A victory for the Barnet Eye, A victory for us all !!!!

Yesterday I detailed how, following pressure from The Barnet Eye, the Barnet Times had dropped it's pro Tory stance and decided to return to a more campaigning form of journalism. As I rather suspected, this approach has gone down very well with the visitors to the Times website.

One of their campaigning stories is currently no 1 on their list of most viewed stories (see screen shot left).


A big well done to Rebecca Lowe for a great story. My old motto seems to be true "Give them the story and they will come". I am pleased to be able to once again recommend the Times as a great read.

Lets hope for more of the same !!!!!

Yet another victory for The Barnet Eye !!!!!

Regular readers of this blog will know that I've been running a campaign to expose a perceived pro Tory bias in the Barnet Times. This started when they refused to publish any letters criticising the councils warden cuts on their website. I have highlighted other examples, most recently the terrible coverage of the march through Finchley to protest about warden cuts. The Times printed lengthy quotes from Lynn Hillan, the Tory responsible, but didn't mention who organise the march (Barnet Community Campaign) or get a quote from Vicki Morris. How they could justify such one sided coverage, I don't know. The Guardian's Dave Hill picked up the story and this finally stirred the sleepy old Times into action. Tom Johnson, who to be fair is a good guy and a good journalist, emailed Dave to justify the Times action. He said that it was fair to let Hillan put her side of the story. I'd agree if they'd interviewed Vicki, but they didn't.

As I know the last thing Tom would like to be thought of is a Tory Lackey, I suspect that a little debate was had at the Times. I can't go into details, but it seems that as of yesterday the Barnet Tory Bugle is no more. The Times has reverted to being what it always used to be, a great campaigning paper. Once more they are setting the news agenda. Check their news site for some great stories - not a Tory Bugle in sight anywhere ! Even Dave Hill has recognised the improvement in this story.

I send the Times & Rebecca Lowe hearty congratulations for some great reporting. I am pleased that they have rediscovered their cojones and shoved that great big bugle right back up where the sun doesn't shine ! I had a pint or two to celebrate last night, rather ironically with a mate who is a councillor who has just been the subject of a standards inquiry. No it's not you know who. It's someone from the Wheathampstead Parish Council !

Barnet Tory Bugle Update : Spot the Difference Competition !

There are two stories on the Barnet Tory Bugle Times website

There's this one by Elizabeth Pears

Protesters say no to cutting Barnet warden service

and this one by Elizabeth Pears and Rebecca Lowe

150 march to save on-site wardens


Can you spot the difference? Let me give you a little hint - The one with additions from Rebecca Lowe has a lengthy addition from Lynn Hillan, the Cabinet member responsible for this vicious policy. As one might expect, Hillan claims that the warden cuts are an improvement. She says that they are trying to look after everyone. This is nonsense. This is a cut. This is purely done to save cash. If she believed her own propaganda, she'd not have moved her own mum to a place where wardens are being retained.

As one has come to expect from The Barnet Tory Bugle the piece is used purely as a Barnet Tory Propoganda. There is no interview with Vicki Morris, march organiser. There is not even a mention of the Barnet Community Campaign who organised the march or how to get in touch. There is a bit about Andrew Dismore, but he's not a member of the campaign & just tagged along to show support.

The original article by Elizabeth Pears was OK. It clearly failed the Bugle's Tory bias test, so they had to draft in Rebecca Lowe to make it acceptable the political masters.

Well lets just clarify a few things. The march was organised by the Barnet Community Campaign. Vicki Morris is the organiser and her email if you want more details is as follows. There are plenty more events being lined up (delete the spaces around the @ this is to stop spamscrapers driving Vicki Mad)

wardens@barnettuc.org.uk

The website for the campaign is http://barnetcc.wordpress.com/
Membership is open to any Barnet resident who supports these aims. Contact BCC c/o 10 Fallow Court Avenue, London N12 0EB or email jsilverman @ btinternet.com (remove the spaces)