Author: Sal and Simon
Isle of Wight Council Press Office Cuts Off VentnorBlog
Saturday, 14th June, 2008 at 4:18 pm, Isle of Wight
Oh, we forgot to tell you … the council ‘communications’ department have cut us off from … communicating with the council.
Hands up those who think it’s right that little old VentnorBlog should be cut off, just because the council doesn’t like the way a particular opinion piece was written.
In response to the article about the closure of the Ventnor Skate park, Claire Robertson, head of the press office told us,
“I have a fundamental problem with it because it doesn’t actually state the facts, in the way that it should do”
In the way that it should do?
Good to know that she’s not disputing the facts that we’re stating, she just doesn’t like the words around those facts.
She went on to state that if we want the press office to take VentnorBlog seriously as an accredited news source, that we must only publish balanced articles and not continue with what she refers to as our predetermined agenda.
A couple of skips along in the conversation later and we’re being told that we need to come in for a meeting - or as we like to refer to it around VB, ‘thought re-alignment’.
You know what, the funny thing is that this was around this same time that we’d been asking the press office specific questions about Joe Duckworth’s financial package and … the communication department budget. A total co-incidence, we’re sure it must be.
Bottom Line
We do want access to the council, because it helps in being able to get answers to questions and provide an alternative response to news on the Wight. We’re just not prepared to put up with the crap that the press office are giving us.
Despite their actions, however, we’re looking forward to meeting them.
The meeting will of course be recorded for your delectation.
Further links: Background On Council Press Office Fun
Press Office: On or Off?
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June 14th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
someone was complaining to me this morning about the `package` offered to (my local borough) southwark’s chief executive.
the complainer made a request under the freedom of information act and discovered that the CE is being paid £3,000 subsistence in addition to his munificent salary.
although, i suspect, complainers are often jealous.
i’d like a big package with perks!
June 14th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
careful…while your cut off, the council will come up with all kinds of bizarre schemes which you won’t get to voice you opinion of
June 14th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
“an accredited news source”
By whom? Hope you survive your visit to Room 101..
June 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
If the council have stopped communicating with Ventnor Blog they obviously must have even more to hide than we thought they had!
They only have themselves to blame,if the council did not keep doing stupid things VB would not have to pull them up on them. Thank goodness that you do, sadly you are about the only news outlet on the Island that actually tells it as it is. All the rest have already been muzzled by the council.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Heheheheh…This made me chuckle! I think you may have got them rattled. Be prepared for some very long words and a thought re-alignment.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Very democratic.
How the bloody hell were you supposed to report the council giving Ventnor skate park a week to find 60K to stay open????
Claire Robertson should take issue with those in the Council for making such stupid decisions, not the VB for being brave enough to take them to task occasionally. If a council press officer isn’t capable of dealing with criticism from the press on matters that blatantly deserve criticism then I would politely suggest she find alternative employment.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I meant to add that I am well impressed by your choices of picture to illustrate VB pieces. The one for the Susan Scoccia item on the 10th was inspired, too.
I also take the view that the press office wouldn’t complain if they didn’t take you seriously. Years of issuing spin to a gullible County Press has made them lazy, and suddenly having their version of events questioned must be a rude awakening. Keep up the good work!
June 14th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Keep rattling their cage, as they fear the truth!
June 14th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
This reminds me of the news from Ireland that, despite a majority of the electorate voting “NO” to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the rules are that if ONE member State votes “NO”, it is dead in the water, our PM is STILL going ahead with ratification.
All the servicemen and women who have given their lives for this country to assure democracy and freedom must be turning in their graves.
Still, there are large numbers of residents who will not stand for this garbage and those numbers are growing by the day.
I trust we shall get a comment from the tea boy!
A LARGE presence at HRH’s Flag waving ceremony on Monday would seem in order.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
“I have a fundamental problem with it because it doesn’t actually state the facts, in the way that it should do”
Surely this an admission by IOWC that facts can be stated in many ways - selectively, spun, enhanced etc. Keep up the good work VB - we will find out the facts, just like Private Eye does.
IOWC will rue the day they cut you off. “Keep keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer”
June 15th, 2008 at 11:03 am
I’m a little confused. Is is the remit of government organizations to decide who is a legitimate news provider? Have I just woken up in in USSR? Or has the local council potentially handed VB an opportunity to give them a legal bloody nose as far as their practice of being economic with the facts are concerned.
June 15th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
What an incredibly stupid own goal from the IoW council press office. It doesn’t say much for their PR skills - if they don’t like the what’s appearing on the VB and feel it is unbalanced they should redress that by providing better information more promptly and trying to win you over, not rap you on the knuckles. But there’s nothing like a news ban to get journos digging around for the hidden story…
June 15th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
it just shows what the council are like, council ‘communications’ department cutting you off from communicating with the council, how childish dont they want to play anymore because you have an opinion.
just remember the ‘freedom of information act’ quote this and they’ll have to speak to you.
June 15th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I did think of putting a link to this on the Council forum but don’t want to complicate life for Sal and Simon.
The moderators would probably jump on it anyway, which would at least confirm our view of their attitude to ’stating the facts’.
I can’t decide whether they really don’t know what we think of them, or whether they do and have just ‘gone Egyptian’.
(That means they’re in denial - sorry.)
June 15th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
“..it doesn’t actually state the facts, in the way that it should do”
When/if you reply to Ms. Robertson, you could do worse than quote the following, from my favourite philosopher, the Danish mathematician/poet Piet Hein. Rather appropriately, it is called ‘The Overdoers’..
Truth shall emerge from the interplay
of attitudes freely debated.
Don’t be misled by fanatics who say
that only one truth should be stated:
Truth is constructed in such a way
that it can’t be exaggerated.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
[...] Isle of Wight We didn’t want to flood you on Saturday with all of the details behind the council press office posting, but here’s a bit of background if you happen to be [...]
June 20th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
[...] Either we’re cut off or we’re [...]