Disgusting Daily Telegraph Article
I recently came across this article in the Daily Telegraph and decided to write a letter to the Telegraph. I've attached some of the resposes and letters that were sent.
It probably won't make a whole lot of difference but at least they'll think twice before they print such rubbish again.
jolyon
Here's the letter I sent to The Daily Telegraph
Dear Sir,
I am writing in regards to an article titled ‘Morning of the Girth’ in The Daily Telegraph (02/02/09).
I found this article extremely offensive and upsetting. It is well known that Michael Peterson has had a long history of mental illness. For the Daily Telegraph to write such a cheap and shallow article is a despicable act.
I have recently completed a film called Searching for Michael Peterson where I interviewed many of the great surfers from the 1970’s. I was amazed at their love and support for the man, their wonder at his surfing ability, board design and his professional approach to surfing.
In surfing, he is considered one of the great visionaries – his surfing style and board design helped to push Australian surfing to the forefront of the world. His fellow competitors, Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew (OAM), Mark Richards and Peter Townend, went on the win 6 out of the first 7 world titles in the modern surfing era. They all readily acknowledge Michael’s influence on their abilities as surfers.
One of the more heartwarming aspects of Michael’s story is the fact that he was now well enough to make his way out to the occasional surfing event, allowing many of the surfer’s to see and talk to him in the first time for more than 20 years. I know that this has taken great courage on his part and to be publicly humiliated by The Daily Telegraph is a terrible reward for that courage. I thought that in modern society we had a greater awareness and respect for people who suffered from mental illness. In The Daily Telegraph’s case I was clearly wrong.
I will be forwarding this email to the surfers and surf media that I met while making my film and I will be encouraging them to boycott The Daily Telegraph until a full and equally prominent apology has been printed in your paper.
Yours Sincerely,
Jolyon Hoff
Director – Searching for Michael Peterson
Reader Comments (15)
Good on you Jolyon, lets give it to them, I will forward this on to as many people as possible.
Haven't they got any morals, they think they can write whatever & they have no conscience towards how it might upset not only Mick himself, but he's Mother, Brother & Sisters I'm sure would be feeling pretty let down by the power of the media, as both you & I feel now, and I know that there will be thousands probably more like Hundreds of Thousands of Surfers who still look up to Mick, never forgetting the great mans achievements in the sport of surfing.
I will also be writing a letter to the editor of The Telegraph, but I also urge people not to buy it, and I have found a good use for this one, as I ran out of Dunny Paper.
To everyone who feels the same, Lets Give It To Them.
To whom it may concern,
This article was brought to my attention by a friend in Sydney.
Living in Ballina on the NSW north coast, I occasionally purchase the Daily Telegraph always thought it to be a pretty trashy tabloid paper and articles like this do nothing to change that opinion. Michael Peterson has been an absolute hero of mine since I as a little kid and reading an article like this, knowing what he’s been through in his life, makes me sick.
Regardless of whether there is an apology for this article or not, you’ve lost me for life.
As the mother of a person with schizophrenia and also as someone associated with the film concerning Michael Peterson mentioned below, I was horrified to read the clipping concerning him which appeared as ‘Morning of the Girth’ in The Daily Telegraph (02/02/09). I am hoping that the Press Council can do something about it. Rectifying this absolutely terrible, humiliating and hurtful item, it seems to me, must go to something more than a mere apology.
Can the press council fine the Telegraph?
Can the Union do anything? I hope that SANE might also take some sort of action against the Telegraph on behalf of people living with mental illness.
I attach the correspondence sent to me from Jolyon Hoff, the director of the film about Michael Peterson, who alerted me to this article.
What a fantastic newspaper. I hear it's circulation is shrinking faster
than Rupert Murdochs share portfolio. I wonder why?
S.
I just stumbled on this blog and I am stunned at the ignorance and lack of compassion shown by The Daily Telegraph with this trash.
It is a low act to take cheap shots at a man who has more talent and courage than the whole lot of Rupert's little minions in the grubby back alleys of Surry Hills.
The Daily Telegraph is in a moral void with this denigration of a truly great past sportsman whilst elevating the poorly behaved players of rugby league to god status to prop up their investment in that sport.
Come on Pemberthy (DT editor) - grow a spine - why not tell the real inspirational story of MP.
Dave
Thanks to Jolyon Hoff firstly for documenting this inspirational and legendary Aussie surfer's life in "Searching for Michael Peterson" and secondly for so eloquently "giving it" to The Telegraph for printing such crap. As I lived at Kirra 1979-1980 and was fortunate enough to meet MP and see him surf in those days, along with the other great surfers of that time, he was already then thought of as a "Godfather" of Australian surfing, a man very much admired for his skill (surfing and designing) and also his very low-key , self deprecating demeanor ; always extremely humble and didn't like to be made a fuss of!!! He inspired so many young guys (and girls) to get out there and surf and it's not surprising so many Aussie surfing champions count him as a mentor and inspiration in their own success.
I find this article (if you can even call it that) completely disrespectful to Michael, his family, friends and the surfing world in general.Other than the fact that nobody can look the same at 60 as they do at 20, not to mention also that people unlucky enough to have mental illness are prone to put on weight from their medication, clearly the author of this Telegraph rubbish is not a person with an ounce of sensitivity or thought by writing "morning of the girth" and "he can still make a big splash in the water".
Unlike the author of this Telegraph trash , MP will be remembered for a long time to come as a pioneer of Australian surfing and an inspiration to many people.
'Telegraph Tragic's" pathetic attempt at journalism ... well I guarantee cannot surf for a start, probably never has and is already out in the recycled rubbish bins marked "cardboard and paper." MP , on the other hand has made a genuine and worthwhile contribution to society (despite his long battle with illness) and has also made celluloid history which will live on to be enjoyed by future generations.
On behalf of all those who wish to defend Michael (past and present) I would like to reply to the author of the story by using the lines from PINKS's song and say "So What, I'm still a Rock Star and ..... and you're a TOOOOOOOOLLLLLLL......." (published lyrics "fool"but that's not as descriptive)
Maybe someone should also ask the BRA boys what they think.......:)
Having surfed in the 1970s (still grovelling for a wave) and seen Michael in action especially at Kirra was like watching a great athlete and he inspired me then and still does to this day.
Those were the days my friend, we thought they would never end.
Tip of the day,don't read trashy journalism.
I was a Brisso in the early seventies trying to get a few waves around Kirra and Greenmount/Snapper.
When the waves were on and Michael was in the water it was worth getting out just to watch the bloke - you wouldn't get any waves anyway he took most.
Even amongst his peers at that stage no one could get near him.
Saw him surf big Kirra - no leggie, taking off thirty metres inside next surfer. In 3 hours didn't fall off or lose board. Just take off, tube and slash then jog back out to point and do it again.
Best piece of surfing I've seen ever including all the slash smash hotshots of today.
Writer from Daily Telegraph should pull his head out his arse for a few minutes and show some respect for a legend.
PB
Hey don't worry too much....everybody knows the paper is crap and cannot be taken seriously......it's as bad as Today Tonight and A Current Affair....sensationalist bullshi* from people who need to get a life......MP will live on.....that article is already forgotten.
So typical of the Sydneycentric " Emerald City" shallow end view of life and the people inhabit its shallow shores ...oh how it is paying dividentd for all those media and other folks who have always been too scared to tell the truth. They really need to know " if your not living on the edge your taking up too much room".
I wouldn't have known who Michael was a few weeks ago but I do now! I think it's a lovely photo of a man who apparently is still in need of care and his lovely mum is by his side. Shame about the article. Maybe we should all think again when we judge someone on their appearance. Everyone is someone special, maybe even famous once. He was obviously extrordinarily special and I'll bet he still is.
those guys in the press are the biggest assholes.... like you would have to be an a-grade moron to not know that the reason MP has the weight is related to his mental illness? and to rip shreads out of him like that i think is a disgrace, the bloke who wrote that article needs a decent crack in the head. idiot.
Hope the Web bankrupts these a-holes at the Daily Telegraph.
MP is still a legend! Can't wait to see the film! The book was awesome!
I was at the tournament in question and can tell you that MP received nothing but adoration from the young surfers around him.....they could only dream of being as good as he was and there is nothing but respect for MP in the surfing community.....
I saw this film tonight in San Francisco. The absolute callousness of the article above is unbearable. From the film I saw a wonder of a man degenerate before my eyes and I literally wept. Who could live in such a hole or be so ignorant as to take a cheap shot like that. Mental illness is not a choice to be ridiculed. It is a serious affliction. I have a handicapped daughter. If that idiot did the same to her I'd crawl over glass just to shove his crappy paper down his throat. Shame on him and his editor and his paper and the owners.
Thank you for the wonderful film.
KW
San Francisco, CA