A regional daily faced a backlash from readers after deciding not to publish birthday greetings celebrating notorious prisoner Charles Bronson’s 60th.
The Worcester News refused to accept an advert from a reader wishing a happy birthday to the violent criminal, currently serving a life sentence at HMP Wakefield following his conviction for kidnap in 1999.
Editor Peter John ruled that the advert in the paper’s Family Notices section would offend readers and it was pulled.
Angry supporters of Bronson then telephoned the paper to complain, while dozens more posted protests on the paper’s Facebook page accusing staff of discrimination.
One said: “I would like a written explanation of why I cannot wish my friend a happy 60th birthday in your paper. Is this discrimination? I shall be taking it up with the ombudsman for publications. Totally ridiculous.”
Another said: “I believe this to be discrimination. Why have a birthday events page if the editor decides who can advertise the birthday of an individual. In my eyes this local paper seems to be a law to [sic] themselves.”
Bronson’s supporters have also turned on those posting messages of support to the paper, labelling them “close-minded” and “hate mongers”.
One, posting from the Charles Bronson Appeal Fund, even shared a handwritten note from the convict establishing a “few facts” and labelling his long incarceration a “joke”.
Peter later approved a statement to be published on the paper’s Facebook page explaining the decision.
It read: “Regardless of Mr Bronson’s current celebrity status thanks to movies and books, and despite the fact that many people now seem to idolise him because of the glorified manner in which he has been portrayed, Mr Bronson still has a lengthy history of extremely violent criminality against ordinary people.
“His current behaviour may not be what it once was but his past crimes cannot be overlooked.”
“We don’t expect everyone to agree with our decision, but nevertheless that is the decision we have made. Everything published in the Worcester News is at the editor’s discretion and the editor’s decision is final.”
Speaking to HTFP, Peter said even though the advert simply wished Bronson a happy birthday and carried a small caricature of him, he felt they needed to be “particularly sensitive” about what appears in the Family Notices section of the paper.
“We judged that accepting payment to send greetings to a notorious convicted criminal through our columns would have offended many of our readers, so declined the advert, as we are entitled to do,” he said.
Nevertheless, he added, the paper ran a story about a local campaign to free the prisoner and included some of the objections to the decision not to run the announcement.
Charles Bronson was initially jailed for seven years in 1974 for an armed robbery on a post office, but the sentence was extended following violent crimes committed in jail.
He was released in October 1988 but was back behind bars in under 10 weeks after committing an armed robbery of a jewellery shop.
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A difficult one this – forgiveness and serving your time is part and parcel of society. However, I know for sure if my grandma, or mother or son or daughter had their birthday notice next to a convicted criminal that has the following charges (armed robbery; wounding (2); wounding with intent; criminal damage; grievous bodily harm; false imprisonment (3); blackmail; threatening to kill) it certainly wouldn’t make them happy to say the least!
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How would that have looked in the paper? How would the average reader feel on seeing it?
Surely this is what it stands and falls by?
The red tops and the Daily Mail would have gone to town with it.
Come on – this was the right decision.
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Blimey. Didn’t realise the people of Worcester were so easily offended.
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“Is this discrimination?”
Yes it is, and quite right too.
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Reading some of the comments on the Facebook page makes you realise just how utterly barmy some people really are.
Good decision, Worcester News.
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Definitely the right decision. Made me wonder if the East End papers used to run ‘happy birthday’ notices for the Krays.
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The correct decision by the Worcester News. Had it been published, the notice would have served only to glorify the notorious criminal still further. There really are some barmy people out there.
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Call me barmy but everyone has a right to freedom once there time is served 10 years without doing wrong and 7 years over his tariff don’t you think it’s the people who don’t agree with him having a second chance are the barmy ones ! Give the man a break he’s never killed hurt a women or raped anyone he’s paid for his crimes 10 times over read more facts before you comment and not just the bad ones from years ago people do change !!
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What a shame that people do not have the ability to believe others can move on.. The News obviously belongs to the gutter press that is happy to censor what it prints rather than look at the current facts.. Whatever happened to freedom of speach..???..Read the facts about Charlie, recent facts not the dross you people dig up and stir up from decades ago…
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In my opinion I don’t see any harm in wishing Mr Bronson a happy birthday if they was offered a big scoop off him they would certainly publish it
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