Worked like hell yesterday writing up the Anna Lindh murder, for the Evening Standard (twice, because it had to be entirely rewritten after she had died), and then the Times. On top of that I wrote a column for the Guardian’s web site. So I have been slow to start today in the effort to find someone who will send me there for the funeral; and, yes, Rupert, this is idleness.
But I’m not sure why anyone should send me there for the funeral. Looking at the copy supplied by flown-in firemen, who were on the spot, but speak no Swedish, there was nothing they could see that I could not find from the web sites of the four main Swedish papers. There was a hell of a lot they could not see because they hadn’t lived there and didn’t speak the language the only exception was James Meek, in the Guardian, but this was because he is damn good to start with, and had been there for about ten days before the murder, working on a proper feature.
It was a horrible illustration of the way that the web makes foreign correspondents unnecessary. After all, if I had been in Stockholm, instead of Saffron Walden, what would I have done?Read the newspapers ( but their web sites are more up to date); *Rung people (telephones work in Saffron Walden too)So I’m having a hard time cranking up into full on selling mode.
Watched television (but that’s a misleading waster of time)
Walked the streets, soaking up atmosphere (that’s the one thing I can’t)
Gone to the foreign ministry for a gossip with other foreign journalists (but I can learn more from my own sources)
The funeral’s different though, isn’t it. All atmosphere and first hand, plus deep background. Much better than anything any firefighter could come up with.
The head bagging and domestic violence seem rather aposite, or ironic, or both, within the subsequent context.