legally... Common sense and keeping people safe is what important, not avoiding a yellow line.I think Hallam FM was wrong to even ask the question, all they seem to want to do is make bad publicity for CEOs who are only doing their job and get the backs up of the public who already have a dislike to CEOs. I would just like to ask what will you do when you can't park on your drive because someone has parked in front of it or you can't get round a corner because someone has parked on a double yellow line or you need Emergency Services and someone has double parked so they are unable to get through. Fact! no-one got a ticket.People don't like tickets, why shouldn't we shame people who ticket cars if the conditions meant endangering people by continuing to drive. It would appear there weren't any tickets dished which is good, it means common sense prevailed over arbitrary application of council rules. Fair enough there seems to have been a bit of huffing and puffing when no one seems to have been ticketed. Some roads are pretty bad, even now and I think giving people the benefit of the doubt should prove a sign of good will from the council when side streets are not particularly safe.

I've seen a car this evening, still in the same place, that was left within a Clearway on Monday night.

Fair enough under the circumstances at the time, but now they have had a full day to move it.

......... when side streets are not particularly safe.

Many side streets, including ours, are still a bit dodgy because of the idiots that park in ways that prevent a gritter getting past.

You need shooting for being so narrow minded (as you should for agreeing with arbitrary barriers at station). In the adverse weather it is very reasonable to leave a vehicle if it would be more dangerous to continue driving it than parking it to a side. Even with special driving training, weather and vehicle type can prevent you from going anywhere; a hill, a speed bump, wide tyres, rear powered car, icy road, slushy road... Leaving a car sensibly (common sense definition, not nazy attendants' definition) is far safer than continuing to drive and park it legally... I'd love to see your face had you driven into someone just to park a hundred yards further legally... Common sense and keeping people safe is what important, not avoiding a yellow line.People don't like tickets, why shouldn't we shame people who ticket cars if the conditions meant endangering people by continuing to drive. It would appear there weren't any tickets dished which is good, it means common sense prevailed over arbitrary application of council rules. Fair enough there seems to have been a bit of huffing and puffing when no one seems to have been ticketed. Some roads are pretty bad, even now and I think giving people the benefit of the doubt should prove a sign of good will from the council when side streets are not particularly safe.

How can you shame people if it didnt happen, just because some numpty said they got a ticket, No council CEO issued a ticket after 4pm on Monday and this is still the same today ( wed ). People dont like tickets when they get one because they are in the wrong.

You need shooting for being so narrow minded (as you should for agreeing with arbitrary barriers at station). In the adverse weather it is very reasonable to leave a vehicle if it would be more dangerous to continue driving it than parking it to a side. ......My post actually said I could see both sides of the argument for ticketing abandoned cars, I hadn't made my mind up on whether it's an acceptable thing or not. You didn't read it correctly. As for needing shooting, well done, more nonsense rather than any kind of intelligent point.
I have made my mind up now though :) I think they've done the right thing in not ticketing people. Mainly as the backlash/refunds from people who are happy to set off in a car in unsuitable conditions but not take any responsibility when they can't cope would be too costly.
As for the station barriers - that's for another thread, but I still don't get why people are against them - no access would be restricted, as at many other stations, and if you can think of a better way to stem the huge losses due to fare dodgers I'm sure they'd love to hear it.
I'd love to see your face had you driven into someone just to park a hundred yards further legally... You wouldn't have seen it. I was responsible enough to realise driving anywhere was a bad plan and might result in me having to abandon my vehicle. I decided to be responsible and not drive anywhere, as per all published travel advice, common sense and a sense of responsibility for me, my vehicle and other road users. Something others seem to have not cared about.

My post actually said I could see both sides of the argument for ticketing abandoned cars, I hadn't made my mind up on whether it's an acceptable thing or not. I have now though. I think they've done the right thing in not ticketing people.

But we still have the question as to why Hallam Fm News were on here yesterday afternoon trying to find people who had been ticketed when they knew that none had been issued - and why at 10am yesterday morning they were broadcasting as part of the news bulletin the suggestion that people had been ticketed when they clearly had done no research whatsoever.

News organisations simply should not broadcast unsubstantiated gossip as 'news' -even if they are just the news on a local commercial station.

I've seen a car this evening, still in the same place, that was left within a Clearway on Monday night.

Fair enough under the circumstances at the time, but now they have had a full day to move it.

I quite agree, I have just been on South Road, and cars have not been moved and are parked stupidly, like you say fair enough, but they have now had two days to move them. Side roads are quite passable now even up here at Crookes. Worst are the ones parked in the bus stops.

Are people seriously trying to insinuate that Hallam FM should have checked the reports that said people received parking tickets but then they should take Sheffield Parking Services word when they say none had been issued?

If Hallam FM received a number of calls claiming tickets had been issued and Sheffield Parking Services would not deny this (they must have later) then they are within their right to say so. Also people on here have contradicted what Sheffield Parking Services have said too.

Those claiming anything is fact and do not work for both Hallam FM and Sheffield Parking Services clearly know nothing and contribute nothing to this thread.

Hallam FM, not everyone on SF is as snide as those who have posted on this thread.

Are people seriously trying to insinuate that Hallam FM should have checked the reports that said people received parking tickets but then they should take Sheffield Parking Services word when they say none had been issued?


I'm saying they should have checked the reports of tickets being issued before broadcasting it. Had they done so they would have found none had been issued.

Are you suggesting that broadcasting unsubstantiated rumour as though it were fact is responsible journalism?

Yes... South Yorkshire's Sony Award Winning news team Hallam FM


It was a BRONZE you got, same as another station in South Yorkshire :loopy:

I'm saying they should have checked the reports of tickets being issued before broadcasting it. Had they done so they would have found none had been issued.

Are you suggesting that broadcasting unsubstantiated rumour as though it were fact is responsible journalism?

maybe, but reading through the replies here, some seem to think Hallam FM should have checked the individual reports while accepting without question what the parking services said.

What we dont know is the number of calls or reports HallamFM received.

maybe, but reading through the replies here, some seem to think Hallam FM should have checked the individual reports while accepting without question what the parking services said.

What we dont know is the number of calls or reports HallamFM received.

No - but we do know that they broadcast unfounded speculation as fact without any supporting evidence whatsoever.

Hallam FM had already tried to find evidence of the council giving out parking tickets on the 10am news, and 90 minutes later were here still trying to find some.

The council is a publicly accountable body, and as such the records on tickets issued will be a matter of public record. If they do not want to take the work of the civil servant who gave them an interview saying no wardens had been out, the correct journalistic response to the reports would be to request details of tickets issued on the dates in question under the Freedom of Information Act, and broadcast the story once it was properly researched. I know that might mean waiting a few days or weeks - but that is how properly investigated journalism should be.

The last PCN issued by a SCC CEO was just after 3pm on monday, there were no PCN's issued at all yesterday, 3rd Feb.

I know that might mean waiting a few days or weeks - but that is how properly investigated journalism should be.

investigative journalism and news are not the same thing
the story wont be news once the snow has gone (google j.Galtung & M.Ruges's News Values for an explanation), it would have no relevance.

no journalism can be 100% factual as it is mainly prescribed from peoples accounts, (even a photograph is a persons account, not factual evidence as it was precluded by that persons belief system and experiences (google phenomenology for an explanation).

news = an event is alleged to have happened, it is then reported to the public, which makes it into a dialogue/news story, this dialogue is then opened to wider members of the public/experts/witnesses to either corroborate/dismiss said news.

and before you say parking tickets are not news worthy, read galtung and ruges news values, they are.
and news stories dont just happen, they unfold, otherwise all stories with high news values, such as terrorist attacks, murders, plane crashes would either not be reported until all the evidence has been found (years down the line) and the news would in fact be 'olds'; or news would cease to exist as it would not be relevant.

The last PCN issued by a SCC CEO was just after 3pm on monday, there were no PCN's issued at all yesterday, 3rd Feb.

hurrah! link please?

we now hopefully have evidence that tickets were indeed issued after the snow had fallen (and not just by the money grabbers at Excel)

investigative journalism and news are not the same thing
the story wont be news once the snow has gone (google j.Galtung & M.Ruges's News Values for an explanation), it would have no relevance.


And 'unsubstantiated rumour' is not news - but Hallam FM decided to broadcast is as such.

As much as you are clearly able to copy and paste from journalism text books, you cannot alter that.

Oh, and I said 'properly investigated journalism' i.e that where there has been at least some attempt to substantiate a story before broadcast, not investigative journalism - I don't expect the latter from any commercial station - but I do expect the former.

hurrah! link please?

we now hopefully have evidence that tickets were indeed issued after the snow had fallen (and not just by the money grabbers at Excel)

The story was that 'cars abandoned overnight' were ticketed. None were ticketed after 3pm ...

And 'unsubstantiated rumour' is not news - but Hallam FM decided to broadcast is as such.

As much as you are clearly able to copy and paste from journalism text books, you cannot alter that.

Oh, and I said 'properly investigated journalism' i.e that where there has been at least some attempt to substantiate a story before broadcast, not investigative journalism - I don't expect the latter from any commercial station - but I do expect the former.

i think you should read said sociology (not journalism) text books then to get a better understanding - all stories (news or otherwise) are unsubstantiated rumours until they are corroborated by unsubstantiated personal account/opinions from witnesses or experts proffering opinions, when they then are nothing more than an event that is being speculated upon and reported to the public.

and if you do read up on the phenomenology arguement (psychology, not journalism) you will find that an event can never actually be fully corroborated to its bare facts, hence why news events are called news stories. they are given a slant/bias depending on the who,what,where, why, and when of their reportage.

in short all news is unsubstantiated rumour until it becomes a substantiated rumour, however it must first be reported as unsubstantiated for it to become substantiated otherwise it would make never make it out into the public domain - this is why we see "breaking news" rolling across the front of your tv screen on all the news channels, a few hours later it will be the main news story, as opposed to breaking news; or it will never be mantioned again because it was found to be un-newsworthy, ie failed to be successfully substantiated.

i think you should read said sociology (not journalism) text books then to get a better understanding - all stories (news or otherwise) are unsubstantiated rumours until they are corroborated by unsubstantiated personal account/opinions from witnesses or experts proffering opinions, when they then are nothing more than an event that is being speculated upon and reported to the public.

and if you do read up on the phenomenology arguement (psychology, not journalism) you will find that an event can never actually be fully corroborated to its bare facts, hence why news events are called news stories. they are given a slant/bias depending on the who,what,where, why, and when of their reportage.

in short all news is unsubstantiated rumour until it becomes a substantiated rumour, however it must first be reported as unsubstantiated for it to become substantiated otherwise it would make never make it out into the public domain - this is why we see "breaking news" rolling across the front of your tv screen on all the news channels.

I understand that few event can be fully corroborated, but thanks for the lesson anyway. It does not excuse making no effort whatsoever to check facts - that is basic journalism.

I note that for all your posturing you still haven't got you any closer to defending the broadcast of something that could quickly and easily have been shown to be false as 'news'.

I understand that few event can be fully corroborated, but thanks for the lesson anyway. It does not excuse making no effort whatsoever to check facts - that is basic journalism.

I note that for all your posturing you still haven't got you any closer to defending the broadcast of something that could quickly and easily have been shown to be false as 'news'.

ok, once again.
news stories come into being by:
an event is alleged to have happened, this event is broadcast as having alleged to have happened within a relevant time frame to that alleged occurrance. (thus applying one of the news values that makes it newsworthy). the information of this alleged occurance is put into the public realm so that it can be known about and thus substantiated (the story is now news) or dismissed (now found to be not news).

news media is the same as all media, they want to be first with the stories, so they work the same as any other,ie human interest story, local people involved, can only be corroborated by said local people (as going on sheffield councils word alone is not impartial reporting). think of this as the breaking news flash running along the bottom of the screen, except obviously a radio station only has the spoken word, thus this is how it was opened for debate.

as with all other news stories this event was then sought to be substantiated by anybody who may have been involved in said event by hallafmnews: calling sheffield parking services, putting out a message for people to get in touch with them, and posting on a widely used public forum for information to clarify whether or not this had indeed happened. this is called investigating said allegation/occurance.

it would be silly to put out a call asking for information about said subject without first putting into context why that question was being asked in the first place, that is not how news media works, and would leave the audience baffled as we do not like a break from the norm - our brains cant handle it. if the story was not followed up on the lunchtime news bulletin it was found to be 'not news', if it was it was found to be relevant and thus 'news'.
bear in mind this was not a high news value story, it was a human interest yarn, it will have since been superceded by other events.

this is the model by which news events become news stories, purely because we live in the world of instant media and vast competition.
hallamfmnews want to broadcast a story before the sheffield star can print it,

if you never heard it again then you can rest assured it was quickly and easily shown to be not news

I think its despicable that people are getting parking tickets when it is not their fault that they had to abandon their cars.

No one got a ticket.
And some people would suggest it is their fault they abandoned their cars. They took the responsibility of attempting to drive, who elses fault is it?

The story was that 'cars abandoned overnight' were ticketed. None were ticketed after 3pm ...

How do you know this?

It does not excuse making no effort whatsoever to check facts - that is basic journalism.

Little Buzz, how did you go about checking your facts on this subject? The very appearance of HallamFM on this forum to see if anyone was in-fact ticketed shows they were trying to corroborate the story.

Little Buzz, how did you go about checking your facts on this subject? The very appearance of HallamFM on this forum to see if anyone was in-fact ticketed shows they were trying to corroborate the story.

Hallam FM were trying to find evidence for the story after they broadcast it. They should have done that before it was broadcast as 'news'.

My evidence that there were no tickets issued is a combination of:

a) A council official stating no tickets were issued

b) A complete lack of anyone claiming to have received a ticket.

If Hallam FM had cared to do any checking of the facts before broadcast rather than after I suspect they would have come to the same conclusion - that there is no story. However, it seems that they cannot be relied upon to do any checks whatsoever before broadcast.

ok, once again.
news stories come into being by:
an event is alleged to have happened, this event is broadcast as having alleged to have happened within a relevant time frame to that alleged occurrance.

So if I ring Hallam FM up and say I've seen an armed robbery in town, they ought to broadcast that without checking if I made it up or not?

Hallam FM were trying to find evidence for the story after they broadcast it. They should have done that before it was broadcast as 'news'.

My evidence that there were no tickets issued is a combination of:

a) A council official stating no tickets were issued

b) A complete lack of anyone claiming to have received a ticket.

If Hallam FM had cared to do any checking of the facts before broadcast rather than after I suspect they would have come to the same conclusion - that there is no story. However, it seems that they cannot be relied upon to do any checks whatsoever before broadcast.

Again, how do you know Hallam FM did not try to find evidence prior to use SF?

You evidence that no tickets were issued is swallowing exactly what a council official says without question. The council official could also be wrong, he/she may not have all the information considering traffic wardens are 3rd parties operating for profit these days and not council employees.

The facts are, you do not know what efforts Hallam FM took to check the story, and neither do you know for a fact no one was ticketed.

From reading this thread a few have said they were ticketed or at least had their details taken by a traffic wardens last night.

So if I ring Hallam FM up and say I've seen an armed robbery in town, they ought to broadcast that without checking if I made it up or not?

What evidence do you have that only one person made this claim to Hallam FM.

if 10 people called, should Hallam FM still wait to check the story? How about 20 or 30? At what point does the volume of individual accounts make it a story and no longer a rumour?

Again, how do you know Hallam FM did not try to find evidence prior to use SF?

Well if they tried (and failed - there is no evidence) and still broadcast it as news that is even worse!

You evidence that no tickets were issued is swallowing exactly what a council official says without question. The council official could also be wrong, he/she may not have all the information considering traffic wardens are 3rd parties operating for profit these days and not council employees

But they are publicly accountable body - if there have been tickets issued it would be easy enough to find out. I'm not accepting what is said without question - I am basing my assumption on the probability of a council official telling a blatant lie that could easily be found out to be a lie, coupled with the fact that no-one has come forward to say there was a ticket issued.


The facts are, you do not know what efforts Hallam FM took to check the story, and neither do you know for a fact no one was ticketed.

From reading this thread a few have said they were ticketed or at least had their details taken by a traffic wardens last night.

I know that Hallam FM broadcast speculation as 'news' as there is still no evidence.

People having their details taken last night (Wednesday) is

a) not the same as a ticket being issued and

b) not evidence of people returning to their cars on Tuesday to find them ticketed by the council, as implied by Hallam FM.

What evidence do you have that only one person made this claim to Hallam FM.

if 10 people called, should Hallam FM still wait to check the story? How about 20 or 30? At what point does the volume of individual accounts make it a story and no longer a rumour?

In this case all of Sheffield could have called up - but we'd all be lying.

I would suggest it's always best to at least try and investigate both sides of the story before broadcast, wouldn't you - so at least they could have said something like

"Some people are saying the got ticketed by the council after abandoning their cars, but the council says no tickets have been issued"

or some other form of balanced journalism, rather than what we got, which was just the passing on of rumour dressed up as news.

Well if they tried (and failed - there is no evidence) and still broadcast it as news that is even worse!

What evidence would you accept? How would a person in Sheffield be able to get said evidance to the Hallam FM studios?

But they are publicly accountable body - if there have been tickets issued it would be easy enough to find out. I'm not accepting what is said without question - I am basing my assumption on the probability of a council official telling a blatant lie that could easily be found out to be a lie, coupled with the fact that no-one has come forward to say there was a ticket issued.

No one is saying the council are lying, they can be wrong without lying, also the council do not issue the tickets, private companies do who a profit making. The figures need to say either way would be very difficult to obtain quickly too, looking at the short period of time between the event and the statement.

I know that Hallam FM broadcast speculation as 'news' as there is still no evidence.

Evidence will always take time. Not everyone in Sheffield reads SF or even listens to Hallam FM, so it will take days not hours to collate any evidence if there is any.

People having their details taken last night (Wednesday) is

a) not the same as a ticket being issued and

b) not evidence of people returning to their cars on Tuesday to find them ticketed by the council, as implied by Hallam FM.

Last night was Tuesday by the way.
Details being taken is the same as a ticket if one is issued but that will take time. Parking tickets are no longer required to be fixed to the vehicle, this changed early last year.

You may well be right, but at present you cannot claim as fact anything until further details emerge.

So if I ring Hallam FM up and say I've seen an armed robbery in town, they ought to broadcast that without checking if I made it up or not?

that is a criminal 'event', that can be much more easily verified more quickly and within a time frame suited to broadcast times. ie go to said place and see for themselves, have you make an eyewitness statement, call the police information line (police are impartial).

in order to try and gather evidence for the said event, much more difficult to gather information about due to its nature (human interest, rather than criminal), they used the methods available to them - ask the question and appeal for information, get response or dont get response, from the humans that may or may not have been affected.

it is now common practice for news media to 'find' the news before it becomes news (generally the case in all human interest stories), but criminal activity is something different entirely.

In this case all of Sheffield could have called up - but we'd all be lying.

You seem to have missed the point, my question about numbers of callers was hypothetical. How many people does it take to call any news agency before the volume of calls is sufficient to upgrade a rumour to a news story? This highlights one thing, neither you nor I know how many people called Hallam FM about this. We cannot make assumptions on this as we would be doing exactly what you are complaining about.

I would suggest it's always best to at least try and investigate both sides of the story before broadcast, wouldn't you

yes, I also dislike bad journalism, but look at it this way. If Hallam FM had received 10 calls, that people had received parking fines, after being forced to abandon their cars on Monday night. Then Hallam FM went and called the council who would not confirm or deny the story. What does Hallam FM do? Sit on the story until the council respond, if at all or go ahead and broadcast the news report.

I accept that they may have hyped it a little, but that’s the media for you.

You may well be right, but at present you cannot claim as fact anything until further details emerge.

I can claim as fact that Hallam FM broadcast as part of the 10am news on Tuesday that the council had been ticketing people who had abandoned their cars, a good hour and a half before they came on here trying to corroborate it, as well as appealing for people who had been ticketed to come forward as part of the 10am broadcast.

I can also claim as fact that the council have gone on record as saying that no tickets were issued after 3pm on Monday.

I can also claim as fact that Hallm FM made no mention of this in their boradcast of 10am on Monday.

I can also claim as fact that no-one on this thread has come forward to say they were ticketed, or know of anyone who was, despite this thread being near the top of the 'New Posts' for two days, and having nearly 3000 views as I type.

Still, you're right, they probably ticketed loads of people.

You seem to have missed the point, my question about numbers of callers was hypothetical. How many people does it take to call any news agency before the volume of calls is sufficient to upgrade a rumour to a news story?


A rumour becomes a story when it can be corroborated by a reputable source. I would suggest a named individual with a relevant position of authority in the council is more of a reputable source than someone texting a radio station.

that is a criminal 'event', that can be much more easily verified more quickly and within a time frame suited to broadcast times. ie go to said place and see for themselves, have you make an eyewitness statement, call the police information line (police are impartial).


So they could get to Hillsborough quicker than they can call the council and say "Have you been ticketing people in the last few hours"?

If you have no corroborating evidence it's not news, it's speculation - so don't broadcast it as part of your news bulletin. Seems simple enough to me.

Are people seriously trying to insinuate that Hallam FM should have checked the reports that said people received parking tickets but then they should take Sheffield Parking Services word when they say none had been issued?

If Hallam FM received a number of calls claiming tickets had been issued and Sheffield Parking Services would not deny this (they must have later) then they are within their right to say so. Also people on here have contradicted what Sheffield Parking Services have said too.

Those claiming anything is fact and do not work for both Hallam FM and Sheffield Parking Services clearly know nothing and contribute nothing to this thread.

Hallam FM, not everyone on SF is as snide as those who have posted on this thread.

How do you know that when someone quotes FACT that they dont actully work for parking services and do know FACT what they are talking about

So they could get to Hillsborough quicker than they can call the council and say "Have you been ticketing people in the last few hours"?
If you have no corroborating evidence it's not news, it's speculation - so don't broadcast it as part of your news bulletin. Seems simple enough to me.

my bold
dont quite understand what you mean, they did call the council (who are easy to contact as they have a phone number) to get one side of the story

they then attempted to canvass the opinions of the public (who are not so easy to contact as they have thousands of phone numbers), to try and get the other side from anybody that might have summat to say about it.

as a test, you are hallamfmnews, you have heard someone got ticketed for abandoning in a carpark, this is a good human interest story
i want you to get in touch with my neighbour who got a ticket from a private parking firm for leaving his car in the 'safety' of their carpark for the night, you have until the next news bulletin (49mins) to corroberate his story.
note, you will also have to get in touch with said parking company to verify their side, before the next bulletin (48mins), write a report on it and have it edited before broadcast.

ok, go.... clocks ticking

and no you cant start a new thread on here......

Why do you HAVE to get this story on the next bulletin ? Hallam FM have no obligation to report something as soon as they get a whiff of it.

Furthermore, if a story is built on flimsy evidence, why can't they include that fact, news organisations are often to be heard uttering phrases such as "we're getting reports of.." "unconfirmed reports" etc.

as a test, you are hallamfmnews, you have heard someone got ticketed for abandoning in a carpark, this is a good human interest story

Well first off I wouldn't broadcast that the council had been ticketing people, as they do not operate car parks - only meters.

i want you to get in touch with my neighbour who got a ticket from a private parking firm for leaving his car in the 'safety' of their carpark for the night, you have until the next news bulletin (49mins) to corroberate his story.
note, you will also have to get in touch with said parking company to verify their side, before the next bulletin (48mins), write a report on it and have it edited before broadcast.

ok, go.... clocks ticking

If I couldn't verify this story, it wouldn't be in the news.

That's the way it should be.

What is your problem with that.

Do you work for Hallam FM, btw?

(incidentally, your analogy is a little flawed in that 'a strangers neighbour' and 'an un-named company' are rather more difficult sources to trace than 'Sheffield City Council' as I'm sure you'd agree)