Opinion: Speculation isn’t Journalism

Since the moment the news broke that singer Whitney Houston had been found dead speculation has been rife.  People have been only too quick to point the finger and try and find someone to blame.

Less than an hour after her death was announced the question who is to blame? was already being asked and people were all too willing to give their theories.  Now we’re hearing claims that she went on a 48-hour drugs binge shortly before she died because sources -  so confident of what they are saying is true- say so and that's presuming the sources exist, of course.  How can anyone prove that it is true? Unless you can prove it, then you should not be writing it: It’s speculation not journalism.

We’ve also been treated to a variety of other rumours including the one dating from a while back which claimed that the singer had already died.  Her death on Saturday, the cause of which is still unknown, rather lays the previous rumours to rest doesn’t it?

The latest speculation is that Whitney was a secret lesbian and this is what led her down the path to self-destruction and onto her habit of drugs and drink, which to her credit she tried hard to fight and on the face of it had seemed to be turning her life around.  Addictions are far more complex than that and those are just repetitions of old rumours with little substance.

There was the same speculation surrounding Amy Winehouse’s death.  The Internet is still awash with speculation from news sources that she too had indulged in a drugs binge before she died, according to sources, only for the autopsy to find that there was no trace of illegal drugs in her system at the time of her death.  Since so many newspapers got that wrong you would think that they would tred a little more carefully before making unsubstantiated claims about Whitney Houston.
The Internet has led to a voracious appetite for gossip, speculation and untruths, and unfortunately there are too many people out there willing to believe almost everything they hear or read.  The other day, I heard somebody say that they knew some salacious celeb gossip was true “because they’d read it on the Internet” and of course, the people writing these stories on the Internet always tell the truth don’t they?  Are people really that naive?

Remember the Kate Middleton is pregnant story?  Most people could see through that one and even the most unreliable news sources in the UK didn't run with it and state it as fact.  Another rumour circulated that child actor Macaulay Culkin had died.  Recent pictures of him show that he doesn’t quite look his healthiest but he is still very much with us.  There are plenty of similar rumours about and I do wonder if some people feel a little bit silly once they realise that a story that they believed was untrue.  Does that not make them doubt the source of the story and does it not make them question some of the gossip that some websites tout?

Whitney Houston was somebody’s mother and somebody’s daughter.  There are many other people who have lost a close friend, a person that despite her personal demons, was loved and respected.  At what must be an excruciatingly difficult time for them wouldn’t it be good if ‘journalists’ concentrated on facts, not speculation?

Opinion: Whitney Houston: Didn't she almost have it all?

Shortly after 1.00am UK time the death of soul singer Whitney Houston was announced.  Whitney Houston was aged 48 at the time of her death.

The singer first became known in the UK in 1985 as a teenager with a voice that sounded like it came from a woman much older, full of depth and soul.  A glittering career lay ahead of her with Emmy, Grammy, Billboard Music Awards and American Music Awards.  Houston broke records when it came to music sales, The Bodyguard soundtrack became the biggest selling soundtrack ever.

With her squeaky clean image no one would have guessed that later in her career she would be struggling with a well-documented drugs and drink battle - a battle which would last for more than a decade and remained with her.

Sadly, Whitney isn't the first singer to find their lives blighted by addiction and she won't be the last.  It doesn't matter how famous or talented you are, drugs and drink have the same affect, and it was sad to see a woman with one of the most amazing voices the world has ever heard lose years of her career to her addiction.  It was even sadder to see someone with such talent being ridiculed in the media for not having the voice that she once had or for not being the person that she used to be. Addiction is an illness and the addiction that marred her life should have been treated as such.

Despite her personal struggles, Whitney Houston seemed to be getting her life and career back together.  Her 2009 comeback album I Look To You did well even if her comeback tour wasn't quite the success it could have been.  She was in talks to work on the X Factor USA and had recently completed  a movie.  She was also set to appear at the Grammys. The show will now be a very different one than the one that had been planned; artists will be paying tribute to the singer and rightly so; as one of the world's biggest selling female artists, she paved the way for a lot of them.

Some are saying they aren't surprised at the news but I am.  Her worst battles had seemed to be behind her and while some stars do seemed destined to have their lives end in tragedy, I didn't think Whitney Houston would be one of them.

Her death is a sad loss to the music world, to her family, and to those closest to her.  Beautiful, talented, and for many years living a life that most people can only ever dream of, it seems that having everything going for you isn't always enough.

Ban Ki-moon calls for Argentina-UK to settle dispute

The UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki moon has met with Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman to discuss the continuing dispute between Buenos Aires and London.  During the meeting in New York he urged the two governments to settle the disagreement peacefully.

HMS Dauntless was recently deployed to the South Atlantic and the Duke of Cambridge arrived in the Falklands in the first week of February.  The deployment has been seen as provocative and Argentina has lodged a dispute with the UN over what the Argentine Government describes as a "militarisation" by Britain.

Tensions are riding high between UK and Argentina and with the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War there are some concerns that the clash between could worsen.

Ban-Ki moon has spoken of his concerns about the escalating exchanges between Argentina and the United Kingdom and has urged the two governments to settle the dispute diplomatically.

The UK has said that it would defend the Falklands and during a recent press briefing, Prime Minister David Cameron stated that he didn't think the deployment of HMS Dauntless was provocative.  The Prime Minister also said that he was not planning on visiting the Falklands in the near future.

There is a long-standing debate over the sovereignty of the Falklands and Argentina still lay claim to The Islands.  Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982.  The war lasted two-months and left 255 Britons dead and almost 800 injured.

Foreign Secretary issues statement on unrest in Maldives

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has issued a statement regarding the situation in the Maldives.  President Nasheed stood down this week after what he described as a bloodless coup.

Since the unrest, Britons have been advised against all but essential travel to the capital Male after protesters supporting Nasheed clashed with police.  William Hague expressed concerns over attacks on members and supporters of Maldivian Democratic Party and some reports say that Nasheed suffered some minor injuries in the protests.

The Vice President has now been sworn in as President and a team from the British High Commission are set to travel to the Maldives.

A statement from the Foreign office said there was concern about the developments and called for groups and institutions to find a peaceful way forward.

Speaking in parliament, William Hague said:

"I just want to register our concern about developments in particular the reports of attacks on members and supporters of the Maldivian Democratic Party."

"...It is for the new leadership to establish its legitimacy with its own people and with the international community with an independent review of the circumstances leading to what has happened earlier this week, and we hope that the new leadership will demonstrate its respect for the rule of law, including peaceful demonstrations."

Odyssey Marine Exploration gift HMS Victory to maritime musuem

Deep-sea shipwreck exploration company Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. has gifted HMS Victory to the Maritime Heritage Foundation.  An agreement between the two organisations means that artifacts from HMS Victory will go on exhibition and an archaeological survey will  be carried out.  The agreement will also cover the conservation of the warship, the excavation and the financing.

HMS Victory was the flagship of Admiral Sir John Balchin.  The 100-gun warship was sunk in 1744 with 1000 aboard and has remained under the sea since.  The warship was discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration in 2008 off the coast of Guernsey.

An extensive project design has been drawn up and once approved by the Maritime Heritage Foundation, fieldwork will begin in 2012.  The Maritime Heritage Foundation will now take over the irresponsibility of the site.

Greg Stemm, CEO, Odyssey Marine Exploration, said:

“We are honored to work with the Maritime Heritage Foundation on the Victory project, an important piece of British naval heritage. Since our discovery of HMS Victory, we’ve continued to monitor the site and have sadly noted significant changes to the site including four ton cannon that have been dragged and damaged, as well as the illicit recovery of a cannon by another salvor, signs that the idea of preserving the site in situ is clearly not practical."

“We plan a phased approach which will include an initial non-disturbance survey and expect to begin the archaeological excavation as soon as practical.”

74 left dead after Egypt football riot

The unrest in Egypt continued on Thursday as protests go on following the deaths of 74 football fans during a match at the Port Said stadium. 

The intense rivalry between fans of al-Masry and al-Ahly is well known and on Wednesday trouble flared after fans began to invade the pitch at the end of the match.  TV footage showed flares being thrown during the match and some say that the violence had been planned.

Egypt is now a country in mourning with some of the funerals being held today.  As well as the loss of lives, 1000 people are reported to have been injured in the riot.

In a statement on the FIFA website, President Sebb Blatter has described the riot as a "black day for football".  FIFA has also requested that Egyptian authorities provide them with a full report and the Egyptian Football Association has been disbanded following yesterday's deadly riot.

Commenting on the riot, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt, said:

“We were deeply shocked and saddened by the scenes of violence at a football stadium in Port Said last night. Our thoughts are with the families of those who were injured or lost their lives. We understand that the Egyptian Parliament is holding an emergency session and Field Marshal Tantawi has announced three days of national mourning in Egypt."

"We urge the Egyptian authorities to set up a transparent enquiry to uncover the causes of the tragedy and hold those responsible to account.”

WCS complete campaign in China to clear snares

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has recently completed a campaign to clear the Heilongjiang province in China of illegal snares.  The snares are left to catch wild animals such as rabbits and Roe deer but Siberian Tigers have been known to get caught up in them.

The Siberian Tiger is already an endangered species but they do have a small population in China and they also found in Russia.  There are 3,5000 tigers left in the wild and 1,000 of them are breeding females, according to WCS.

The team from WCS worked with  more than volunteers to clear the Heilongjiang province of the snares.  162 traps were removed during the six-day period and the team endured freezing temperatures and thick snow in order to complete the campaign.

Joe Walston, WCS Director of Asia Programs, said:

“It's heartening to see a new generation of environmentally committed young Chinese willing and able to volunteer their time to do something challenging but important for their country's natural heritage."

“Tigers need our help whether it’s from grass roots efforts like these or governments putting more funding toward enforcement.”

The Wildlife Conservation Society has a long history in the conservation of wildlife and 115 years after the organisation first started, their work continues.  To find out more about their work visit: http://www.wcs.org/about-us.aspx