Rejection, cyber-style

Once upon a time, journalists would pitch their ideas for articles in a nicely written letter and send it to the editor of the most appropriate organ for consideration. Most newspaper editors wouldn't bother to write back if they didn't want it, but some would phone, or, in the case of The Daily Telegraph, send a nicely written letter back, detailing why it didn't fit. It was a genteel affair, far from the streets of shame and the myths of newspaper hackery.

That was about 10 years ago.

Since the internet ramped up the speed at which we all work, journos now tend to forward press releases to our super-stressed editors with a 'fancy a feature?' in the subject box and are then gutted with what seems like the cruelest of blows; 'no thanks!' How could he/she be so callous? Does he/she not realise how sensitive (read 'paranoid') we journos are?

'More haste, less speed', my mother would advise from her celestial position, and I think she may be right.