Quotations needto be '˜sourced'

IN the Bexhill Observer of May 27 you published a letter under the title '˜Focus on the positive' by a Mr John Betts which neatly typified the reaction of some Bexhillians to the events on West Parade. However, Mr Betts also added an extra ingredient of his own.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Jun 2011, 09:00 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 21:24 BST

From the letters I have seen, the majority of the critical ones (and they far outnumber the others) are targeted on precise points (often technical).

By contrast, the minority which support the amorphous and ever-changing scheme, are invariably nebulous.

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No-one ever answers the precise criticisms posed by the many critics but instead resort to vague aspirations (often mentioning the irrelevant De la Warr Pavilion).

However, the new factor is that Mr Betts is now inventing quotations. He is quite clever because these phrases are also put in quotation marks so readers think they are genuine but the astute will see no source is mentioned on the false quotes, unlike the genuine ones which have a provenance cited.

False quotes are an act of desperation and only demean the writer, his authority and weaken whatever case is trying to be made.

So Mr Betts, if you wish to carry your argument “Focus on the truth” and stop inventing silly phrases.

A P HAMILTON

Southcourt Avenue

Bexhill-on-Sea

Related topics:De La Warr PavilionBexhill-on-Sea