Unethical tactics of the New Paper

[trinatan]

UNETHICAL TACTICS OF THE NEW PAPER

I m Trina Tan - featured in the Sunday edition of the New Paper.

Now that there are responses to the articles from eligible guys, I should be looking through the replies or arranging to meet some of them. Unfortunately, the New Paper did not keep to their bargain. I was called by their reporter Joyce Lim several times yesterday (Monday). She sent me 2 sms 12 mins apart to ask if I was 'backing out'. Just because I was not available at the time to respond, she assumed I was avoiding her. Although I am not working, this does not necessarily mean that I am free all the time. All these assumptions are pure stereotyping.

Joyce Lim pressed me to meet her today. She claimed to want to discuss the story for the coming weekend's edition. It seems to me she wants to set the agenda each time. Bear in mind I am not an employee of the New Paper. I don't feel I should be at their back and call 24/7. I asked if she could email me some details of the responses but she claimed to want to discuss them in person. I feel like she would not be letting me see the responses unless I accede to her request of another interview. In fact, I feel like I m being blackmailed by them. She wanted sensitive details on all aspects of my life, even my family, my exs. I told her during our first interview I don't want to get others involved and I had her word she would not publish such matters. So what could there be to discuss at another interview. I fear she wants to snap more pictures to back up her next story in case I did not give her the interview. She would not even accept any material I could send her via email. She said I would have to speak to her boss, Ivan Fernandez, since I didn't agree with what she planned. She didn't even want to give me Mr Fernandez' contact details but she wanted to get him to contact me. She asked if i would answer his call if he called. Funny, don't you think? In the beginning, I was not given clear information on what is required of me. So how could I be deemed to have agreed to their exact plans when all I get are questions, questions n questions.

Now, what is the point of wanting to run the story and organise possible dates, when I am NOT allowed to even know the profiles of respondents. They just want to exploit me for selling their paper. This whole exercise is just a waste of everyone's time, including the guys who responded.

If you are one of the respondents, kindly contact me directly via PM with yr contact details.

[EADG]

I rarely if ever read that paper, but just happened to in order to have something to read Sunday brunch

I saw your (is it really you?) article, and my first impression was wow, this person has laid herself wide open to the whole of the island, and, any guy who might be interested would be in the spotlight (what was the trailer, "See how Trina makes out, next Sunday", or something like that, I left the paper in the cafe)..

If it is in fact the same person here as in the article, sorry to see you're having this much trouble, but if I were available and interested, I'd think twice about approaching you as I like many people not from Singapore, value my privacy. It's like some quasi-sleaze tabloid relationship expose, and you seem like a nice person.

If what you say is true, I would not give the Paper any rights to your personal life - they've now sensationalized it, and you have the the power over anything to follow that they might print. And you don't need any contacts they're witholding from you, whatever works out in the end will work out, or not.

On my planet it goes that you don't find anyone by looking for them, you find each other somehow.

[EADG]

so who here thinks this is the real Tina?

[jpatokal]

It's a tabloid, fer chrissake, it's supposed to be trashy. But fortunately this is Singapore, so if they dared to say anything not fully complimentary you can sue them for defamation and get a million bazillion dollars.

[trinatan]

Tks EADG & jpatokal for yr kind comments.

Unfortunately, you might be quite right about the people who respond to the paper. I was an occasional reader and am not familiar with their main audience. They could well be sleazebags. Guys who value their privacy would most definitely not respond. The New Paper actually wanted to go on the date too.

I had a really bad day after receiving Joyce's call to press me to meet her. It looked like a gimmick to me. I don't understand why she couldn't even give me any details via email. I think I would not have any say in the situation even if i met her to discuss the so-called responses.

It's probably best I move on with my life and like what you said, "you find each other somehow."

Once again, thank you very much.

[EADG]

look at it this way Trina (now that I'm willing to go out on that limb that it is you), the paper now has obligations to their readers for the follow-up story they promised, and from what I gather you don't seem to have any contractual obligations to the paper, so you if you don't want to play their game you don't have to, and they have their readers to answer to

so, you now call the shots any way you want, or not to at all

(image of Joyce in her red-faced boss's office trying to explain her approach and how it backfired....)

[Splatted]

so who here thinks this is the real Tina?

I don't believe it's a true story. Seen "Trina's" picture in that paper. That girl is too damn hot to be unattached and out-of-luck re meeting guys.

[Splatted]

If it is in fact the same person here as in the article, sorry to see you're having this much trouble, but if I were available and interested, I'd think twice about approaching you as I like many people not from Singapore, value my privacy. It's like some quasi-sleaze tabloid relationship expose, and you seem like a nice person.

If what you say is true, I would not give the Paper any rights to your personal life - they've now sensationalized it, and you have the the power over anything to follow that they might print. And you don't need any contacts they're witholding from you, whatever works out in the end will work out, or not.

On my planet it goes that you don't find anyone by looking for them, you find each other somehow.

I agree with this. Trina (if it really is you), there was a reality show back in Australia not long ago called "Jasmine's getting married". She wanted to meet Mr right & the tv channel (Channel 10) made a circus out of it lining her up with a string of blind dates, with the viewer involved in the selection.

It got silently axed. It was obvious from the first one or two episodes the whole thing was a mistake and she felt uncomfortable with everything.

If this whole set-up with the paper seems like you are being manipulated into a situation, including lack of detail given to you, but you're being pressed for some commitment --- walk away from it.

Deny any connection with the article and start fresh. You'll do much better on your own finding a partner naturally rather than be portrayed as desperate & dateless by the media.