How right wing is the Evening Echo?

[BlueJ]

I've just logged on to the Evening Echo website, and was reading through the homepage when I saw the BNP logo under 'Local Advertisers'. Now this has made me question how right wing is the Evening Echo as a publication, and how do people feel about newspapers in general accepting payments from political organisations?

 

[Reg Martin]

"not nearly enough" would be any sensible person's answer

 

[dloman]

Not sure how much choice they have as equal airtime and space has to be given to all political parties, part of being a democracy.

Actually think the echo is quite lefty or at least used to be.

 

[GBJ]

"not nearly enough" would be any sensible person's answer

I was about to post this. Only i saw it 2 hours later than you. bugger

 

[MK Shrimper]

Email from the editor.

Thanks for your email regarding BNP advertising.

We are accepting political advertising during the county election campaign
in the normal way, within newspaper industry and advertising standards
guidelines.

Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement of the views
expressed. Other parties or individual candidates will be advertising in our
newspapers and on our websites during the election campaign.

While many people find the BNP objectionable, it is a legally-constituted
party and is fielding candidates in every county ward. It would be against
the spirit of free speech and democracy to refuse these adverts.

It is common practice for web advertisments to link to the advertiser's website.

We take no responsibilty for the content of third party websites.

The Echo has consistently opposed the BNP in the editorial Comment column
(for example, last Friday) and will continue to do so.

As editor, I have twice been taken to court by a BNP activist, unsuccessfully,
over coverage in the Echo which they objected to. I also regularly get
threatening hate mail from people who claim to be BNP supporters.

I have every reason to dislike the BNP, and I oppose all they stand for.

But on this occasion I have to defend their right to take out paid-for
election advertising.

Martin McNeill
Editorial Director
Newsquest Essex

 

[Hotman]

I think that's a disgraceful email from Mr McNeill, if I was mr BNP I wouldn't pay the bill.

 

[DTS]

What a ****ing joke. Free speech and level platform bollocks. Level platform as long as you not white and english more like.

The BNP have as much right to paper space as any other party and a few saddo leftys should pratice what they preech.

 

[MK Shrimper]

What a ****ing joke. Free speech and level platform bollocks. Level platform as long as you not white and english more like.

The BNP have as much right to paper space as any other party and a few saddo leftys should pratice what they preech.

Isn't that exactly what the email states?

 

[BlueJ]

So does this raise the question "Should political parties be allowed to advertise in newspapers?"

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

Or on the flip side 'Why shouldn't political parties be allowed to advertise in the media during a run up to an election?'

 

[Mad Cyril]

I think that's a disgraceful email from Mr McNeill, if I was mr BNP I wouldn't pay the bill.

If I was Mr McNeil I would be a bit less candid when replying to correspondence.

 

[DTS]

Isn't that exactly what the email states?

Indeed it is but quite why you/someone felt the urge to write to him to complain about it is beyond me.

 

[pickledseal]

I like his response :) Honest....

I guess he didn't actually think it would be published on here though!

 

[Mad Cyril]

Does anyone here regularly visit the Echo website? I think the BNP would be better off advertising elsewhere.

If you read any of the 'common sense' solutions left in the comments section of any story concerning immigrants or travellers it would appear that many Echo readers are already card carrying BNP members.

 

[Reg Martin]

Email from the editor.

While many people find the BNP objectionable

I think you could substitute BNP in the above sentence with Labour/Conservative/Liberal Democrat and it would be equally valid.

I personally find it hard to identify a political party I would want to vote for right now.
The 3 main parties wring their hands and pontificate about how awful it is that the BNP is attracting significant support. Yet it doesn't seem to occur them that it is the behaviour of the 3 main parties that is driving people to consider the BNP and other alternatives. I'm not just talking about the 'let's exploit the rules we made to claim as much cash as we can' approach, there's postal voting where all 3 parties have been caught out trying to rig votes reducing our country to the state of a banana republic, and you only have to listen to the "Yah, boo, sucks" attitudes displayed at Prime Ministers Questions to despair at the abysmal state of democracy in what used to be called the Mother of Parliaments.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Indeed it is but quite why you/someone felt the urge to write to him to complain about it is beyond me.

Too right...


Left wing is all for free speech, but only if you agree with them. Why anybody would take time out of their day to complain about the advertising seen in a daily, local paper is quite beyond me.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Why anybody would take time out of their day to complain about the advertising seen in a daily, local paper is quite beyond me.

Try arranging a visiting massage as a birthday present for your wife and see if you still feel that way.

 

[Jai]

The dire financial state of local papers at the moment means they are in no position to turn down advertising.

And the Evening Echo hasn't existed for about four years.