A weekly newspaper has printed a letter in which a council’s deputy leader accused its editor of “downright deceitful and shoddy journalism”.
Councillor Tony Page, who is second in command at Reading Borough Council, branded the Reading Chronicle’s Lesley Potter a “disgrace” in a diatribe about her paper’s reporting of council matters.
Cllr Page wrote to the Chronicle to register a formal complaint about what he termed Lesley’s “disgraceful failure” to carry any council comment in a “biased” report about provision for cyclists in Reading.
The report was included in the Chronicle’s launch of its Pedal Power campaign, aimed at improving cycling facilities in the town, earlier this month.
In the letter, printed in this week’s edition, Cllr Page described an interview with reporter Georgina Campbell ahead of the campaign’s launch, claiming she did not mention before or during the interview the Chronicle was planning a feature on the issue.
The published piece included critical comments from Reading East MP Rob Wilson and the local Green Party about the authority, which Cllr Page said Georgina also neglected to mention would be printed.
Addressing Lesley, he wrote: “Deliberately withholding the context in which questions are being asked is unacceptable practice, but one that is common under your stewardship.”
Cllr Page added: “This was premeditated, unprofessional and sloppy journalism the like of which I have never encountered in Reading in all my many decades of dealing with local editors.”
He also criticised the Chronicle’s recent reporting of Network Rail withdrawing plans to redevelop Reading West station, claiming the council should have been given more acknowledgement for its role in pointing out the failure to include a passenger lift in the proposals.
Cllr Page further hit out at an editorial Lesley had written about the training given to the authority’s planning committee members, describing her comments as “pathetically childish” and inaccurate.
He wrote: “But don’t let the facts stand in the way of your ‘editorials’ any more than looking for balance in your features or accuracy in wider reporting.
“The above examples, from only a few recent weeks, show how much of a disgrace you are to the editorial chair of what was once a good local paper. I look forward to receiving a full apology.”
In a leader column published alongside the letter, Lesley responded: “Last week I received a complaint from the deputy leader of Reading Borough Council, Cllr Tony Page, about our ‘disgraceful’ coverage at the launch of our Pedal Power campaign on 2 July.
“The full, unexpurgated edition of the letter is published on this letters page.
“We have also afforded Cllr Page a right to reply, by carrying a full interview with him on page 10 of this issue, in which he sets out his side of the story.
“Readers must make up their own minds as to whether our coverage was biased and unfair.”
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And, in other news, a Force 10 is moving from one side of my cuppa to the other, causing high waves of at least 10mm and tidal surges of the lightly-milked brew therein threatening the rim…
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Is it possible to be ‘sloppy’ in a premeditated fashion?
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I’ve always thought it a mistake to do dirty washing in public. Sort out your differences – with a lump of wood up a dark alley if necessary – in private. Readers aren’t remotely interested in spats like this, and when the dust settles you still have to work together.
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Well done Lesley… One of the sure signs that a newspaper is doing its local council scrutiny job correctly is when a self-important council leader gets his knickers in a twist like this. What a plonker he’s made himself look like. All power to you for: 1/ printing his ridiculous comments in full and 2/ for raising yourself above his level. We’ll be watching you, deputy Page!
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Is making councillors ‘get their knickers in a twist’ really the sign that you are doing a good job of scrutinising local power?
I’d say it would be much better to ask a direct question and then make sure you get a direct answer that addresses the issue.
The report probably wasn’t biased or unfair, but it obviosuly wasn’t complete either. As a reader I’d probably like to hear from decision-makers.
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The two work next door to each other so instead filling editorial they should refer to this – Resolving Neighbour Disputes – https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/talk-to-your-neighbour
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haha!
Diddums. Did the poor council prod-nose get his knickers in a knot then?
Sincerely hope he’s holding his breath while waiting for his apology.
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I think the councillor has just made himself look what he probably is – a pompous prat.
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This is the woman who danced on the graves of the Reading Post’s staff when they were made reduundant, publishing a wrap wth the Chronicle’s staff’s wide grinning faces inside when people locally were losing their jobs the very next day. She also said “We’re not going anywhere”, so given that Ian Murray is now in charge of her paper and the latest Newsquest announcements she mght well be… down the dole. That was short sighted, naive and possibly a disgrace to journalism. So Cllr Page is not far off the mark.
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What a ridiculous comment mirrorcracked. Lesley and her team didn’t dance on anyon’s graves, they simply took advantage of Trinity’s stupid decision to close the Post. Seeming to wish her the sack is petty and vindictive, from where I sit, she seems to be doing her job
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Sorry to disagree with Steve Dyson but the councillor does have a fair point. The paper did attempt to claim a great victory over the rail station story when it was clearly nothing to do with their article – and they knew that.
And there was, as mirror cracked days, a sense of rather unpleasant smug satisfaction when the Reading Post staff were losing their jobs.
Newsquest need to have a long hard look at editorial standards at this paper
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There was no smugness when the Post staff lost their jobs and certainly no dancing on the graves when the decision was announced. Perhaps mirrorcracked should remember it was Trinity that killed that newspaper off and blame that company, rather than shifting the blame to feed a sense of injustice. Once that decision was made, entirely legitimate for the rival to wait until the Post actually closed and then try to pick up readers. Maybe mirrorcracked ponder that type of approach would have meant the town would still have two papers?
And as for Mr Page, I think his conduct over the years gives its own testimony.
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If a council leader brands a journo a disgrace it usually means the journo is doing his or her job brilliantly!
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Celebrate Good News, I don’t wish her the sack – am simply pointing out what looks inevitable with Newsquest. And John Bryce, am well aware it was Trinity that closed the Post. She did not wait until the Post closed is the point, the wrap came out the day before, just as the final papers were being produced and people were clearing their desks. That’s nasty. And the handling of this spat shows her lack of experience in the editor’s chair to my mind. Observer 50 is right, the editorial standards need scrutiny
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Neither local newspaper journalists nor local authority councillors are much respected nowadays. Neither are expected to tell the whole truth about anything. But we have to have both species. If there were no local newspapers we would be worse off. (This is already happening in some places – eg the ‘Birmingham Post’ has effectively closed, being a weekly business paper and on-line reports service only.)
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The Chronicle did dance on the Post’s grave, and spent a lot of time bad-mouthing the Post before it closed in print, and since it has moved online too. However, readers aren’t stupid – quality will out regardless of whether it goes through a printing press or a computer server, something Lesley doesn’t seem to have grasped. As for Steve Dyson, you’ve jumped to the most basic of journalistic errors – jumping to a conclusion before hearing all sides. The Chronicle is gaining a reputation for ensuring facts don’t get in the way of a good self-promoting story so lets not celebrate this sort of journalism til we know all the facts, eh? Ian Murray’s journalistic rigour is needed here quickly.
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Well said Second Time Around – I am staggered people like Dyson and Grassroots think if you upset a council you are doing your job when they don’t know the full facts of this. It’s that arrogance that gives journalists with integrity a hard time as we’re all labelled the same. And I have no idea what John Bryce wants me to ponder, his sentence makes no sense. Perhaps Ms Potter’s lapdogs should take more time when they hit the keyboard?
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Without knowing all the facts of the story….it seems to this traditional, fair-minded reporter that a lot of this brou-haha would have been avoided if the council had been given the right of reply contemporaneously and not a week later.
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Having spent nearly 30 years as an editor, I was always happy to be judged by the quality of my adversaries.
Criticism from pompous local council windbags was music to my ears. Hostility from politicians at all levels gave me unrestrained joy. Being accused of ‘gutter’ journalism by shysters and conmen was ecstasy of the highest order.
The editor who is loved and adored by everyone isn’t doing his/her job properly.
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Councillors generally only get this upset when newspapers fail to fall for their ridiculous spin. They’d rather newspapers just published their press releases word for word. As soon as a reporter questions the nonsense they’re being fed and refuses to play ball, the councillors go running back to their town halls in tears, like the spoilt little children they are. Is it any wonder so many of us don’t bother to vote for these clowns any more?
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