A councillor has failed in his bid to ban a weekly newspaper from his authority’s meetings after claiming a story it ran was “all lies.”
Cllr Jeff Martin demanded the Cotswold Journal apologise and called for reporter Viv Mason to be banned from meetings of Moreton Town Council over a story about historic Redesdale Hall.
The councillor claimed a report that the hall in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, was facing litigation was untrue, and accused the paper of “sensationalising”.
But the move failed to win the backing of other councillors and both Viv and the newspaper have stood by the story, which was covered on a front page last month
She had a verbatim note of the statement of another councillor, who sits with Cllr Martin on the Redesdale Hall management committee, about the hall’s financial situation, which claimed it was in litigation and had requested financial help.
In an editorial leader in Thursday’s edition, Journal deputy editor John Wilson wrote: “We are alarmed that Cllr Martin’s irritation has driven him to demand that this newspaper be banned from covering further meetings of the town council, despite the fact that the public (including the Press) are entitled to attend them under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.
“Equally disturbing is that although Cllr Martin’s colleagues did not acknowledge his absurd call for us to be banned, nor did they have the gumption to speak out against it.”
John told HTFP the Newsquest-owned paper had reported in good faith what had been said and an apology was not merited.
“Town and parish councillors are the lowest rung of local government, and their work is done by unsung volunteers who give up their time for the public good,” he said.
“Nevertheless, they should realise that the press is the eyes and ears of the public, and seeking to ban reporters from meetings is an affront to democracy.”
He said Redesdale Hall had been offered an opportunity to explain its position more fully, but so far had not taken up the offer.
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Won’t be any reporters left to ban soon, anywhere!
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Sadly, in my own experience, it’s virtually unknown for councillors to leap to the defence of a local newspaper when it is subjected to such bully-boy tactics…fair play to the Journal for making a stand.
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Yet another tinpot self-important local politician abusing his position in an attempt to deflect attention from his part in the mismanagement of a council facility, but actually attracting even more attention. Will they ever learn?
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The childish rant of a deluded nobody who thinks he’s got clout.
If he had half a brain, he’d know access is a right, not by grace and favour.
Can I suggest he joins a football club board as a few of them are too big for their boots so he’ll be in the right company.
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Using the term “sensationalising” to describe coverage of a parish hall’s unpaid bills is stretching it a bit, isn’t it?
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Local government is full of small-minded, self-important windbags who have no understanding of democracy or free speech.
Councillor Martin needs to be summoned before the bar and face heavy censure for trying to undermine traditional rights.
Tinpot tyrants like him have no place in politics, a point his ‘electors’ ought to note at the next election.
It’s no surprise that his colleagues hadn’t got the guts to challenge him. That’s par for the course on local councils.
However, it’s good to see respected local newspapers are prepared to stand their ground and lambast offenders.
Congratulations to the Journal and its staff. You’ve struck a blow for journalism as it’s meant to be.
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A barmy blend of the French Clochmelle puff chested parish pump worthies and windbags and the Dibley Parish Council. Thank god for such people as this as they make good smiley copy for tales such as this. The world would be a bit duller ….. Let Cllr Jeffrey Nicodemus Martin team up with Trump.
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It’s always annoying when people accuse journalists of reporting lies, when they have in fact reported things accurately.
I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve wanted to punch my monitor after reading social media posts about my paper.
When this kind of bile comes from councillors, though, it’s even more galling.
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The vast majority of councillors are OK to deal with, even the more politically motivated ones. But there are always arrogant and misguided souls who will try to manipulate reporters and then slag them off if they dare to write something “off message.” Mind you, they can make for great copy!
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