FURTHER TO WHAT I WROTE YESTERDAY ON CHANNEL 4 AND OTHER ERRANT MEDIA by Donal Kennedy
Yesterday I recalled the acclamation of TIMES Editor HAROLD EVANS as EDITOR OF THE YEAR by similar scoundrels within hours of the publication of The Press Council
rebuke of the paper for publishing lies.
Within a few months of the Council’s rebuke, all on the same morning, THE DAILY
EXPRESS, its stablemate THE DAILY STAR and THE DAILY MAIL published the
same lies verbatim, in a coordinated attack on the Greater London Council and
its leader Ken Livingstone. Recognising the burgeoning electoral support for Sinn Fein in the North of Ireland, the GLC had invited its spokesmen to explain its policy and the
Thatcher Government took fright and piled lies upon untruth. The GLC was at the time supportive of the African National Congress whilst Thatcher supported Apartheid.
An elderly and courageous gentleman in Birmingham, Mr. D.F. Conlon, got in touch
with me and complained to the PRESS COUNCIL about the Daily Express and the
Daily Star. At the time 6 innocent men had, following torture by the West Midland Police,
Daily Star. At the time 6 innocent men had, following torture by the West Midland Police,
served 9 years of a Life Sentence for the Birmingham Bomb. Mr Conlon’s heroism
may be contrasted with the cowardice of the police, Government and media,
After another 9 months the Press Council rebuked both the Express and the Daily
Star.
I myself complained to the Press Council about the Daily Mail. But the Council did
not rebuke the paper,
For the lies went out under the name of Sir Humphrey Atkins, Her Britannic Majesty’s
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Not all the British Public are the fools its masters takes them for. And it was widely
understood that the Press Council was a useless and toothless sham.
So it disappeared by changing its name to THE PRESS COMPLAINTS COMMISSION.
Coincidently Sir Humphrey Atkins disappeared from the Northern Ireland Office.
Rewarded with a Peerage he emerged as Baron Colnbrook, PRESS COMPLAINTS
COMMISSIONER.
The rules of the Press Council allowed for the purchaser of a newspaper, such as
myself, to seek redress for being sold lies.
To the Commission I had no Locus Standi.
The Times had lied about the IRA. Not being a member of that well-meaning body, I
couldn’t complain.
I’ve heard it said that British Justice is the best that money can buy. I don’t think could
Buck that Market.
Comments are closed.