Too Late For Debate?[1]
By Philip Chandler
Sir Ray Tindle’s recent edict that apparently forbids his
editors from reporting anti-war protests or opinions has drawn strong criticism
from many people and organisations concerned with civil liberties and press
freedom.
One critical voice was that of David Miller, a member of
Stirling Media Research Institute at the University of Stirling:
“As war started the first signs of patriotic censorship
appeared. The owner of more than 100 weekly newspapers, Sir Ray Tindle, wrote
to the editors of all his papers asking them ‘to ensure that nothing appears…
which attacks the decision to conduct the war’. Drawing immediate protests from
free media campaigners, this example is sure to be the first of many
infringements of independent reporting.” [2]
The announcement was roundly condemned by the National
Union of Journalists. NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear, challenging Tindle to
a debate on press freedom, said:
"So much for the right to know, free speech and all
those other rights which our forefathers fought to establish and which Sir Ray
Tindle seeks to demolish at the stroke of a pen.
"What makes his censorship
better than the censorship of those he would seek to condemn? He merely
confirms that freedom of the press really only belongs to those who own the
press - the rest of us will be allowed to know only what they deem is suitable.
Next stop tyranny?"
"All the polls show that
public opinion is divided pretty much evenly. Tindle is cutting 50 per cent of
the population out of his columns. What would people say if he banned all women
correspondents, for instance?”
When I asked Tindle-owned South Hams Newspapers General
Manager Jackie Smith whether she thought it was acceptable for the owner of a
group of newspapers to attempt to dictate editorial policy on such an important
issue, she replied, “Well, it’s his train set.”
Tindle’s decision was announced by means of a front page
article in the Totnes Times (also carried in the other South Devon Tindle
titles) by editorial manager Gina Coles, who is unapologetic:
“In a brave move, which could easily be seen by some as
censoring the news, Sir Ray ordered that once war in Iraq was declared his
newspapers would not carry any more anti-war stories.”
Adding her support for this ‘order’, she continues:
“As editorial manager of
eight of Sir Ray’s titles, I am proud to say I totally agree with his
decision.”
Later in the same article,
she says:
“Once war was declared,
anti-war demonstrations were pointless – the argument was lost.
We don’t normally run
campaigns – we support everybody’s point of view. From the time war with Iraq
was declared, however, and until a ceasefire is called, we unashamedly say that
we are on one side only – that of the troops.”
Several members of the Totnes Peace Group, which has
organised many anti-war protests since the 2002 invasion of Afghanistan, met
with Gina Coles and General Manager Jackie Smith on April 3 to discuss the
implications of their boss’ message and how it would affect coverage of the
opinions of local people opposed to the war.
Gina Coles insisted that Sir Ray’s instruction did not
constitute censorship, saying that he had sent a further message giving
individual editors discretion as to how they applied the policy. She did,
however, say that she “completely agreed with him” on the issue and said that
she had been contacted by several wives of servicemen, who wanted anti-war
protests stopped because “they are not helping”. “I am supporting the troops by
doing what the wives, mothers and families want me to do, which is not report
anything to do with anti-war protests at this moment.”
Paul Wesley, veteran peace campaigner and owner of
Harlequin Books in Totnes, pointed out that the Totnes Peace Group were unanimous
in their support of the troops. “We think the best way to support them is to
bring them home”, he said.
Gina Coles remained adamant that she would not print
anti-war protest while British troops are fighting in Iraq, saying that
“anti-war demonstrations are no longer news”. She did concede that reporting
events to support peace “as opposed to being anti-war” may be acceptable.
© P J Chandler 2003
Full text of article in Totnes Times:
SIR Ray Tindle, chairman and
editor-in-chief of this newspaper, starts to wage his own war today in support
of our troops in the Gulf.
In a brave move, which could
easily be seen by some as censoring the news, Sir Ray ordered that once war in
Iraq was declared his newspapers would not carry any more anti-war stories.
Sir Ray, owner of more than
100 weekly newspaper titles around the country, is fiercely proud of his former
regiment, the Devon and Dorsets, in which he served during World War Two.
His memories of the terrible
time he and his fellow soldiers endured have prompted the move to ignore local
demonstrations against the decision to go to war against Saddam Hussein.
He is adamant that, from
personal experience, he knows what our troops will want to be hearing in news
from home.
In a letter to all his
management teams he wrote: ‘Everyone knows that Tindle family newspapers have
no political bias. Our columns are free.
‘When British troops come
under fire, however, as now seems probable, I ask you to ensure that nothing
appears in your newspapers which attacks the decision to conduct the war in
which those men and women are involved, nor, of course, anything which attacks
the troops themselves.
‘I ask it, not just as
proprietor of the newspapers, but as someone who served as a British soldier
from 1944 to 1947 in the Far East. I know that what our men need most at this
time is the feeling of confidence that they are being backed by the “folks back
home”, and are fighting for them.’
As editorial manager of
eight of Sir Ray’s titles, I am proud to say I totally agree with his decision.
Anything we can do,
regardless of our own personal agenda on the war, to help bolster the
confidence of those fighting against the acknowledged dictatorship of Saddam
Hussein, must be our priority.
We have reported every
anti-war demonstration to date that we have been made aware of.
But, as we now know, the
48-hour deadline issued by George W Bush to Saddam Hussein and his family is
over and American troops have started their attack on Iraq. British troops seem
certain to be called in soon.
Now all we can do, many
thousands of miles away from the action, is to do our best to support those who
are fighting.
By that we mean all of the
troops, but, of course, we especially mean the friends and family of residents
in the South Hams.
Once war was declared,
anti-war demonstrations were pointless – the argument was lost.
Our editorial policy, set by
Sir Ray, who was knighted for his services to the newspaper industry, has
always been to report the local news, but also to report as much of the
community news as possible.
Our strength in the
newspaper market is that we care equally about flower shows and local
personalities as we do about the hard news stories.
We don’t normally run
campaigns – we support everybody’s point of view.
From the time war with Iraq
was declared, however, and until a ceasefire is called, we unashamedly say that
we are on one side only – that of the troops.
We join with their friends
and loved ones who pray for the safe return of each and every one of them.
Copyright Tindle Newspapers
Ltd 21 March 03