23 June 2011

Where are the 'accredited media'?

Home Affairs Minister, Senator Ian Le Marquand
On Monday, during question time, the Home Affairs Minister made a remarkable, and certainly newsworthy announcement in response to a question by Deputy Trevor Pitman. The deputy asked:
St Helier deputy, Trevor Pitman
Deputy Pitman: 'Will the Minister clarify what was the conclusion into the brief investigation into who within the Police Force leaked the interim BDO Alto report to a UK child abuse denier journalist and has anyone been suspended over the action?'

Senator Le Marquand: 'The person most likely was the former SIO (Senior Investigating Officer) who took on the Historic Abuse Inquiry and who left in August 2009 with very noisy publicity for his predecessors.'

The SIO at the time that Senator Le Marquand was talking about at that time was Mick Gradwell. Now, I don't know the rights and wrongs of the handling of the whole Jersey Child Abuse Inquiry (operation rectangle) and the ensuing 'fall out' and various inquiries. But it seems clear to me, that the leaking of a confidential report, before it had been published, is a serious offence for any States Employee. The fact that it attracted so little interest from States Members and in particularly the 'accredited' media, is quite astonishing. 

A fellow blogger asked representatives from Channel TV why they had not reported the story. They told him they did not know about it. Channel do have a political correspondent and although one of their reporters was in the gallery for question time, the reporter had left by the time questions without notice had come about. To be fair, question time was moved to the afternoon and the staff would have had to be back for editing the evening programme, but one does question why they do not have a reporter 'permanently' in the States to cover all business, as the JEP and BBC do. It might help if they had their own box, of course. It will be interesting to see what coverage comes out from the latter two.

At least now they know about the story, by way of a blogger and a States-member-cum-blogger. 

In a previous blog, I commented on how the mainstream media were unable to be present for the public meeting at Communicare a couple of weeks ago, for the concluding part of Mr Michel's black headstone campaign (more to follow on next blog) because they were drinking champagne with the Lt. Govenor. Thankfully, the faithful citizen's media was there to provide footage, so that the meeting could be broadcast to those who could not attend. It is unfortunate that we have to do the work of the media, however we can be grateful for presence of bloggers who come to the rescue, in matters of public interest which would otherwise not be reported.


16 comments:

  1. Montfort.

    The Jersey "accredited" media have gone beyond the incompetent stage. So much so that, in my opinion, they can only be viewed as complicit and nothing more than "State Controlled."

    Jersey Bloggers, the way things are going, will be the mainstream media in time to come.

    Can you imagine if Le Marquand had said it was Lenny Harper or Graham Power who leaked parts of a report that was only a matter old days old? The "accredited" media would have been all over it! And two "journalists" from CTV tell us they didn't even know Le Marquand had dropped the bombshell???????

    The tide is coming in...............................

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  2. Montfort.

    Forgot to say maybe if BBC Jersey were to read out e-mails from members of the public, that don't suit the government's agenda, then they might get a little bit of their very fast dwindling credibility BACK

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  3. Its not really a story though is it. Something that happend 3 years ago and not even certain. Concentrate on more issues of a public concern deputy.

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  4. Hi Monty.

    Yes our Local Media are a joke, I was listening & realised the significant importance of what our Home affair's Minister said. So if I came to that understanding why not our Local Media!

    Has to be they were told Not to say anything & nobody would be any the wiser. Which is why people like me do what we do & this is the reason I do not trust the BBC or Channel TV. Ask them or your self why did there stop Talk Back & The Phone In & the answer has to be that to many people were phoning up with real questions of our States & about this hole sorry sager in jersey. They were told to stop or stop letting certain people on, all so no one there could handle VFC because he new the facts & you could tell that every presenter was on there nerves to what was going to be said.

    The only conclusion to all of this is that there is something to hide.

    If I had not recorded it & people with a real interest in the goings on were not listening, no one Would Be Any The Wiser would they.

    One more thing wear were you, may I ask. Not one question from anyone about A High ranking Police Office Leaking the interim BDO Alto report to a UK child abuse denier journalist.

    That answer the minister gave must be ranked one of the most damming answers given for a hell of a long time!

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  5. Trevor Pitman is the MAINMAN isn't he.

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  6. A question, Sir:

    In order to better understand the power of voters in Jersey to effect their government through their elected officials, we wish to know what is legally required to force answers to the questions of your Scrutiny Panel. Would you please let us know if Mr Le Marquand and the Chief Minister can be compelled to provide all of the information requested? What about answers from Crown appointed officials? Civil servants? The police? What is the level of accountability to your panel from those private firms engaged by the government to conduct investigations and report back on matters relevant to Scrutiny Panels?

    We are on summer break but developing curriculum for our fall term.

    Thank you,

    Overseas Classroom

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  7. Dear Deputy Tadier,

    I am sure that in the hunt for the truth regarding the weird and wonderful way BDO Alto carried on their fatally flawed report regarding Lenny Harper, that you will, with the other members of the sub scrutiny panel leave no stone un-turned to get at the information you require.

    I would also hope that if those questioned refuse to co-operate fully this will be publicly advertised.

    After all we are supposed to have transparency and if we cannot trust them to answer your questions they are not worth voting for.

    Anonymous.

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  8. @Anon. Re: Drinks with the Lt. Govenor. The information is not 'weak', as you say. It is perfectly true that on the evening when the meeting took place at Communicare Government House was open to the public to mark the Queen's Official Birthday. You will remember that it was also the day that the 'Honours' were handed out.

    Let me say for the record, I am not saying the media should not have attended - of course they should, but the point is there was no-one left to cover other stories. This is why it is important to have bloggers who are willing to film and report when the mainstream media are unavailable.

    Your comments about having a name confirmed before reporting is a bizarre and specious excuse. The statement of the Home Affairs Minister was made in public and can thus be reported verbatim, as I did here, whilst mentioning who the SIO referred to by the Minister would have been at the time. The reason given by the Channel staff for not reporting this was not that the information was not complete, but that they 'did not know'. Again, this is not a personal criticism - they cannot know everything, but again, it shows the necessity for and added value of bloggers, in covering stories which would not otherwise be covered by the commercial media

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  9. Montfort.

    A timely reminder as to how our media DO MAKE IT UP

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  10. Bloggers are covering the stories that are being covered up by the MSM.

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  11. Montfort.

    Some Law Firms do better than OTHERS

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  12. Hi Monty.

    But up the Audio of Mr Lenny Harper Being interviewed by our Local BBC Radio, form this morning.

    You can Lisen to this HERE

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  13. Today BBC Jersey was compelled to pay lip service to the idea of an interview with Mr Harper. In no way was the interviewer trying to obtain a coherent account by Mr Harper. Skilled adversarial journalistic questioning this was not. Instead, the BBC reporter worked relentlessly to obscure Mr Harper's most compelling arguments with almost accusatory interruptions. What was Mr Barra so afraid of?

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  14. Montfort.

    Is Philip Ozouf a modern day politician, as he claims, or a FRAUDSTER?

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  15. Deputy Tadier,
    In the light of the News International phone hacking controversy will the scrutiny panel be holding Lenny Harper to account over his entertaining News of the World journalists at Jersey taxpayers expense?

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