Saturday, August 09, 2008

China Gateway gate and press freedom


First off well done to Rebecca Smith, editor of the Gazette, and Thom Morris for focusing on these bags of documents, which keep turning up all over, and having the balls to pick up on a story and give us a straight balanced report of an issue, which has all kinds of Machiavellian overtones.

Probably no point in dwelling too much on all the innuendo, allegations concerning China Gateway even if its often said that rarely is there smoke without fire (or at least some heat), anyway whose fault is this, is it the parties directly involved in China gateway, activists seeking to prevent China gate taking place, us bloggers, politicians or even her majesty's press.

Just going back to the smoke analogy, perhaps this whole episode, would be seen in a different light if the parties directly involved were a little more open. Just as a suggestion maybe when council "officers" are involved in negotiations of any sort, they should log these meetings, in some sort of open diary, that the public has access to.

Anyway whatever the true facts, one thing is certain, without us bloggers, you the reading public, would probably be unaware of the potential controversy. Still the Isle Of Thanet Gazette, has to my mind given this issue, a fair and proper examination, so well done to Rebecca Smith, and Thom Morris for their balanced and enlightening work.

Rebecca Smith's, comment on page 15, is a classic, fence sitter though (in my opinion) with something for everyone. I think I speak for most bloggers, when I say that we take great care, in what we say, and that none of us are mindless scandal mongers. I will admit to poor grammar, unpalatable opinions etc., I frequently spend two or more hours a day, producing my blog, much of which is spent, checking what I've written is correct, or if it's just my conjecture, that readers are left in no doubt that what I'm offering them is an opinion.

Just in passing, mention is made of the recent News Of The World, case, in which after barging into someones life, obnoxious as it might be, the News Of The World rightly got a bloody nose. As someone who recently, received a threat of legal action, from some media company, simply for voicing my opinion about an unrelated issue, I don't think there is much freedom.

Still if any hack would like to publicise, this fairly high profile, media companies hard line on freedom of expression, then please feel free to contact me, consider this a world class celebrity & company director, who thanks this country for allowing him free speech, whilst one of his colleagues is sending out letters threatening legal action , with controversial political implications, an ironic situation which if I explained would identify, still hypocrisy from multinational media company, celebrity director it would hardly be news, would it.

Finally coming back to China Gateway there are two outcomes from all this, planning authorities insist on proper environmental safeguards and we get a hand full of jobs or planning authorities don't insist on proper mains drainage and we'll end up with "a smell that will outlast religion"*.

*a quote from the 2006 film Kenny a cracking Australian film


11 comments:

  1. An unnamed Assistant Editor at the Telegraph was not quite so generouse in his summary of our local papers.

    Here's a link:

    http://tinyurl.com/countervalue

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  2. If he knew what he was talking about he would be the editor instead of the editors boy assistant

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  3. At least we don't have to shower every two minues as they do in London because its so dirty,many Londoners do have that unwashed look about them (so do many in Margate come to that, but thats more to do with choice). I could live anywhere,but I choose Thanet.

    Ian, Westgate
    (Born in London, proud to live in Thanet)

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  4. Good point, the assiatant talks about Thanet as if we are all a load of mugs. He needs to know that many of us come from London and probably have greater wealth than he has .But he makes some good points as well.

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  5. I have to say that when I visit London, I only usually frequent the Bag O'Nails near victoria, and then move on to Euston and the pub there, before moving on to gods own country in Manchester. oh and the reverse on the way back, but I would agree that London used to be best avoided as a destination

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  6. Vote for BIG JERRY the elected Mayor of Thanet Last

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  7. IMPORTANT NOTICE join the boycott of Russian goods

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  8. I think we need an election for the post of Village Idiot.

    I propose Gerry and Bookshop Michael (I can't separate them so an election could sort it out) for Ramsgate, Jason Savage for Broadstairs, and John Watkins for Margate.

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  9. What about Monkton, Minster, Birchington, Westgate and Westbrook?

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  10. IMPORTANT NOTICE join the boycott of Russian goods

    ReplyDelete