Readers of the Paisley Daily Express might have seen in today’s letters page, a letter from me under the bizarre headline “Terry: I don’t support murder” the fact that this headline appeared in a newspaper with no hint of satire or irony is cause for concern. It is a bizarre headline and suggests that the readers of the PDX are likely to take it seriously, that shows a lack of respect for the readers, I think the paper has judged it’s readers wrongly. I doubt any of them would think that I would condone murder so, why has it come to this ?
The Paisley Daily Express employs a journalist called Kenneth Speirs, this man regularly reads my blog and has fallen into the habit of lifting stories from it and trying to spin controversy around them, I suppose he has to make a living and in the past I have treated him with a degree of condescension which he probably found irritating, my attitude to him was designed to emphasize that I knew what he was up to and didn’t mind all that much as long as it didn’t get too serious, well, leading up to this latest headline it just did.
I wrote an article about the Royal Family which was designed to be critical and satirical, mainly about the cost of the Monarchy; the article can still be read in the back copies of my blog. During the article I speculated as follows “I wonder how many hospitals and schools etc. we could have built if we did what the Bolsheviks did all those years ago?” By the time Mr. Speirs had twisted it around for a while it came out as the following headline, “WE’D BE BETTER OFF IF HER MAJESTY WAS MURDERED” there are two main points which Mr. Speirs has deliberately twisted to get his spurious headline, he claims that I said that we would be better off, which I didn’t say and links it to me saying if she was murdered which once again I didn’t say, not a good day for the PDX.
I normally roll with the punches from minor journalists but this guy went too far, I was very disappointed that the PDX printed this and I felt that I had to complain, in defence of the paper I have to say that the editor immediately offered me a “right of reply” to put the record straight, I regard this as an acceptance from the paper that he was wrong. I have told Mr. Speirs not to contact me in future so I hope he will have to work a wee bit harder to find stories, or perhaps he will just make them up. As for the Royal Family, it’s business as usual.
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24 comments:
Re-read your piece. Mr Spiers hit it on the button and like all cowards, you try to wriggle off the hook when challenged.
The PDX offered you the 'Right to Reply.' How the hell do you translate this into 'an acceptance that he got it wrong?'
(Macnasty) 31/10/08
If you read the piece and conclude that Mr. Speirs got it right you are either an idiot or a liar. As for being a coward, which one of us is in hiding ?
Councillor,
Would you object to a PDX headline saying 'Councillor Kelly says he will neither buy a Poppy or observe the Silence on Armistice Day?'
(Macnasty) 01/11/08
I would object because it would be grossly out of context.
As I have already said I think I have far more respect for those who gave their lives in war or were wounded than people like you who are prepared to exploit them for your own ends, you are in the gutter.
Kelly, you are not going to buy a poppy and neither are you prepared to observe the silence.
Therefore you can have no compaint if the PDX tells Paisley about it.
Are you embarrassed or just frightened you might lose your sinecure?
I think Cllr Kelly is 100 percent correct, the PDE is a paper that runs Paisley down, time after time.
I think it's now more pro -SNP, I am aware of a story doing the rounds in Glenburn which invloves Cllr Cameron, a number of people have contacted the Express about this and not one word has seen the light of Day. Cllr McvKay must have threatened to pull the advertising again.
It's a real shame that we have this rag printed and covering stories from this once pround town, the town can't get any lower and the PDE must except some of the blame fro this, it may already be too late for our town. As for Kenneth Speirs he seems happy to operate in the cess pite of PDE Journalists.
I wouldn't worry to mucg about them Cllr, keep up the blog site.
Tee-hee. It's funny watching political non-entities scrapping with journalistic nonentities. Is it fun to pretend like you're characters in "the West Wing"?
(Macnasty) 02/11/08
My opinions are well known, if you want to exploit the war dead and injured then that’s a matter for you and what ever passes for your conscience.
(Anonymous) 11:21
For a local parochial paper the PDX is not the worst, I know for a fact that there are decent honest journalists who work there; they can however like everyone else make mistakes.
As for stories concerning Cllr. Cameron I’m sure she will be aware that this comes with the territory and we all have to put up with it.
Anyone who has a complaint or an accusation about her or anyone else should go public and identify themselves.
I wouldn’t describe Mr. Speirs as operating in a cesspit, in my case he allowed his desire for a good headline to cloud his judgement and as far as I am concerned the matter is closed.
(Anonymous) 16:44
So, if you are not also a nonentity, why do you find it necessary to hide yourself ?
Councillor, if your views on Armistice Day are 'well known' i.e.that you do not plan to honour those who died to keep us free, by either buying a Poppy or observing the silence, why object to the PDX, or any other source, reminding your constituents of the Kelly view?
(Macnasty) 20:00
They can print it if they like as long as it’s the truth, not something you would understand.
If the newspapers insisted on you identifying yourself before publishing would you agree ? or would that be too much of a sacrifice for the fallen ?
Councillor
You are not going to buy a Poppy.
You are not going to observe the silence
Are these statements true.
(Macnasty) 03/11/08
No.
I smell stinking fish here, but let us try again
You are going to buy a Poppy
You are going to observe the silence
Are these statements true?
(Macnasty) 04/11/08
No.
Terry,
After that clarification, the PDX could justify a headline reading 'Kelly unsure of difference between his A*** and his Elbow.'
Admit it. You did not buy a Poppy or observe the Silence last year and this year is not going to be any different
Be a man, tell your constituents that it's a matter of principle, shout it loud, be proud of your stance. And if it costs you your seat, so what? You'd nae be missed Laddie
It’s not fair to blame me for you not being smart enough to keep up.
I don’t remember ever buying a poppy, nor do I intend to, I have observed silences before for various reasons, remembrance day included and, I have never attended a remembrance day parade and have no intention of doing so.
This I think puts me in a majority of about 90% possibly more in Britain.
How you interpret this is down to your own twisted mind.
Kelly @ 642
At last - an answer from Kelly. Kill the fatted calf, or as Kelly advocates, the plump Tory.
So Councillor, you could not possibly object if the PDX ran a headline 'Kelly once again, proud of not buying a Poppy.'
(Macnasty) 17:53
Yes I could, why don’t you put up or shut up, Identify yourself and say these things in public.
The poppy comments hit home, did they councillor?
It's true of all cowards - 'They don't like it up 'em,' particularly if their views could cost them a seat on the council.
well said mr kelly, couldnae agree more,
here's hoping aul betty windsor and the hingers oan meet the same fate as the romanov's.
an ah dinnae mean hinging aboot gorgie neither
(1820rebel) 19:19
Dear Mr. Rebel, thank you for your comments, had I been writing something similar I would have felt obliged to put *J* before them.
Dear Mr Rebel
Could we have that in English please
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