Please call the media to find out why white men with explosives aren't news
Yesterday I wrote a short comment about two men in Lancashire who were found with rocket launchers, BNP literature and a nuclear biological suit. The chemical components recovered by police are believed to be the largest haul ever found at a house in Britain. The two men were not Muslims.
The media haven't picked this up, and we the public want to know WHY.
I called The Evening Standard to find out why this wasn't front page stuff. "Editorial decision", they said "It was on page 20."
There is no mention of this story on the BBC. Google News picks up the story from the Burnley Citizen and a handful of blogs.
Dear bloggers, I don't ask much of you except to read, enjoy and ponder over my writings. But on this occasion, please pick up your phones and ask the major newspapers and TV channels why they didn't make big news of the story.
And report back your findings here to the blog public. To help you, here are some contact details:
Telegraph: Tel 020 7538 5000 (main switchboard)
Independent: 020 7005 2000
Sky News: 020 7705 3000
ITN: 020 7833 3000
Daily Mail: 020 7938 6000
The Mail on Sunday: 020 7938 3890
The Evening Standard: 020 7938 7161
The Metro: 020 7651 5239
Channel4: 020 7306 8333
Associated Newspapers 0207 938 6000
The Spectator Tel 020 7405 1706
Guardian - couldn't find a number!
BBC: (shockingly for a publicly funded body I couldn't find a contact number) for web form click And here are the few links that exist about the story, so you have all the info for your call. It'll only take 5 minutes to ring up:
White terrorists don't make the news Black Information Link
Ex-BNP man held in bomb swoop Burnley Citizen
Some terrorists get all the attention Crikey, Australian
P.S. according to BNP membership rules these men are still BNP members till the end of the year, so "ex" is a bit, well, incorrect.
The media haven't picked this up, and we the public want to know WHY.
I called The Evening Standard to find out why this wasn't front page stuff. "Editorial decision", they said "It was on page 20."
There is no mention of this story on the BBC. Google News picks up the story from the Burnley Citizen and a handful of blogs.
Dear bloggers, I don't ask much of you except to read, enjoy and ponder over my writings. But on this occasion, please pick up your phones and ask the major newspapers and TV channels why they didn't make big news of the story.
And report back your findings here to the blog public. To help you, here are some contact details:
Telegraph: Tel 020 7538 5000 (main switchboard)
Independent: 020 7005 2000
Sky News: 020 7705 3000
ITN: 020 7833 3000
Daily Mail: 020 7938 6000
The Mail on Sunday: 020 7938 3890
The Evening Standard: 020 7938 7161
The Metro: 020 7651 5239
Channel4: 020 7306 8333
Associated Newspapers 0207 938 6000
The Spectator Tel 020 7405 1706
Guardian - couldn't find a number!
BBC: (shockingly for a publicly funded body I couldn't find a contact number) for web form click And here are the few links that exist about the story, so you have all the info for your call. It'll only take 5 minutes to ring up:
White terrorists don't make the news Black Information Link
Ex-BNP man held in bomb swoop Burnley Citizen
Some terrorists get all the attention Crikey, Australian
P.S. according to BNP membership rules these men are still BNP members till the end of the year, so "ex" is a bit, well, incorrect.
posted by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed at 20:30
6 Comments:
Surprised you can't find numbers for the Beeb or the Guardian - though both now so heavily rely on a web presence maybe they don't bother with the phone any more.
The Beeb used to have an excellent phone contact system - you could phone the main switchboard and actually be put through to a TV or radio programme that you wanted to talk to / about. But then they switched to one of the all-purpose call-centres, where you just spoke to a goon who know nothing and cared less. "We'll pass on your message Sir" simply meant "Piss off mister."
Don't though blame the Speccie for not yet running with the story - they're a weekly so won't be published for a day or three. [Can't remember exactly when as I cancelled my subscription after dear Boris resigned as Editor to spend more time with his political family.]
And have you not spoken with Kirsty Wark? You must have that contact, and if there is a news bias story for them to consider I can't imagine they wouldn't be interested.
alas, much as kirsty was taken with me, she didn't give me her contact details.
Why don't you try calling the beeb for us and report back your results?
no number sister, but an email address
unlimited@guardianunlimited.co.uk
salaam
Hold the front page....
I managed with no problem to get through to the BBC news desk and spoke with someone who said she was aware that the story is big and deserves - and will get - wide coverage when it comes to court on october 23rd. the raid was initially reported on the bbc, but once charges had been laid against the people involved there are risks of contempt of court if too much is said before proceeding have begun.
i was told that the bbc are aware that some people have been expressing concerns that they haven't given it the coverage the story deserves, and also that they are determined that once court proceedings have begun they will give it wide and deep coverage.
from everything i gathered this will be a big story.
peter
See below a reply sent by Head of BBC News on why the BNP bombers story has not made the headlines.
Dear ______,
Thank you for your email about the court appearance at Penine Magistrates of two men accused of possessing chemical explosives. It is indeed interesting. Unfortunately BBC TV news didn't know about the police find.
I would like to assure you the BBC takes very seriously its responsibility to report all issues fairly, accurately and impartially.
This is as true of issues involving potential terror plots by former BNP activists or radical Islamists. The BBC has a long history of exposing the BNP and any past wrongdoing.
I have investigated how the story was missed. It appears a reporter from BBC Radio Lancashire investigated initial reports but the police "played it down". Our regional televison centre in in Manchester found out about the story only after it was reported in the Colne Times. By this time it was several days old. On investigation they discovered that reporting restrictions were in place which severely curtailed what could be said by the media.
Two arrested men are due to appear at Blackburn Crown Court on October 23rd, BBC TV News will attend the hearing.
Thank you for alerting us to this story.
Best wishes
Debby Moyse
Assistant to the Head of BBC TV News
Peter, peter, peter. Have you been robbing Paul. - The story will be big after the court case and we shouldnt prejudice their hearing ... yawn yawn.
So, they found liquid bombing equipment and the news was BIIIIIG for the next hundred days... and when is the court case?
Post a Comment
<< Home