Sunday 20 November 2011

State Media and Scrutiny (2)


In part two of this in-depth interview with Scrutiny Sub Panel (Parliamentary Select Committee) Chairman, Deputy Trevor Pitman, we remain on the subject of Jersey’s State Media and the Report’s damming findings concerning the latter.

Experience has taught us that Jersey’s State Media will bury this Report because it appears to vindicate Former Senior Investigating Officer and Deputy Chief Officer Lenny Harper as well as Former Chief Police Officer Graham Power QPM. The Sub Panel’s Report turns the spotlight onto the media’s role and how the public appears to have been misled by them (State Media).

The AWARD WINNING Channel Television and Jersey’s only “News”paper, the Jersey Evening Post, probably come out the worst in this Report but the man who took over the Historic Child Abuse Enquiry “Mick Gradwell” comes a close second if he doesn’t beat them.

Mick Gradwell, it is reported, was leaking confidential information during a live Child Abuse investigation, to a “journalist” with a history of supporting convicted paedophiles and still none of our State Media have asked “why?”

Below are some of the key findings of the Sub Panel’s Report concerning the media, of which we will be taking an even closer look at in the coming days.

The Scrutiny Sub Panel's Report can, and should be, read in it's entirety HERE.


Selected extracts from the Report.

247. In each of the above cases neither of the media organisations appeared to undertake any critical analysis of their own of the information they had received. This feeds into the perception by a number of observers that the media has allowed itself to focus on alleged failures in police procedures rather than their attempts to investigate instances of child abuse which had been allowed to continue without effective challenge for many years.

248. The Island has been heavily polarised in regard to the conduct of the Historical Child Abuse Enquiry.  The majority of the members of the public form their views on the basis of media reporting of these issues and we believe it is of paramount importance that the media strive to deal with issues of this magnitude with the highest standards of objectivity. Broadcast media have a special responsibility to use the few words that they have carefully in order to avoid false impressions being left in the minds of the public.

249. We note that parliamentary scrutiny in the UK is also attempting to grapple with difficult issues regarding media reporting. Here in Jersey there are particular issues with regard to the provision of objective reporting due to the limited number of local media organisations. We believe that it is essential that the Chairmen’s Committee give serious consideration to establishing a Scrutiny Panel which could undertake a review which will look specifically at the kind of issues we have identified in this report.

Key Findings

·      The emphasis on alleged misuse of taxpayers’ money in instances of media reporting risks implanting the impression in the public mind that the entire expenditure on Operation Rectangle was badly managed.
·      In our hearing with him on 25th August 2011, the Minister was sympathetic to our concerns about the way negative messages about Mr. Power and Mr Harper had been spun in the media and he offered to make a joint statement to this effect with the Sub-Panel. We believe that this would be a positive step.
  • Our primary concern about the premature leaking of details of the review of financial management relates to issues of fairness in the way these leaks are reported in the media without an adequate opportunity for an alternative perspective to be considered.
  • It is essential that a future Scrutiny Panel give serious consideration to undertaking a review which will look specifically at the kind of issues we have identified in this report.

Recommendation
·      The Chairman’s Committee should establish broadly-based Scrutiny Panel to undertake a review to examine issues relating to the media coverage which we have raised in our report.


Part one of this interview can be viewed HERE


We will once again leave the final word to the Former Chief Police Officer, Graham Power QPM, who reminds us (unlike the State Media) that this is/should be about Child Abuse and how it was able to continue for decades in Jersey's State run Institutions............ And in all that time (DECADES) not one of the victims, out of sheer desperation, took their plight to ANY of the State Media?

"The attempts to divert this debate into discussions concerning the trivia of expense claims, is a scandal of which all involved should be thoroughly ashamed." Graham Power QPM.












25 comments:

  1. Thank you Voiceforchildren and Mr. Pitman for your interview.

    Sorry state of affairs. Could be an opportunity to see a new Mr. Branson.

    Publishing articles and leaving them in phone boxes, I am sure I read that's how he got started

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well done VFC. You and the other bloggers are really offering an alternative view to the complete rubbish we are fed from our local media.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 247. In each of the above cases neither of the media organisations appeared to undertake any critical analysis of their own of the information they had received. This feeds into the perception by a number of observers that the media has allowed itself to focus on alleged failures in police procedures rather than their attempts to investigate instances of child abuse which had been allowed to continue without effective challenge for many years.

    Classic opinion management

    ReplyDelete
  4. Subject to Good Behaviour.

    Stuart will be out.

    Second week in December.

    ReplyDelete
  5. REPLY TO MY EMAIL TO LIBERTY

    Sent: 18 November 2011 13:34
    To: Information
    Subject: Feedback from contact-us.php



    Dear Sir, I wrote to Amnesty International recently to ask them to help Stuart Syvret, the Jersey ex Senator who blew the whistle on child abuse at Haut de la Garenne and who has been relentlessly persecuted, bullied and jailed. They referred me to you. Please can you do something to help him? The only reason he is in jail is because he was making to much noise about institutional child abuse. He was helping us victims of Pindown, trying to. Yours faithfully, Barbara Richards


    Dear



    Thank you for your message.



    I am sorry to hear of your situation but unfortunately, this is not something that Liberty is able to advise on. This is because our jurisdiction lies solely in human rights matters arising in England and Wales.



    I can only suggest that you seek advice from a solicitor or lawyer with expertise in Jersey law.



    I am sorry we have not been able to help on this occasion. I wish you all the best and thank you for contacting Liberty.



    Kind regards



    Laura Milne

    Advice and Information Officer

    ReplyDelete
  6. She couldn't even be bothered to write my name.

    It's a pity Stuart isn't a gay man looking for a Christian B and B to sue, he might have stood more chance of getting help from them then.

    I have just found this on the Liberty website.

    Under the law:

    anyone in the UK has the right to seek asylum; and

    the UK Government has an obligation not to forcibly return anyone to a country where they have a genuine fear of being persecuted


    The right to seek asylum is completely separate to the issue of immigration.

    There is no human right to immigration, so fair and non-discriminatory limits can be placed on economic migration.

    But the right to seek asylum can never be limited.


    Human rights, including the right not to be subjected to degrading treatment; the right to a private and family life; the right to free expression and protest etc, apply to all human beings.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Stuart Syvret will be in the Royal court tomorrow Tuesday the 22nd November @2pm after originally being told he was required to attend on the 25th of November. He's had little more than 24 hours notice so insufficient time to prepare his papers. The court case is to revisit Mr Syvret's previous appeal against conviction on the grounds evidence and a witness was withheld from him during his prosecution.

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  8. "the right to a private and family life"

    Does Syvret know this?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Does Deputy Sean Power know this?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sean Power steals a private email of no public interest - shares it with others - which causes it to be published on the internet and doesn't get charged with data protection or theft although he had to resign in disgrace as housing minister. Philip Bailhache must be proud to have the name Sean Power on his nomination paper.

    ReplyDelete
  11. No, does Stuart Syvret know this?

    I am not concerned about what other people have alleged to have done I am only concerned about him.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just got this email

    Hi Barbara,

    Unfair debt can cripple the world's poorest countries.

    It's a well known fact, and one that developing nations struggle with year after year. Tragically, it's one that some unscrupulous business men are exploiting to take millions from some of the poorest people in the world. »

    Everything from development to humanitarian aid when a crisis strikes can create huge, crippling debts for poor countries. In the past, debt relief has helped lift some of this burden, but vulture funds -- that buy up debt and then us the courts to sue for it in order to reap massive profits -- are threatening that progress. And right now, UK law preventing this horrible practice don't apply to Jersey.

    That's just wrong. »

    Vulture fund FG Hemisphere is using Jersey's courts to claim $100m from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They bought this debt for just $3.3m.

    We can end this injustice, but only if we act now. Tell Jersey's new Chief Minister not to turn a blind eye to this, and to take a stand by extending the UK's anti-Vulture Funds law. »



    Thanks for taking action!

    Ellen B.
    ThePetitionSite


    Why Is Jersey Letting People Steal Millions The Worldest Poorest Countries?

    Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AgY8D/zLQP/BEdKe

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is interesting to see that Stuart blog is still attracting new readers going by the Unique Site Users. He will not be forgotten. Please keep us up to date with his court case as we cannot relly on the media.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You can rely on the State Media to give you their version of events in the court.

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  15. The Local BBC NEWS late this afternoon said that a non conflicted Judge called Sir C. Pitchers would be making the decision on Syvret's undisclosed evidence, tomorrow....

    Is Pitchers really non conflicted in this case?!

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  16. Pitchers ruled himself not conflicted, but others would beg to differ.

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  17. Pitman has balls but it is costing him. Frozen out of everthing if the establishment goons get their way. The next one to be shafted?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Does this prove there is no difference to how someone is treated by the 'establishment' if you do things the polite or rude way!!

    ReplyDelete