Talk:John Sweeney (journalist)

message: I changed the article to say that John was shouting, but my edit was reverted. I think this is a critically important detail - the reason this episode was controversial and received so much press coverage was precisely because John lost his temper and shouted at the other man. To call it "arguing" completely loses this very important detail - reporters argue with people all the time without it being newsworthy.
he was shouting but so was davis, john sweeney was just louder  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.201.62.36 (talk) 19:19, 12 November 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Shouting, not just arguing 

message: Useful links:
http://www.bjr.org.uk/data/2005/no4_sweeney.htm - "Bucking the system", John Sweeney writing for British Journalism Review
Vol. 16, No. 4, 2005, pages 47-53 concerning the Sally Clark / Roy Meadow case.
--Swillison 11:55, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I expect that fllowing the BBC Panorama programme on Scientology (and the YouTube video) there might be a lot of changes to this page in the next few days, some of it possibly vandalism. Jooler 12:17, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  Exactly, this page needs to be watched for vandalism. Chrisp7 18:42, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  I'll join the growing chorus and also recommend pre-emptive protection for this article. I just cleaned up pro-CoS vandalism on the BBC Panorama entry. (71.194.196.149 22:50, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

text: Ah, Chrisp7 again :-) Is it needed to tell in the article that scientology uploaded a doctored video clip of this event on youtube? Or can this article live without it?--Keimzelle 11:41, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  Hi there Keimzelle:) I think it might be relevant, Just added that info. Edit away if you can improve.:)Chrisp7 13:16, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

text:  Do we know for sure that the Scientologists doctored their version, or do we just know that the versions are different? James Richardson 15:50, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

text: See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md0zPchNeQ0 - this clip from BBC Breakfast has the same "British Citizen" version. Jooler 16:08, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: A significant different between the versions is that the CoS version doesn't have much of Tommy Davis' side of the shouting match. That could be due to editing, a directional mic, or merely that the CoS camera and mic were behind Mr. Davis. AndroidCat 23:15, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Useful links ... 

message: *http://www.bbcpanorama-exposed.org/
This has actually changed to http://www DOT freedommag DOT org/special-reports/bbc/panorama-desperate-lies.html but the freedommag site is a blocked site on Wikipedia (why?) so I cannot add the correct link, not even here!! 13:53, 7 January 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: This is Scientology's smear page on Panorama, the BBC and John Sweeney

message: The article currently states Video footage of the incident that some believe to be doctored[3] was  distributed on YouTube[4] . Unless I'm missing something, the reference doesn't state that the video was doctored.  --Duk 07:44, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Doctored video clip 

message: ... are we sure these books are by this John Sweeney?  Smee 09:39, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes - I e-mailed him and asked. --Swillison 13:02, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Authored books... 

message: ... because of what some have referred to above as a "smear campaign", against a living person, which would be against WP:BLP.  Smee 11:39, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Alerted the [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons/Noticeboard]]... 

message: http://www.projectklebnikov.org/members/sweeney.html lists some awards won by John Sweeney; these should be included in the article. --Swillison 13:57, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Indeed they should. -- Really Spooky 14:04, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Awards 

message: How about removing the whole "Controversy" section?  As it is about half the text of the article is about 2 small incidents in his whole life and career. Steve Dufour 05:53, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Because it's a very notable incident? More can be added to the other sections, dontchaknow. Finding some way to cut it down might not be bad, though. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 16:15, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Is getting into a slap fight with a Scientologist more important than a career in which he risked his life reporting on wars in over 60 couintries?  If I went down to my local Scientology church and got into a fight would I have a WP article written about me? Steve Dufour 21:09, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: But at the same time his "notability" has rocketed as a result of the incident. It might not seem fair, but I expect a lot more people will know him for getting into a "slap fight" than for his reporting on wars. One measure would be to see how much more has been written about him since the incident. Trebor 21:20, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

text: I removed the "Controversy" heading so that the two incidents do not have a tendentious labelling. Philip Cross 16:32, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: "Controversy" heading

message: The coverage of the actual Panorama episode itself is pretty weak. The main topic of the episode was how Scientology was keeping track of the team trying to make it - through following them, visiting their hotel, discrediting their witnesses and so on. This is hardly touched on at all, but is very relevant to understanding John's outburst (which does receive coverage). --Swillison 12:30, 27 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Useful links ... 

message: Is there a good reason why this article is in the Scientology portal? He was a well respected journalist before that incident - it seems that listing him in this group unnecessarily highlights a single controversial piece of his.--Vince | Talk 07:07, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I plan on removing this if no one has any objections.--Vince | Talk 07:00, 17 November 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Scientology Portal... really? 

message: JS and the BBC have been heavily criticised by the London School of Eonomics for deception and endangering students on a trip to North Korea.
Key points:
- JS accompanied a group of LSE students on a trip to North Korea.
- The students were told 'a journalist' would be accompanying them.  In fact it was an undercover team of three people, including JS.
- The LSE was not told anything about it (the trip was made by LSE students but not organised by the LSE).
- JS posed as a professor at the LSE, a deception: he has no position at the LSE (although he did attend it as a student many years ago).
- Had the deception been discovered the whole party could have been arrested - the deception put the students at risk without their knowledge or consent.
Sources: many UK newspapers / reports on Sunday 14th April 2013.
E.g. 
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9992716/BBC-accused-of-putting-students-at-risk-after-journalists-infiltrate-university-trip-to-North-Korea.html
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22140716  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.148.153.195 (talk) 12:08, 14 April 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Controversial trip with students to North Korea 

message: "Sweeney also appeared to lose it in January 2009 when being interviewed on Radio 4 about the Tom Cruise film Valkyrie.[16]"
Is this a joke insertion? The above interview was clearly parodying his previous outburst with Tommy Davies.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Themadhair (talk • contribs) 17:22, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sweeny reviewing the Tom Cruise film Valkyrie. 

message: I have just added a link to the original shouting video which surprisingly wasn't already there (did I miss it)? I want to add a 'viral video' or 'internet meme' category to this as it was a big news story for a good week or so. But I suppose to do that, the video itself would have to have an entry in WP. I would like to create a page for it - what do you think? Johnalexwood (talk) 13:50, 14 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Viral Video 

message: I was reading about a confrontation between Mike Rinder and some Scientologists in Clearwater, and he mentions that he was on the phone doing an interview with Sweeny and the confrontation had been recorded. http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/miscavige-meltdown/ 
Is there any more information on any new project he's doing on Scientology?
--Kaotac (talk) 04:57, 10 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  New Scientology project? 

message: What does Project Chanology have to do with John Sweeney? I don't see a direct connection between the two.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.222.255.58 (talk) 14:07, 29 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Project Chanology 

message: Absent from article, which is unusual for a high profile TV figure.
John Sweeney (b. 1958) is married to Tomika Sweeney (neé Newson, b. 24th Oct 1982), another BBC employee (part-time) and employee of the LSE, who was one of the group that accompanied LSE students on an undercover trip to North Korea to make a documentary.  He posed as an LSE academic during the trip, such deception being an imprison able offence in NK, without making the students aware of the xtn of the dception or that there were three people from the BBC on the trip.  (The students were told there was in person).  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.148.153.195 (talk) 12:40, 14 April 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Personal life / background? 

message: Did John Sweeney use a false passport to enter the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.129.31.64 (talk) 14:55, 16 April 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Question 

message: I am not sure why Sweeney paid anything if the Barclay brothers lost.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 38.103.14.49 (talk) 16:58, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Euros 

message: Substituted at 20:22, 29 April 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Assessment comment

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified 2 external links on John Sweeney (journalist). Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: Can anyone find a source for his place of birth? Danrok (talk) 13:38, 23 June 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Place of birth 

message: This was removed from the main article for violating WP:NPOV, we can only specualte as to the real reason.
: In February 2019, Former EDL member Tommy Robinson Released a Documentary exposing the bias behind BBC's Panorama and John Sweeney while he was himself making a documentary for Panorama (hence the name used by Tommy: #Panodrama).  The documentary showed how Sweeney broke several BBC guidelines on journalism such as making facts up (fake news), Harassed people who used to work for Tommy and how Sweeney showed his support for the former Irish Republican Army (IRA) Leader Darren Martin Mcguiness. Evidence also showed that John Sweeney worked with the Far left-wing organisation Hope Not Hate when making the documentary on Tommy Robinson. 
#Panodrama - An Exposé of the Fake News BBC!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNd2bvLvyk4
: BBC Panorama, BBC One, 23 February 2019.
: BBC Logo Complaint
: We received complaints following the third party release of secretly recorded material related to a BBC Panorama investigation.
:Response
: BBC Panorama is investigating Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The BBC strongly rejects any suggestion that our journalism is ‘faked’ or biased. Any programme we broadcast will adhere to the BBC’s strict editorial guidelines. BBC Panorama’s investigation will continue.
: John Sweeney made some offensive and inappropriate remarks whilst being secretly recorded, for which he apologises. The BBC has a strict expenses policy and the drinks bill in this video was paid for in full by John. 
Tachyonhorse (talk) 00:29, 28 February 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  Panodrama not WP:NPOV 

message: I have read a German press article (T-Online), an interview with Sweeney about his new book: https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/ausland/id_92355698/suechtiger-im-kreml-putin-wird-nicht-mehr-lange-unter-uns-weilen-.html
notable quotations from there:
# In ihrem(sic!,should read:Ihrem, with capital I) neuen Buch "Der Killer im Kreml" über Wladimir Putin
# Wahrscheinlich ist Putin abhängig von Steroiden  (re-translated to en:(very) probably, Putin is dependent on steroids / a steroids addict)
Does anyone know the original en title of "Der Killer im Kreml"? I think it should be added, thank you in advance. --Himbeerbläuling (talk) 16:53, 21 July 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: Agentbla added the book, so this talk thread/issue is resolved. Thanks! --Himbeerbläuling (talk) 16:26, 25 July 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: .  --Himbeerbläuling (talk) 16:43, 25 July 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  New Book (on Putin)