Trinks Censored Farewell

[maerim]

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[hacknew]

I really cannot help but feel a little curious over the deafening silence from the Bangkok Post on this issue. I wonder if they have something to hide? Just a thought!

What, do you think someone from the Post will actually put their name on this board? Mind you, with the sweeping cuts that are apparently going to happen, maybe none of them has time - too busy writing up their resumes?

[hacknew]

Although I'm just a stupid American, I *do* have two degrees in the language and have taught in universities on two continents for many years, so I suppose I do know at least *little* bit about the language. [You can seek references at The University of North Texas, Tianjin University, Beijing Normal Univeristy, Lamar University [again, in Texas], The University of Macau, Bangkok University, Kingswoood Language School [in Bangkok], several other Bangkok-based language schools, and the Adult Municipal Education Program in Shunde, China. Plus I jave been an editor and a writer.

So, where are you coming from? If you don't like Trink -- fine; I really don't care for him, either. But if I attack him, I will attack him in his arena. What are YOU doing?

Your username is "Newbie"; does that tell us something?

Actually, my handle is hacknew. Clearly your expert editorial eye didn't spot this. And I really don't know where you're coming from with your little diatribe about your own qualifications - insecurity maybe?

It's actually kind of hard to know if you are being critical of Trink, his movie-reveiwing replacement, or both of them.

Read the posts; it's quite clear.

In any case, what does Trink's PHYSICAL condition -- bar an inability to do his job -- have to do with his COLUMN?

Erm, if his physical condition renders him unable to do his job, which is to churn out ill-informed movie "reviews" as well as recycle out-of-date material and copy and paste other people's emails (i.e. his column), then I would say it's fair comment.

If you don't like it -- fine; don't read it, and write to the Editors at the newspaper to approve of their decision to cut him out

Never read it now and wrote to the editor way, way back about incorrect factual assertions and blatant racism among other things.

[mrentoul]

Mind you, with the sweeping cuts that are apparently going to happen, maybe none of them has time - too busy writing up their resumes?

I am looking forward to hearing about these sweeping cuts you keep talking about.

They sound quite dramatic and should give the staff something to talk about...as they contemplate the Post's latest results, including whopper earnings from advertising.

The Post is a money-making machine...but as you clearly know more than the staff working there, maybe you'd like to fill us in.

[hacknew]

Mind you, with the sweeping cuts that are apparently going to happen, maybe none of them has time - too busy writing up their resumes?

I am looking forward to hearing about these sweeping cuts you keep talking about.

They sound quite dramatic and should give the staff something to talk about...as they contemplate the Post's latest results, including whopper earnings from advertising.

The Post is a money-making machine...but as you clearly know more than the staff working there, maybe you'd like to fill us in.

Actually, if you had been following this thread or bothered to read earlier posts, you will know/see that the "sweeping cuts" were mentioned by "The_Moog" on December 3 in this thread. My reply was that unless the original poster was at board, director or editor level, then this "fact" is mere supposition and news to the staff.

Of course the Post is a money-making machine; name me a business that aims not to be. There is also an important distinction between the organization and the staffing of the individual publications it produces WRT cuts. Re-read the first few posts on this thread and you'll get the general gist of what I do and don't know about all of this.

Read into that what you will.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

My reply was that unless the original poster was at board, director or editor level, then this "fact" is mere supposition

Was the poster at any of the heady heightsmentioned at the newspaper or not ?

[mrentoul]

Was the poster at any of the heady heightsmentioned at the newspaper or not ?

No.

Of course the Post is a money-making machine; name me a business that aims not to be. There is also an important distinction between the organization and the staffing of the individual publications it produces WRT cuts.

If a business is making money - and the Post is, by the way - why then would it contemplate massive cuts?

[maerim]

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[hacknew]

Was the poster at any of the heady heightsmentioned at the newspaper or not ?

No.

Of course the Post is a money-making machine; name me a business that aims not to be. There is also an important distinction between the organization and the staffing of the individual publications it produces WRT cuts.

If a business is making money - and the Post is, by the way - why then would it contemplate massive cuts?

Given that mrentoul can claim that the original poster isn't at the heady editorial heights mentioned I can only assume he knows the original poster and is fairly well-placed himself. As to the question of why an organization that is making a profit might make cuts, he should ask the original poster with whom he is seemingly familiar.

Cuts may occur in any organization and are basically deadwood chopping. Whether the Post as a company needs such action remains an arguable point. (As opposed to the cutting of the staff on the Bangkok Post's local newsroom as suggested by another "expert".)

Personally, I haven't seen the P&L balances for the company for the Post Publishing Plc for the whole year or its future forecasts - there was a mention of the company's financial state in the Business supplement some time ago, but that was a Q3 report.

I'm not in the business of crystal-ball gazing, which is why I'm also not in the business of stating what I think the year-end results of the Post will be. I can only go on what information is in the public domain. However, if a public company like the Post reported a year-end loss, including losses incurred by launching and promoting the Thai-language Post Today, then I would be surprised.

Of course, I may not be privvy to the inside information of other posters who clearly have moles in the offices that overlook the arguably tasteful yet understated front entrance of the company's HQ.

Read into that what you will.

[mrentoul]

As to the question of why an organization that is making a profit might make cuts, he should ask the original poster with whom he is seemingly familiar.

God, so wordy. I can't work out if you're having fun or if you mean to sound this serious.

This appeared in the paper a few weeks ago:

PUBLISHING

Strong growth in both papers

helps Post lift profit by 55%

B30m dividend

declared, share split

to be proposed

Post Publishing Plc, the publisher of

the Bangkok Post and Post Today dailies,

yesterday reported third-quarter profits

of 42.15 million baht, up 55% from the

same period last year.

The company's nine-month net profit

was 37.2 million baht, down 56% year-

on-year. Declines were attributed to expenses related to the launch of the Thai-

language daily Post Today in February.

Excluding operating results of Post

Today, net profit was up 44% year-on-

year to 122 million baht for the first

nine months.

Revenues for the period were 1.01

billion baht, rising 24% on strong

advertising growth for both newspapers.

Post Today has enjoyed newsstand

and subscription sales growth of 80%

over the past six months, while the

more established Bangkok Post saw a

7% increase in circulation from 2002.

Post Publishing directors on Thursday

approved an interim dividend of 30

million baht for the first nine months,

equal to 60 satang per share and payable

on Dec 9. The share register to receive

dividends will close on Nov 27.

Directors also approved a proposal

to reduce the par value of shares to one

baht from 10 baht. The share split will

be considered at the next shareholders'

meeting.

Post shares closed yesterday on the

Stock Exchange of Thailand at 44 baht,

down 25 satang, in trade worth 730,000

baht.

Suthikiati Chirathivat, executive

chairman of Post Publishing, said

prospects for revenue growth in the

fourth quarter remained strong given

economic growth and high advertising

spending.

He noted that the fourth quarter

traditionally was the strongest for ad

revenue, with spending this year also

up on the recovery of the property sector.

Mr Suthikiati said that with Post Today

now firmly established with readers,

marketing and promotional expenses

were expected to fall.

``With the rapid rate of growth in

both advertising and newspaper sales,

it is expected that Post Today will start

to show positive operating results in

2004 and thereafter become a major

profit contributor to Post Publishing,''

he said.

[eric1000]

Usually for the same reason other organisations do, to increase profits if you can make more money with less people why not?

Any chance of some severance pay for Miss Manners while they are at it?

miss manners is dead !

she wont be collecting any fees .

probably the person who asked the question is dead as well .

[maerim]

[mrentoul]

if you can make more money with less people why not?

Sometimes staff like a say in these things. The company's profit figures are well known around the office. Board members like to show they are socially responsible and given the handsome profits mentioned above would have a hard time justifying swingeing cuts.

[maerim]

Sometimes staff like a say in these things.

[mrentoul]

you are a cheerleader for the Bangkok Post

You sound remarkably bitter for someone who professes so little interest in the newspaper.

I am not a cheerleader for the Post. I might agree with what you say, but I am not going to say it in a public forum.

[maerim]

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[maerim]

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[The_Moog]

There is some cognitive dissonance afoot here.

Along the lines of.....

a-) BT is being let go because of the publisher's harder line on nightlife reporting-

b-) ...but he doesn't report much on nightlife anyway, and largely sticks to jokes and observations.

c-) The likes of Bangkok Mouth and Stickman, who are more active commentators on nightlife, may think they would be worthy candidates for his job. - maybe justifiably - (for THB40,000 per month according to BM's site)

d-) ...but then they presumably would have to make the same editorial compromises- and q.e.d. - be crap.

et cetera et cetera et cetera.

[mrentoul]

for THB40,000 per month

He wasn't getting that amount.

may think they would be worthy candidates for his job. - maybe justifiably

Stickman left a message on nanplaza.com (apparently) saying he was sure the Post didn't want him, and he didn't want them. Don't know about the other one.

The best thing about Stickman's site is his pics and his postbag. He should stick to things he does well.

I understand virtually nothing of Maerim's post, so can't comment.

[sabaijai]

I've been following this thread with interest. I'm guessing the original post is a hoax, or rumour, depending on the intent of the poster. I received the same 'censored column' via email, and assume it made the rounds among Thailand expats.

Eventually, of course, Trink will leave, whether for health reasons or simply because he finally feels bored. But I doubt the Post will can him unless he truly becomes incapable.

Today's Trink Page looked like the same old Trink to me. Whether you like his column or not, you have to admire his dogged perseverance.

[maerim]

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[philmac]

The seed that led to the sprouting of views in this forum is a dud. Trink’s lost column? Yeah, sure. Even Trink doesn’t write that badly, and even he is not that arrogant to think that the Post editors would run a piece that essentially slags them off. A quick read through it reveals it as sham.

Trink’s time at the Post doesn’t expire until Dec 31, so there may be one more column – one last chance to tell his readers that journalists around the world are tripping over each other trying to get a final interview with him. But if he deems them that privilege, they’ll get it all wrong anyway. No gracious exit for this dude.

Someone writes in this forum that Stickman is in line to replace Trink, but would likely refuse the offer because his editorial freedom would be compromised. If true, then based on arrogance alone (along with extraordinary naivety), Stickman’s the ideal replacement for Trink. But once the editors have bent over backwards and offered him complete editorial freedom, then Stick may have to reassess his writing style a little.

First, he will have to stop referring to himself in the first person like most of us did when we were three years old. Philmac finds this very irritating Stick. He then might consider condensing his rambling banalities on the life and times of himself into fewer words (or even better, no words at all) to maintain reader interest. One suggestion for his “naughty nightlife” snippets would be to actually get the facts right now and again because as a columnist for a newspaper he suddenly becomes accountable for what he writes.

[maerim]

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[Roger13]

What bit can't you understand? FYI I was just quoting you pals gibberish from todays Bangkok Post, same old tripe every week. Check it out.

Maerim,

If you hate Nite Owl so much

Why is it that you obviously read his EVERY word?

(you quoted most of the Column)

Surely you know by now that Mike Rentoul works at the BP

and by the way - "hoi" means "the" ...

Smart Ass Roger

[philmac]

Some people are being a bit harsh on local English-language rags, without understanding the realities of it all. Both would love open up to readers more with tales of Thai Rak Thai and esteemed leader PM Thaksin.

But big problem when PM Thaksin is miffed, he throws his weight around. Threatens to close newspapers, withdraw government advertising (TAT, Thai Airways etc) and advertising from the companies his maid owns.

Both the nation and Bkk Post have felt is wrath, and were forced to do some serious backpeddling on certain issues. His heavy-handed tactics have resulted in self-censorship, because newspapers are faced with the very real possibility of being closed on flimsy pretext, or financial ruin because of lack of advertising.

A line in the sand has been drawn. It is now a situation of "criticise with care". The Bkk Post is the more caring of the two because it is more establishment oriented.

The current government poses as big a threat to press freedom as any military government in the past.

[maerim]

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[maerim]

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[Guest IT Manager]

Why do I get the feeling you don't like Bernie or herself?

[george]

Mr. Trink draw huge traffic to the bangkokpost website. When I heard about his abrupt end at the Post, I offered him a freelance job with Thaivisa.com, well paid and with full freedom and no censur. Mr. Trink didn't even bother to answer my polite emails, and did not returned my phone calls, which surprised me. We wish him good luck in the future.

[Georgie-Porgie]

If my main man Trink could turn down a job offer like that, it sounds like he has something on the back-burner. Interesting.