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  Regional press news - this story published 06 November 2008

Reporter 'resigns' and tells the world about it on YouTube

by holdthefrontpage staff

A regional press hack covering the presidential election in America appears to have found a novel way to resign.

Adam Smith was writing for the Birmingham Post and Mail and sister weekly the Sunday Mercury while taking in the campaign build-up.

But now a four-minute video has been posted on YouTube which shows Mr Smith clearly worse for wear and announcing his resignation from the Trinity Mirror papers.

He chats to the camera about his time in Miami, the delights of the local female population and his award-winning prose.

At the end, he says: "My name is Adam Smith.....who has just resigned from the Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post and Birmingham Sunday Mercury to set up my own magazine."

After an audible obscenity, he then adds: "I'm doing what I want to do."

Trinity Mirror declined to comment on this story.

The video can be seen below:

The following comments have been placed under the video by "Steve Zacharanda" - a name Adam also calls himself during the video: "Right, the thing is, right I've just woke up. And seen this video, which I don't really remember.

"I've been told to phone the Birmingham Mail because I am in trouble. I was off duty, I am on official holiday working at the South Beach Miami Barack Obama campaign where I had just done a 18 hour shift trying to make the world a better place.

"Please check every BBC News outlet and see if I have cut and pasted anything. I have not, it was a joke and should be taken in the spirit it was said."


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Chris Gaynor (06/11/2008 17:34)
I hardly think this gives a good image of British journalism do you? What was the point of it being posted. This just reveals how social and video networks can have a dark side too. Don't post videos of what you do in your free time otherwise you'll be in trouble... http://www.plenty2say.com


Cameron Orson (06/11/2008 17:58)
I admire the guy's attitude. Laughs in the face of authority.


Pygmalion (07/11/2008 02:46)
Duh!


Revenge is sweet! (07/11/2008 08:06)
Whilst not exactly professional behaviour I don't think anyone can not feel a tad of satisfaction. Trinity Mirror have treated their staff pretty shabbily when it comes to recent upheavals and if this causes a bit of embarrassment then game on!


E (07/11/2008 09:53)
Considering how Trinity Mirror are treating the staff at the moment and many are in the process of being made redundant I can't blame him at all for making the comments. Only wish more of us had the guts to tell newspaper bosses what we think of them...


Robin Jones (07/11/2008 09:57)
I worked at the Birmingham Evening Mail for many years and know they have some excellent staff there who have given decades of loyal service. I was then horrified when I recently saw that Trinity Mirror's higher eschelons had decreed that many of them would have to reapply for their own jobs during a reshuffle. So much for lifetimes of loyalty. His video might not give a good image of British journalism, but in terms of the way some of its participants are being treated, it speaks volumes.


Greg Kettle (07/11/2008 09:59)
Her Majesty's Press at its finest. Top man!


mhmedia (07/11/2008 10:27)
Classic :-)) I haven't laughed so much in ages. He may regret when he comes back to these shores, but not for long. It's good to see someone who's not afraid to speak out! Now, where can I get a copy of that magazine?


K (07/11/2008 10:46)
Arrogant, unfunny, drunk, embarrassing fool. He should think himself lucky he has a job at all, and on the strength of his attitude here if he starts his own mag it will be rubbish. He gives Brit journalism a bad name.


Mister Hack (07/11/2008 11:40)
Robin Jones laments the fate of staff at TM: "...So much for lifetimes of loyalty...". This phrase annoys me when in fact there are people who have been working in lowly jobs for years and years only because they are not good enough to get promoted or get better jobs elsewhere. These people have probably been waiting for the boot since they realised thet theye were never going to get anywhere. Loyalty to any employer, especially in this industry, is just mis-guided.


Mister Hack (07/11/2008 11:42)
"thet theye" - ah, maybe we shouldn't have sacked those subs after all.


Nick Turner (07/11/2008 16:27)
"this isn't online this is for newspapers - proper journalism" - nice multimedia approach there...


Double D (07/11/2008 18:13)
Fair play to this bloke, this is very funny. Nice to see someone who has a big enough pair to get back at an organisation with an extensive track record of dumping on staff. Good luck with the new magazine, TM was just a bad memory! And as for those saying this is not a good image of British journalism - have you read 'Flat Earth News'?! For all the hard news print hacks digging for the real stories, we salute you!


laffin! (08/11/2008 15:13)
Robin Jones? Wasn't he the large, bearded ginger lad who folk used to fear kept a Klashnikov under his desk? Scary. Yep, he'd have done somthing like this in his time.


M (18/11/2008 17:04)
DO IT! Start your own mag! If this video carries on getting hits like these you're off to a flyer before you've even started! Good lad!


derek weekes (19/11/2008 23:55)
Adam Smith should be on the couch when Jonathan Ross returns: maybe get his own chat show?

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