A regional daily editor has hit out at Downing Street’s attempts to stage manage events involving David Cameron taking place on his newspaper’s patch.
Simon O’Neill, of the Oxford Mail, says his staff feel “bewildered and insulted” by apparent interventions from Number 10 when they cover Mr Cameron’s public appearances in his constituency of Witney, in Oxfordshire.
Simon claims that on Friday afternoon West Oxfordshire District Council called the Mail’s picture desk to say photographs taken of Mr Cameron when he opened a charity cafe in Witney could not be used as Downing Street “hadn’t approved them yet”.
The Mail had been invited to the opening by Mr Cameron’s constituency office, but freelance photographer Denis Kennedy, who covered the event for the paper, was also informed Number 10 would have to approve the photos before they were published.
The Mail ignored the request and printed the photos of the Prime Minister, pictured above left at the opening, in Saturday’s edition as planned.
Simon told HTFP the latest incident follows a string of interventions by Downing Street in recent years, which have seen Mail journalists refused access to, and ejected from, events featuring Mr Cameron.
He said: “There is an absolutely obsessive Number 10 control of Cameron and his image, and everything he says and does is stage-managed to a ludicrous degree.
“We’re not talking about the G8 here, we’re talking about local charities, good news stories and bread and butter for a local paper.
“We’ve had problems for some time now and staff are bewildered and they feel insulted by it, and angry as well, because they’re just trying to do their job.”
During the run-up to May’s General Election both Mr Cameron and the Conservative Party were criticised for their treatment of the regional press, with reporters and photographers at newspapers across the country complaining over a lack of access.
Simon says he does not blame either Mr Cameron’s local constituency office or the council for the issue.
He added: “I don’t directly blame the Prime Minister, but I do blame the control freak mentality that surrounds him.”
A spokesman for Number 10 Downing Street has denied Simon’s claims, saying it was “simply not true” that approval had been requested.
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What are they smoking at the council?
Perhaps someone there should take some advice from a journalist, and stop acting like Westminster poodles.
Idiots.
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Totally agree with Simon. We’ve had similar from Cameron on our patch. Last time he turned up he wouldn’t let us take photos and told us we we could ask one question each. My question was why were we not allowed to take photos. It didn’t go down well.
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It’s all about public image. Dave’s PR gurus have to make sure his comb over is exactly right.
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I am sure No. 10 do try to control some things and obviously the local paper has a general point, but as the quote at the end says, Cameron’s people did not seek image approval here and even the office cat would have known they would have no chance of getting it. This was some idiot at the local council who was making-up policy and so the Ed’s remark that he doesn’t blame the council would seem a bit wide of the mark.
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I remember covering a high-ranking Tory’s visit to our patch during the AV referendum campaign. I interviewed them on video then began to film some cutaway shots of them (in a public high street, mind) chatting with residents and handing out balloons and flyers. At which point some over-privileged little Floella or Penelope from Conservative press office came running over all flustered and said: “I’m sorry but it’s cameras off now.” Needless to say I gave her short shrift – though I don’t know whether that’s indicative of actual policy or whether she was just inexperienced and overstepping her bounds.
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I photographed him a few years ago, and the way we were treated by his moronic minions was appalling. They tried to control every aspect of the gig and I ended up telling one (in no uncertain terms) to do one! Politicians are servants to the public, and should behave as such!
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This is such Mail Online journalism. Is it true No 10 intervened or not?
12 pars of righteous indignation followed by a one par flat denial.
Is it in fact the case that a council official made a mistake, worried, as you would be, that they risked upsetting the prime minister’s media team?
Anyway, shouldn’t we be enjoying the battle with PR minions? At least it shows they care about the regional press and brightens up the day!
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I remember when Disraeli came to our patch. The picture guys had only just got their easels and paints set up and the ink was barely dry on his four-volume sound bite when he jumped back into his Hansom cab and was away!
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Logically Speaking, how many stories do you and your colleagues get from ‘PR minions’? Why is it about doing battle? I agree this is out of line in this instance, but for most journalists, PRs are probably the best contacts. This attitude is a bit typical of how the industry sees press officers. Until reporters / editors become one that is.
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I’m just glad to see the back of Labour and their big govenment, micro managing interventionist ways. Oh wait.
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bewildered. insulted. must be fresh out of college. toughen up.
just ignore the next invite. the public won’t mind. Only journos and hacks care about political figures unless it is real scandal.
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it takes one to know one …… David Cameron is a PR man, so no wonder he cares so much about his image! But that’s what you get with a PM who – many might think – cares more about his public persona than his principles. After Mrs Thatcher declared it OK to have a department dedicated to News Management, surely no one can be surprised at the actions of Cameron’s department of Image Management.
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