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?
Not disputing the facts
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.
Update – Along balanced articles (which we have been at pains to provide previously), there’s a long tradition of Opinion pieces in the media. Newspapers even have a term for it – Op-Ed. From her line, the only conclusion that you can come to is that Claire clearly doesn’t like the idea of people expressing their opinion.
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?
