From Bill Ralston
The NZ Herald reports it understands Prime Minister Helen Clark was so worried by Peters’ pressuring of the Ministry she asked to be informed if he tried it again. By the way, those words “understands” is press gallery code for the NZ Herald was told “off the record” or on un-attributable “background” by the Prime Minister that she did so.
It is nice to have people like Ralston around to spell these things out for the rest of us.
I thought everyone knew the code.
Understands… we were told by the person being reported, but they did not want to be directly quoted
Sources close to the story said… They told me, but they are not sure.
There have been reports… The source may be right, but neither they or we are sure of that.
and of course
It has been speculated… which means the writer has no proof or source but their gut feeling is that is correct.
Comment by Ian Llewellyn — October 30, 2008 @ 12:29 am
My other favorite is:
some say . . . I say.
Comment by Danyl Mclauchlan — October 30, 2008 @ 4:16 am
“I thought everyone knew the code.”
Ian, you’ve got to mix with people other than other journalists ‘kay? Either that or tell the rest of us about these things.
Comment by llew — October 30, 2008 @ 11:39 am
Wait wait, I’ve got one:
As reported by Ian Wishart – No substance to the story whatsoever.
Comment by llew — October 30, 2008 @ 11:41 am