Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 9 replies
  • Subscribers 25 subscribers
  • Views 1466 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Should the IET be employing investigative journalists?

Neil Bridgeman

So I am wondering how many of you caught the recent E&T magazine (August 2022) - Exposed: The national wiring scandal putting lives at risk | E&T Magazine (theiet.org)

When I read it it came across really quite aggressive IMHO towards both the NICEIC and NAPIT.  Citing unnamed sources and publishing hearsay and rumour as fact.  

Shouldn't we look towards the IET as 'politically' neutral on this type of thing?  Is any organisation really in a position to be throwing stones at others?  We have come so far in bringing the trade together with industry at its most promising, I think in terms of all trying to pull together for the greater good than I have seen in my 24 years within it.  

The many 'boots on the ground' electricians I have seen have suggested this piece was really quite out of order and tantamount to a 'hit piece' on the CPSs.  These are the same electricians the IET are trying to encourage into professional registration.  I wonder if this is the best way to do that.  

A little tip - If the IET want more professionally registered electricians then give them something in return.  It is not good enough to simply say letters after your name and increased earning potential.  How many boots on the ground sparks will impress Ms Miggins with an email with MIET EngTech after their name?  Ms Miggins could not care less, she just wants the work done at a reasonable cost.  Most sparks don't even like buying a new copy of BS 7671 every three years so good luck with Electricians' EngTech.  Maybe if the book was free or heavily discounted to members they might have some more truck with it????  Just a though!

Anyway we then go on to the fact that this piece was written by an investigative journalist.  So the IET can use membership money to employ an investigative journalist but cannot offer free books to members? 

I would love to hear what others think.  Maybe it is me that has read this all wrong.

Open to honest and respectful debate on the subject.

Parents

  • Should the IET (or rather E&T magazine, which is slightly different) be employing investigative journalists? Yes please!!! E&T might then be useful rather than, like most industry magazines (and as E&T was last time I looked at it, which was some years ago) a rehash of companies' press releases.

    And sometimes we might not like what they find. We should be critical of ourselves and our industry bodies. Ok, I'd also go further and hope they'd be critical of the IET itself when needed, but back in the real world I'm (sadly) not necessarily expecting that.

    The IET is not a trade association (much less a trade union), it is there to raise engineering standards, and I believe should do this by challenging where appropriate.

    Personally I don't see this article as "political" (although I can see it being read as such), and I don't see it as "publishing hearsay and rumour as fact", I think it's quite clearly stating that the views expressed are opinions. Whether it's an accurate and useful article I wouldn't like to comment (it's not in my field). If it is not accurate, or is misleading, then of course that is not acceptable and should be raised with E&T magazine.

    But regarding the general principle, if it means the IET (even if by proxy through E&T) is actually baring it's teeth to raise standards then personally I'm all for it.

    Cheers,  

    Andy

Reply

  • Should the IET (or rather E&T magazine, which is slightly different) be employing investigative journalists? Yes please!!! E&T might then be useful rather than, like most industry magazines (and as E&T was last time I looked at it, which was some years ago) a rehash of companies' press releases.

    And sometimes we might not like what they find. We should be critical of ourselves and our industry bodies. Ok, I'd also go further and hope they'd be critical of the IET itself when needed, but back in the real world I'm (sadly) not necessarily expecting that.

    The IET is not a trade association (much less a trade union), it is there to raise engineering standards, and I believe should do this by challenging where appropriate.

    Personally I don't see this article as "political" (although I can see it being read as such), and I don't see it as "publishing hearsay and rumour as fact", I think it's quite clearly stating that the views expressed are opinions. Whether it's an accurate and useful article I wouldn't like to comment (it's not in my field). If it is not accurate, or is misleading, then of course that is not acceptable and should be raised with E&T magazine.

    But regarding the general principle, if it means the IET (even if by proxy through E&T) is actually baring it's teeth to raise standards then personally I'm all for it.

    Cheers,  

    Andy

Children
No Data

Community Rules & Guidelines