Geoff   10 #1 Posted July 17, 2003 Following previous conversations about Sheffield not being featured in the news, tonight's ITV national news had a fairly lengthy (by news standards) report on the serious drug problem in Sheffield. There was a few clips of West Street and the narrator informed us that the high profile policing was working well. They failed to mention that it only lasted for 6 weeks and finished over a month ago - I guess news travels slowly from the North to South...  Anyone else see it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Phanerothyme   12 #2 Posted July 17, 2003 Interesting, because S.Yorks police maintain that Sheffield doesn't have half the drug problems of similar sized and bigger cities in UK. I'm looking for the quote atm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
t020 Â Â 11 #3 Posted July 17, 2003 Nice of them to choose Sheffield for a bad story that will tarnish its name, when infact Sheffield has one of, if not the lowest crime rate of the major cities. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Geoff   10 #4 Posted July 17, 2003 Yeah, what did the ITV narrator say at the very start? Something about more drugs being seized in Sheffield than any other city. The police could argue that shows how great they are, or it could suggest there is so much of the stuff it's not too hard to catch someone with some! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Cycleracer   10 #5 Posted July 17, 2003 I suppose if its true that Sheffield is the worse offender for drugs then its right it should be portrayed that way but Sheffield rarely gets a positive mention in the media and its that what should also be addresed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Geoff   10 #6 Posted July 17, 2003 Unfortunately you don't often get "news" and "positive story" in the same sentence. I think I posted something a while back about how sick I was that the news was always so negative. However, it's not like they are just picking on Sheffield - Leeds was in the news a lot last year with all the shootings and of course there was Liverpool (Merseyside) - I guess we were next in the queue Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Phanerothyme   12 #7 Posted July 17, 2003 Originally posted by geoffbowen Yeah, what did the ITV narrator say at the very start? Something about more drugs being seized in Sheffield than any other city.  You've got to wonder when they use an unqualified comparison like that. Typical journalese phrase "more drugs" doesn't actually mean very much unless it is qualified (not something I've come to expect from TV news I must admit)  More Seizures? More Tonnage? More Doses? More Street Value?  example: police seize 10 kilos of cocaine - this is one seizure, 10,000 wraps or portions, 10000 grams, £50,000 street value (absolute max)  police somewhere else seize 30 grams of LSD crystals - this is 300,000 tabs or portions, 30 grams, £750,000 street value (abs max)  police somewhere else seize 500kg of imported cannabis - one seizure, 15,000 "eighths" or portions, 500,000 grams £280,000 street value (abs max)  Which seizure is of the most drugs?  [edited for clarity and maths check (still not sure about the maths on this one, but I don't think there are any glaring errors) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Geoff   10 #8 Posted July 17, 2003 Yes, I also laughed to myself when I heard that.  I guess it was my fault for watching ITV news! That "more drugs" quote was something straight out of a "Tonight with Trevor McDonald" show - which as we all know - is at the cutting edge of professional journalism Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
rickmiles85   10 #9 Posted July 17, 2003 Its on this page as of 21:55pm  I tried copying the link for real player but it didnt work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
blondee   10 #10 Posted July 17, 2003 what's the quote? lies, lies & more statistics. or vice versa. whatever, as someone who has worked in a "multi agency" (GOD DON'T YOU HATE THAT PHRASE) organisation with the police and the council (not in sheffield) I know how you can make the figures say what you want them to say.  Believe what you like . . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
greennigel   10 #11 Posted July 18, 2003 Could it also mean that Sheffield drug dealers are particularly thick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Phanerothyme   12 #12 Posted July 18, 2003 Originally posted by blondee what's the quote? lies, lies & more statistics. or vice versa. whatever, as someone who has worked in a "multi agency" (GOD DON'T YOU HATE THAT PHRASE) organisation with the police and the council (not in sheffield) I know how you can make the figures say what you want them to say.  Believe what you like . . . . it's  "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics." Benjamin Disraeli Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
