Red-Top Truths

Many years ago I studied my journalism degree as a mature student. It's one of the best things I ever did, life-changing in every way.

As part of my course and because I was (and still am) a huge Coronation Street fan, I set up a Corrie fan site dedicated to one particular character. I won't say who it was because the site has long gone. But while it existed, it was huge and even got a mention on the Graham Norton show.

One day on my University course, I opened an email from a tabloid journalist who told me that my fan website had been hacked by pornographers and asked if I had any comment to make. I checked the website. No hack. No porn. I ignored the email. He sent another, demanding a comment. I ignored it again. He printed a lie of a story about the website being hacked.  That was over 20 years ago.

Today I've just read a critical tabloid article online about a Coronation Street cast member. It was published by a different tabloid, but it's the same journalist's name on the byline as the one who contacted me 20 years ago.

I was stunned. That's 20 years of that person's life they've spent every day, dreaming up and writing the worst possible things about people they don't know.  What a waste of that person's writing talents and journalistic career. What a waste of a life.

Find out more about me and my books. Click on the image below:



I'm on twitter @flaming_nora