[Media-watch] FW: Wartime media censorship.

[david Miller]

Subject: Re: Wartime media censorship.

Letter sent to the Monmouthshire Beacon.

Congratulations, Sir Ray, for demolishing all those hoary old myths about
the 'free press' and the 'fourth estate' over which journalists are apt to
get so dewy eyed, and for proving - if proof were needed - that press
freedom is simply the freedom of the newspaper proprietor to use his
property and his employees for whatever purposes he so chooses. Your bold
and courageous stand against one of journalism's most sentimental and
cherished icons will surely earn you a place in the media history books.

Julian Petley.
Chair of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom.
Trustee of PressWise.
Editorial board member British Journalism Review

> 
> CENSORSHIP IN LOCAL PRESS
>  
> The following article appears in the Monmouthshire Beacon,  Thursday
> 20th March 2003, p.6
>  
> 'BACKING FOR THE TROOP
>  
> With the prospect of war with Iraq almost inevitable, The Beacon is
> totally behind the British troops in the Middle East.
>  
> Our Proprietor, Sir Ray Tindle, who is chairman and Editor in Chief of
> Tindle Newspapers Ltd., said that everyone recognised that Tindle family
> newspapers have no political bias.
>  
> However, he said that , when British troops come under fire during the
> conflict in Iraq, he was anxious that nothing should appear which would
> attack the decision to conduct the war in which those troops were
> involved, nor, of course anything which attacked the troops themselves.
>  
> "I do this, not just as a proprietor to the newspapers, but as someone
> who served as a British soldier from 1944 to 1947 in the Far East" said
> Sir Ray.
>  
> "I know that what our men need most at this time is the felling of
> confidence that they are being backed by the folks back home, and are
> fighting for them".
>  
> He said normal newspaper practice would be resumed immediately the
> "ceasefire" was given, when any withheld letters or reports may be
> published, but in the meantime there would be total support for our men
> and women in the Middle East while they are under fire.'
>  
>  
>  
> Please email your views to  beacon at internet-today.co.uk
>  
> Telephone: Monmouth 712 142
>  
>  

Julian Petley
Brunel University, UK
hsstjjp at brunel.ac.uk