It appeared that every time Deputy Pitman attempted to answer a question her microphone was cut off in a blatant display of double standards and media suppression the BBC is so notorious for.
Below is one of the lowest levels local State Radio has reached and a politician who won't be bullied into playing along with the agenda of the BBC. Below that is an in-depth interview with Deputy shona Pitman (un-edited with no microphone being cut off) discussing this morning's "event" some documented evidence and the vital role of Bloggers (Jersey's only independent media) in offering politicians, members of the public and just about anybody who challenges the local judiciary/Establishment and their media a voice.
VFC credit TJW for the State Radio recording.
How can you claim to be any better than the BBC?
ReplyDeleteYou didn't even let Shona Pitman say all the things the BBC would not allow her to say this morning!
Well done Team Voice for giving Deputy Pitman the right of reply that she was promised by the BBC. A further demonstration of how important citizens media is in Jersey. Without your interview, she would not have had an opportunity to get her case out there.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Price says "I cannot substantiate if that is true or not" as his excuse for cutting her microphone off.
Matthew Price also cannot substantiate whether or not it will rain on Thursday, yet presumably he won't cut off a weather forecaster who comes on to make that case?
But what else could we expect from him after he claimed a few weeks ago not to know anything about the complaints about Jon Gripton promoting a hate-site, despite this demonstrably not being the case - http://sammezec.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-bbc-digs-even-deeper-memory-failing.html
And then of course, when the national BBC investigated, he wormed his way out quite disgracefully - http://sammezec.blogspot.com/2013/11/bbc-complaints-procedure-is-evidently.html
How more biased can you be ? Pity we can't tell the interviewer to just shut his mouth . Good luck the Pitmans .
ReplyDeleteThink Mathew Price could benefit from a valium sandwich or something to that effect ,he seems to think that all that jibbering makes for a good interview, woeful.
ReplyDeleteWell done Shona. I thought you spoke brilliantly,...... when you had the chance.
ReplyDeleteThe treatment of the Pitmans has been nothing short of disgraceful and this is just the latest in a long line of attempts to undermine them. But you know what they seem to have more staying power that anybody could have given them credit for. I have a sneaky feeling they will not be disappearing into a oblivion like the establishment cronies would wish they would. Rather, I think they have been backed into a corner and they will come out fighting even stronger than before and something tells me that this is a fight the establishment will end up wishing they had not picked.
ReplyDeleteWhat are BBCJersey thinking? The evidence of their "anti-journalism" is piling up around them too quickly to keep track of. Do they have any idea how they look against normal western journalistic standards? Do they even know what they are? What is the purpose of journalism? Contrast that with their pro-censorship standards. The BBC will never live down this problematic notoriety with their Jersey branch.
ReplyDeleteElle
Is it possible someone could point me to evidence of Sean Power allegedly stealing emails.
ReplyDeleteWas it admitted on radio there was a lapsed moment or something similar?
Anonymous, here is the relevant news article from the time -
Deletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12345516
Have the States of Jersey Police confirmed the letters are connected to the Pitmans?
ReplyDeleteThe sending of the letters was done maliciously and with sinister intentions.
I feel an outside police force should be involved in the investigation of the threats.
I must be missing something, because Shona insists that they have evidence that the letters which threatened to burn people's houses down were part of a smear campaign against them ? What is that evidence ?
ReplyDeleteWhy have BBC, listen to the audio, the JEP and Sean Power all connected the letters to the Pitmans.
DeleteWhere is the evidence connecting the letter writer to them? If no evidence why the smear prior to the police investigation.
Just seen this. Fair play to Shona. Even though I advised her to not trust Jon Gripton and his BBc further than one could kick them she certainly exposed Price for the pathetic would be bully that he obviously must be. Of course he pretty much did it himself with his attempt to silence Shona within 30 seconds for reasons wholly lacking in any substance. I suppose what says it all is how this same sorry excuse for a 'journalist' was quite happy to allow Deputy Sean Power - a 'man' who steals female colleagues e-mails and pases them on to hate sites - to tell lie after lie with his 'feel sorry for me I'm a victim' act. Indeed, when one considers the current allegations involving Murrray Norton; Jon Gripton's promotimg of a hate site against (surprise, surprise) Shona; and now Matthew Price's complete lack of professionalism is it really any surprise BBC Jersey at the centre of cyber bullying investigations? The answer must surely be no.
ReplyDeleteThe reason she was cut off was because the BBC would have been sued for distributing slanderous comments. You do understand that what was nearly broadcast was completely and totally slanderous and without any substantiation. Had she had facts and evidence, different matter.
DeleteThe problem is Matthew Price didn’t ask her for any evidence he just told her she didn’t have any. As mentioned above it is a “journalists’ job to extract information from the people they are interviewing not tell them they haven’t got any and cut their microphone off. Deputy S Pitman was denied the opportunity to produce any evidence, that’s not her fault; each time she tried to talk she was silenced. But that’s “journalism” a la BBC.
DeleteThe police won't investigate the threatening letters because they are all part of a smear campaign against the Pitman's ? Is that really what shona believes ?
ReplyDelete'I do not believe there was a threat' ? Seriously. Have you not read the letter Shona. It seems pretty threatening to me.
'We are the victims here' - 4 people receive a letter threatening to burn their properties down if you lose your house and YOU are the victims ?
I'm surprised that Sam Mezec, as a trained, albeit non-practicing I believe, lawyer, is so willing to ignore the implications of the deputy's potential libelling of others. And Sam, I must have missed the weather report where the forecaster used the opportunity to accuse people who are innocent in the eyes of the law of wrongdoing. But I'm sure you will take the opportunity to present this blogs reader's with your evidence of this ?
The police are allegedly investigating the letters.
DeleteWill they investigate with the seriousness they deserve?
4 or 6 letters? Is it possible someone wanted to imply the letters came from supporters of the Pitmans and these letters were to imply that.
If that scenario is possible I believe it is, then it should also be investigated. in my opinion.
You're not very bright, are you?
DeleteWow that was an impressive and prejudiced preamble by cover up operative Matthew Price-less !
ReplyDeleteBut then it got worse. Generally when you "invite" someone to speak on the radio you do so with the actual intention of letting them speak !
Everything Mrs. Pitman was saying was either relevant opinion or was backed up with facts and evidence. NONE of it was libellous (whereas libel or untruths are casually spread by establishment operatives unchecked)
After being exposed to that barrage and interruption Mrs. Pitman did well to hold it together. It clearly disrupted her but she did very well.
This was one extreme of Matthew Price's unprofessional behaviour mercilessly berating an anti-Bailhache-party interviewee.
For the other extreme listen to the interviews (No.3) on:
http://thejerseyway.blogspot.com/2012/11/bbc-radio-jersey-interviews-blogers.html
I have a question for Jersey's excuse for a BBC: When are they going to report on the full public interest contents of illegally suspended Police Chief G.Power's signed statements with which they were furnished many years ago?
In the above "thejerseyway" audio Jon Gripton stated that they are "um.. er.. using it in their journalism".
Gripless would have crumbled under questioning from a child -but he was wet nursed not interviewed.
The BBC - The Bailhache Broadcasting Company
A democracy is only as robust and free as it's media. This then becomes the the cover for unmitigated corruption and the cover-up of other crimes.
On the BBC audio the broadcaster claims 3 letters? What happened to the others? Sorry he then goes on to say a fourth letter to Sean Power.
ReplyDeleteWas the injunction against the JEP, not to prevent reporting on the letters, but rather, to prevent the JEP smearing and connecting the letters to the Pitmans themselves or their supporters.
The broadcaster claims by implication the BBC and other media were prevented from reporting on the Arson letters.
Weirdest interview with the BBC defending the JEP and its professionalism .
Straight away the BBC man tells Shona she has no evidence of a JEP smear campaign. It is farcical he proceeds to tell her what she does not have.
Unreal.
Indeed. It was obvious that Mr Passive-Aggressive was straining at the reins awaiting an opportunity to jump in and play Paxo. Unfortunately he blew his beans a bit too early and made a complete twat of himself. Remind me again why I pay a license fee to fund these utter clowns?
DeleteStuart Syvret's echo ..............
ReplyDeleteThe Jersey Evening Post has, for over 100 years, been the instrument of power in Jersey.
The Guiton Group and its shareholders were never going to let that iron grip on power slip.
So as this new fangled broadcast media began to exist in the Channel Islands - beginning with Channel Television - the Guiton Group has known that the local broadcast media had to play the same tune as the JEP - or the power of The Rag was finished. It would either have to start reporting honestly and ethically - or it would be revealed as ridiculous and corrupt in contrast with local broadcast media that would be reporting the truth.
Which is why some hacks in the broadcast media in Jersey have always been on "contracts", as it were, with paymasters other than their official employers.
So, no surprise - no surprise at all - at the ubiquity of the atrocity-supporting corruption to be observed uniformly across all of Jersey's mainstream media - including the BBC.
I invite anyone familiar with the local msm scene to research for themselves just how many different people with different 'skills' migrated from the JEP / Guiton Group to the other Jersey media since the 1960s.
There are some fascinating correlations in editorial policy to be observed.
But there is another reason - a powerful reason - why the JEP/ Guiton Group has led such on overtly corrupt campaign against proper, objective policing during the last few years - and why they've had to exercise every possible control, and call-in every possible influence, over the rest of the Jersey msm.
I'll leave it at that for the moment.
I'll just say this; Mr Power makes a very perspicacious observation when he summons the condition of Mcbeth - and that "point of no return" syndrome.
But it is not only Le Marquand and Warcup who chose to place their destiny in the corruption of vaulting ambition which o'er-leaps itself; the whole Jersey oligarhcy - the "court", let us call it what it is - has been taken in a fit of collective madness from which no backward steps can be taken. As I've observed before - a path of 'total war'.
And if Warcup has been the Mcbeth in the crazed enterprise - William Bailhache was the Lady Mcbeth, who urged him on.
Stuart Syvret [March 2012]
Source :
http://ricosorda.blogspot.com/2012/03/operation-end-game-10-timeline.html?showComment=1332029628217#c8565448344293018839
Fascinating the speed and vociferousness with which Matthew Price leaped to the defence of a media rival.
The culture and mechanism of collusion which Mr.Syvret suggests above is then strengthened by their shared failure to report basic public interest and political accountability issues.
Shona Pitman at 07.23 above "Nothing of what I said was illegal. Nothing at all." How wrong can she be?
ReplyDeleteThe simple fact is that she did commit libel against both Sean Power and the JEP. It is defamatory (libelous) to accuse a person of generally being "dishonest," without clear and demonstrable proof of a range of dishonest actions on his/her part. Power's action with regard to the e-mails was reprehensible and wrong, but, in and of itself, is not sufficient "evidence" upon which to brand him publicly as "dishonest." She also seems to have no proof of a "smear campaign" against her and her husband by the JEP, save for the wording of their coverage of her undoubtedly illegal actions with regard to the Election Law; and the fact that the JEP and the Island's other media have not simply published in full and unquestioned, their press-releases. To accuse a media outlet of conducting a "smear-campaign" without strong and demonstrable evidence is, again, defamatory and actionable.
Like, it, or not, Matthew Price was simply doing his job. We should remember that, in a case of libel, it is not only the person who says the words who is liable, but also the "publisher" who allows them to do so and, so, disseminate the allegations - in this case, the BBC. He was simply trying to prevent the BBC being put into a position where they could face legal action.
It probably won't happen, but Shona Pitman, as the "utterer" and the BBC, as the "publisher, "could find themselves facing two suits for defamation - one from Sean Power and one from the JEP; and from what can be heard on the recording of the BBC "interview" there is every chance that they would lose.
Yet again we have a case where "belief" is being regarded as fact. The Pitman's may believe that the JEP is conducting a "smear-campaign" against them, but their belief is not evidence. Similarly, they may believe that Sean Power is essentially dishonest - however, without cast-iron, demonstrable and incontrovertible proof of either, to voice their beliefs as direct fact is defamatory and, therefore, actionable.
Ah, the inevitable barrack-room lawyer. The BBC faced no risk whatsoever of legal action for anything Ms Pitman uttered: you don't 'publish' an unscripted live interview broadcast on the radio, and as a broadcaster you aren't held liable for unsolicited comments by an interviewee; in any event, libel applies to the written word. As for Deputy Power issuing a defamation suit, there's the little problem that what Ms Pitman said about him is actually true (by his own admission), which is - last time I checked - a pretty cast-iron defence in a defamation suit.
DeleteOn the other hand, perhaps Mr Price might like to tighten his sphincter a notch or two when he remembers that he accused Ms Pitman of having been found guilty of electoral fraud. This is a lie, and when Ms Pitman pointed this out to him, he brushed it aside by more or less saying "well, you were found guilty of something or other". She was, in fact, convicted of the appalling crime of helping old people register to vote, which in most civilised jurisdictions would get you an MBE.
PS You don't happen to actually work for BBC Jersey by any chance, do you? I can't think of anybody else who would want to defend Matthew Price for this turd.
The BBC is best loved for its light entertainment and comedy. The interview lived up to those expectations. I chuckled all day.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Price was truly on form; a classic performance. Drinks all round at the bar this evening.
Shona, poor dear, fell straight into the trap. A lamb to the slaugher. It was to be expected and should have been countered with practiced remarks. However, she is no match for Mr Priceless.
Price could never have behaved in any other way. He is a capable interviewer. He knows whose side he is on and whose payroll. Meanwhile, BBC Radio Jersey is wholly unaccountable, other than to their Masters who run the show.
It is not clever to call others dishonest. There are more subtle way to imply this. Doing so was just amateur. We are all experienced in reading between the lines and understand the nuances of language.
The gullible public, who believe the BBC is honest and objective, will have perceived this as outrageous behaviour, not by the interviewer but by the interviewee.
This may not be what you want to hear, but I am afraid its nul point for an own goal.
Gosh I just so wish I was as clever as you. Shona Pitman is not the most articulate person in the world and is probably incapable of playing the little games you seem to expect. As it happens, I am not an admirer of her politics, but I want elected representatives who say what they think in a straightforward manner, and call a spade a spade. Not some oleaginous little tit who smarms his way through life and can always say the 'right' thing, but has nothing to say and stands for nothing.
DeleteHow you can think Matthew Price is a capable interviewer is beyond me. Capable of making a total idiot of himself, yes. "The public of Jersey don't want to hear facts or truths, what they want to know is how you feel". Give me strength.
Who is behind the BBC covering for the JEP and who is behind Jon Gripton's disdain for exposing evidence? Is it Phil Bailhache or John Averty? Is it a combination of people with much to hide or someone else entirely? Anyone with a journalism background or training would seem unlikely to enter the news field with so much determination to thwart transparency.
ReplyDeleteWhat was Matthew Prices objection really about. Is he implying he has not read the Sharp report about the Jurat who sat on the Pitman case? Or, is he saying that as the Sharp report was not common knowledge and kept out of the public eye / The information within it counts for nothing as the information has not been widely known?
ReplyDeleteTalking about new lows for BBC Jersey on Monday 18th November 2013...
ReplyDeleteOn their late evening bulletin, they covered the case of Dr Andrew Sloan, the Guernsey economist who pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer in Jersey. He was filmed leaving Jersey's magistrate's court with his wife and baby. He was holding his baby. BBC Jersey insisted on extracting a comment from him. Whilst he was holding his baby. The baby's face had to be pixellated, nevertheless the child may at some point in its life become aware of the footage.
Dr Sloan is clearly very sorry and contrite, and in no way do I condone his actions. But did BBC Jersey really, really have to stick a camera in his face and force him to talk whilst holding his baby? They don't stick their cameras in the faces of serious criminals. I was totally disgusted. There must have been a better way to get a comment from him. Truly awful reporting.
"They don't stick their cameras in the faces of serious criminals"
DeleteAre you suggesting that punching a police officer int the face is not a serious offence?
Arguably not as serious as shooting a child in the face with an imitation firearm but you didn't see the discredited, and disgraced, BBC (or any of the State Media) doorstepping the guilty party in that case.
DeleteHow can any Jersey interviewer claim to be unaware of the Deputy Labey email theft scandal? Shouldn't Matthew Price be limited to reading weather reports if he knows so little about Jersey politics and is so relentlessly rude to guests? This BBC pretense to fear of libel is at a point where truth is suppressed at every level and spin is shamelessly bolstered and perpetuated by the Bailhache captive media.
ReplyDeletePrice was fishing for one answer from Ms Pitman and one answer only. He harangued her to admit the Pitman's case had cost them a great deal personally, so he could humiliate her. He sounded at every turn like a bully squealing nananana at her. He was demeaning and hostile from the first minute. This should be the last live interview conducted by Mr Price.
ReplyDeletehere here- does anyone actually like him anyway? He knows he's unpopular because I have heard him say it. I recall when he was fairly new to BBC Jersey, he was interviewing Roy Le H. It was a dreadfully unprofesssional interview and Roy was quite upset about the way Price handled it, got his facts wrong and various other 'mistakes' that Roy thought were quite unacceptable.
Delete'Well done Shona. I thought you spoke brilliantly'
ReplyDeleteYou must have been listening to a different interview to me. The one I heard all sounded pretty muddled and incoherent, with lots of stuttering, repetition and insinuation. Have another listen and see if you think that it was really 'brilliant' ?
This is where viewpoints really do go in different directions.
ReplyDeleteI read over 200 critical views of this interview elsewhere and none very complimentary but on here it's almost as if you are listening to another recording.
Incredible!
Where did you read the other views of the call ?
DeleteStill waiting for Sam Mezec's example of a weatherman making potentially libellous accusations against innocent parties and thus justifying being cut off ?
ReplyDeleteMatthew "I cannot allow you to malign the JEP" Price shows his true pro-establishment, pro-cover up, bias. He couldn't put his head further up their corporate ass if he tried. What an utter disgrace to journalism he is.
ReplyDeleteI hope this clip reaches a wider audience of media academics for their analysis.
He is a total Joke.
Even his establishment puppet masters will be laughing at him, over their canapes & cucumber sandwiches, for this crap.
Sadly, he is the only person in Jersey who can't see it.
Let's re-paste "Stuart Syvret's echo .............." 00:25 above
ReplyDeleteThe Jersey Evening Post has, for over 100 years, been the instrument of power in Jersey.
The Guiton Group and its shareholders were never going to let that iron grip on power slip.
So as this new fangled broadcast media began to exist in the Channel Islands - beginning with Channel Television - the Guiton Group has known that the local broadcast media had to play the same tune as the JEP - or the power of The Rag was finished. It would either have to start reporting honestly and ethically - or it would be revealed as ridiculous and corrupt in contrast with local broadcast media that would be reporting the truth.
Which is why some hacks in the broadcast media in Jersey have always been on "contracts", as it were, with paymasters other than their official employers.
So, no surprise - no surprise at all - at the ubiquity of the atrocity-supporting corruption to be observed uniformly across all of Jersey's mainstream media - including the BBC.
I invite anyone familiar with the local msm scene to research for themselves just how many different people with different 'skills' migrated from the JEP / Guiton Group to the other Jersey media since the 1960s.
There are some fascinating correlations in editorial policy to be observed.
But there is another reason - a powerful reason - why the JEP/ Guiton Group has led such on overtly corrupt campaign against proper, objective policing during the last few years - and why they've had to exercise every possible control, and call-in every possible influence, over the rest of the Jersey msm.
I'll leave it at that for the moment.
I'll just say this; Mr Power makes a very perspicacious observation when he summons the condition of Mcbeth - and that "point of no return" syndrome.
But it is not only Le Marquand and Warcup who chose to place their destiny in the corruption of vaulting ambition which o'er-leaps itself; the whole Jersey oligarhcy - the "court", let us call it what it is - has been taken in a fit of collective madness from which no backward steps can be taken. As I've observed before - a path of 'total war'.
And if Warcup has been the Mcbeth in the crazed enterprise - William Bailhache was the Lady Mcbeth, who urged him on.
Stuart Syvret [March 2012]
Click on my name to see the broadcast from prison .....
which remains highly relevant, of itself, & to the Pitman's situation :-P
The above "Stuart Syvret's echo" being particularly relevant to the Price-less "I cannot allow you to malign the JEP"
ReplyDeleteMore searing and penetrating insight from St Stewey. With laser like precision he claims that " people within media, mover around various media organisations" like he's discovered a smoking gun. Of course they.do, just like waiters tend to move around the hospitality sector and doctors tend to stay within the medical profession. Hardly a conspiracy, it's all about leveraging your value as an employee...not something Stewey knows much about perhaps?
ReplyDeleteYes Anonymous @14:24
ReplyDeleteAnd keeping things covered up and not allowing the wrong questions to be asked is perhaps your best way of "leveraging your value as an employee" and not rendering yourself unemployable in Jersey media.
I have sympathy with the dilemma that any good and honest journalists on the island must have. Swallowing editorial policy must be like eating dirt.
Anti-journalism and non-investigation or holding power to account is what has saddled us with the communal shame of HDLG and more recent child care atrocities, constructive deportations of autistic abuse victims, politicised policing cemented by the coup against a police chief, a politicised judiciary and self serving politicians on leashes.
And for the first known (of possibly many) unparallelled abuses of the data protection law you can click on my **name** above.
And for a second opinion I will paste in a comment form a recent blog on "Judge made Law".
Holding political prisoners and ruling-inadmissible public interest defence can only bring more shame upon our island.
"second Legal opinion" as promised, from:
ReplyDeletehttp://stuartsyvret.blogspot.com/2013/08/judge-made-law-in-jersey.html?showComment=1377257870645#c8144810475974675171
Mr Syvret, a fascinating observation which will provoke thought and reflection in everyone who understands the Jersey situation. Your remark is both right and wrong when you state, "You know, when observing the historically resilient nature of the British Crown - the strategic calculations - the weighing of risks, of allegiances - who would have predicted that it - its very name, authority - reputation - would take to the battle-field - in loyal protection to a handful of cretinous used-car salesmen, child-abusers, bent cops, thieving scaffolders, spivs, functional psychopaths, rapists, gangsters & scapegrace scions?"
Although I'm a Jersey legal practitioner, and what I imagine you would describe as a part of the Island's "oligarchy", permit me to advance the idea that it would be a mistake to think that all Jersey conservatives are fools. Many of us privately recognise the accuracy of the assessment you and the other bloggers make of the "decadent" state of our "Establishment" and the madness on display during the last two decades. Alas we wring our hands in despair whilst hiding in the shadows. You, and Mr Power, know why. The ruling faction in Jersey are, as you describe, essentially a band of idiots and villainous low scum led by "functional psychopaths", but who now dare cross them, given their power is absolute in the Island, backed as it is by the monarch in person and the fiat of the Crown?
Where I believe your comment is inaccurate, however, is when you imply the accretion of thugs, fools, rapacious criminals, ignoramuses and spittling lunatics so obviously gathered under the Crown's skirts in Jersey today represents an historical anomaly. For, in truth, was it not always the case that those the Crown could most readily do business with over the centuries were just such clans of the vane, criminally avaricious and psychotic?
I suggest the licence and charter of the Crown has always found its most useful and ready lieutenants amongst just such charlatans and maniacs, accreting naturally as they always do throughout human history, and willing to do whatever may be "needed" free of any hobbling consideration of law, wisdom or ethics.
"it's all about leveraging your value as an employee..."
ReplyDeleteI think Mat Price might have just snapped his lever !
To your reader going on about 'libel'. It is no risk to label either Sean The Email Thief Power or the Jersey Evening Pravda as being 'dishonest. They are both demonstrably guilty10 times over. Telling self-interested lies is simply what they do. If they disagree they are welcome to sue me. Of course, if they can get a friendly Jurat on the case they might even win...Until I got the case off island.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone wanting to make an official complaint to the BBC for this utter shambles of an interview (along with all of the BBC's other documented failings), they can visit this website.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you tick the "yes" box when asked if you want a reply to your complaint -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/
Judgement Jersey Law defamation action
ReplyDeleteEvidence Jurat sat in judgement of pitmans case.
If someone could post Sharp report.
Evidence for those who do not like to click on links.
ReplyDelete[2012]JRC092
Royal Court
(Samedi)
10 May 2012
Before :
Sir Charles Gray, Commissioner and Jurats Le Breton and Milner.
Between
Mrs Shona Pitman
First Plaintiff
Mr Trevor Pitman
Second Plaintiff
And
Jersey Evening Post
First Defendant
And
1st Jersey Limited
Second Defendant
To deny evidence in the Sharp report is not to say the evidence does not exist.
ReplyDeleteTPTB understand the importance.
I believe that is why those PTB are trying to prvent Trevor and Shona using it in the appeal case.
Sharp Report
ReplyDeleteThank you for links and restated documentation. For some reason, facts have to be repeated and evidence re-published frequently. Truth has so many enemies.
ReplyDeleteOne of the comments requested demonstrable evidence. I thought it would help readers to see some of it.
ReplyDeleteCould we also see some evidence of the JEP smear campaign against Trevor?
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity Matthew Price didn't ask the same question rather than tell Shona Pitman that she didn't have any evidence. Perhaps somebody should tell him that it's a "journalist's" job to extract information from the people they are interviewing not silencing them with their own unsubstantiated allegations?
DeleteWell, you could start with the cartoon in the JEP that smeared them by implying they were only in politics for the money. Where were the similar cartoons for, say, the Bailiff or the AG when they applied for their respective jobs? Or the cosy little two-for-one job States offers for married couples like the Pollards? Or the cartoon about Dave "5-pensions" Warcup just being in Jersey to notch-up another pension? Or Ben "pop-in to the Chamber to register and collect the pay check, then bugger-off to the day-job" Shenton? I could go on all day, really, couldn't I?
DeleteYou need to be clinically stupid to not have noticed that the JEP does a hatchet-job on every single anti-establishment politician in the Island - just look at how they treated Norman Le Brocq, one of the finest individuals Jersey has produced. Most of Jersey's electorate care about one thing - themselves - and money is the only real issue that motivates them. Lampooning the Pitmans as only in it for the money was a calculated smear.
The "Opposition", if we are to call it that, needs to realise the circumstances for their difficulties. Jersey is a Tax Haven. The island has been captured economically and politically by international finance. The majority of elected politicians are there to maintain that situation.
DeleteThose doing nicely out of the system are leading comfortable lives and wish to keep things as they are. The poor are a liability but one that has to be considered for reasons of social and political stability. Hence Income Support and social housing as a way to deal with the inequalities of wealth distribution.
There is no point bickering about individual politicians and seeing them as the personification of evil. There is a political system in place that supports capitalism – an exploitative economic system. The wealthy are only wealthy because they we are poor.
The writer is correct to say "Most of Jersey's electorate care about one thing - themselves - and money is the only real issue that motivates them." However, it should be noted the "electorate" is only a small proportion of the population. Only 40% vote. The system has been cleverly engineered to ensure the remaining 60%, mainly the working class, do not vote and consequently can be ignored.
An Anonymous above mentions Norman Le Brocq and how the JEP treated him.
DeleteTrevor and Shona recently very kindly gave me a big box of paraphernalia from Le Brocqs political campaigns over the years. This includes some of the actual correspondence between the Jersey Democratic Movement (Le Brocq's party) and the then editor of the JEP Mr A. Harrison.
The JEP overtly refused to publish the JDM's election manifesto, even as a paid advert. At the same time they published articles (reproduced on Tony Bellow's blog) overtly telling the public who to vote for (usual establishment candidates).
The JDM had a policy of holding a referendum over whether Jersey should be incorporated into the UK as an English county so that from that basis Jersey could decide how our future as an island should continue. The JEP persistently reported this as it meaning the JDM's policy was that Jersey should become part of the UK, when in actual fact, the JDM were against it and would have voted No. They just believed that the public of Jersey ought to have a say. The JEP found it more convenient to just lie about them and portray them as traitors.
If you look at the JDM's manifesto today, it is totally uncontroversial. It includes things like; implementing a social security system, introducing a minimum wage, ministerial government, introduce a divorce law, introduce maternity rights, equal pay for women, compulsory free education until 16.
All of these things are now viewed as common sense, but the editorial position of the JEP back then was to oppose them and refuse to engage with candidates in an election.
Norman Le Brocq's book "Jersey Looks Forward" is essential reading for anyone that wants to understand Jersey politics. There are a couple of copies in the Jersey section upstairs at the library.
To understand where we are going, we must understand what we have already been through. Jersey politics is culturally in the dark ages and it won't be fixed until we have a political parties, a public that are culturally democratic and a media that acts in a democratic way.
.Minister resigns after breaching data protection codeDeputy Sean Power Deputy Sean Power said he thinks the Council of Ministers have overreacted to his mistake
ReplyDeleteDeputy Sean Power has resigned as Jersey's housing minister after breaching data protection laws.
He said he passed on an email he found lying on a printer in the States building in August last year.
The Deputy said he felt like he had let down Housing Department staff, but did not feel his error was that serious.
He said the Council of Ministers put pressure on him to stand down after he breached data protection laws and the Code of Conduct for Ministers.
Not long after becoming Housing Minister, Deputy Power said he came across an email on a printer in the States building and with workmen around, he decided to take it home because of the sensitive nature of what it contained.
The e-mail correspondence between two female States Members referred to the former Senator Stuart Syvret and his personal situation.
Deputy Power forwarded it to the Data Protection Commissioner - and also a third party - and in doing that he breached the Data Protection Code.
He said he accepted that he did breach the rules but claims the Council of Ministers put pressure on him to resign.
He said the worry it has caused him affected his health.
The Chief Minister, Terry Le Sueur, made a statement in the States Chamber earlier about Deputy Power resigning.
He said he acknowledged that he had received the Deputy's resignation as housing minister and he would bring forward his nomination for a replacement at the next States meeting.
Sean Power breached data protection laws and code of conduct and is current States member?
ReplyDeleteYes and he wasn’t even criminally charged with the offense because stealing the personal e-mails, passing them on to others, and causing them to be published on the internet was deemed to be a “regulatory” offense so didn’t get dragged through a secret, taxpayer funded, court either.
DeleteSo Matthew Price what is the problem? Evidence is available and some of it posted above comes from the BBCs own reporting?
ReplyDeleteIf BBC News report is not acceptable evidence Hansard can verify the BBCs own news.
The venerable "Boaty Boy," whose comments on Planet Jersey are particularly well referenced and thoughtful, has said, of this Matthew Price interview, "The opinion of the interviewer should not surface at all."
ReplyDeleteThat's a rather significant point, that we should not be so aware of the bias - not to mention rabid hostility - of the interviewer. Nothing could be more unprofessional than for an interviewer to make his listeners acutely aware of his disdain for his guest. Mr Price's intense reluctance to accept that she had a point to make could be seen well before she was cut off. Come on, nothing about the interview suggests he was open to the possibility she was right about anything at all.
This seething bias of Matthew Price is beyond all parody.
Does anyone really believe that he does not have knowledge of the Sean Power email/data theft? Or, was he just scrambling to prevent Deputy Pitman from making an evidenced point? If he didn't know, he is too unqualified to enter informed political conversations, and if he knew about that heavily reported email scandal, and pretended not to, his ethics deficiency should disqualify him from association with anything but PRAVDA or the Rag.
Elle
Someone has requested evidence of the JEP smear campaign against the Pitman's, and I assume that the person sending the following response believes that his comments represent 'evidence'. (My answers in brackets)
ReplyDeleteWell, you could start with the cartoon in the JEP that smeared them by implying they were only in politics for the money.(Not evidence because no offence committed according to our court) Where were the similar cartoons for, say, the Bailiff or the AG when they applied for their respective jobs? (Not evidence of a smear campaign against the Pitmans) Or the cosy little two-for-one job States offers for married couples like the Pollards?(Not evidence of a smear campaign against the Pitmans) Or the cartoon about Dave "5-pensions" Warcup just being in Jersey to notch-up another pension? (Not evidence of a smear campaign against the Pitmans) Or Ben "pop-in to the Chamber to register and collect the pay check, then bugger-off to the day-job" Shenton?(No evidence of a smear campaign against the Pitmans) I could go on all day, really, couldn't I?
If you sincerely believe that any of that comment represented 'evidence' (And if VFC feels that was worthy of publication), it really shows how out of your depth you really all are.
Notwithstanding the numerous fake letters published in the discredited, and disgraced, JEP attacking Deputy Pitman and other opposition politicians who speak out against Child Abuse cover-ups and judicial corruption. This is another display of what could be described as an attempted SMEAR
DeleteOut of my depth? I hadn't realised this was a swimming contest. No, my comment doesn't represent evidence: it gives an example of evidence. If you can't appreciate the difference, I suggest the paddling pool at Millbrook Park.
DeleteSee, what sort of evidence do you expect? I very much doubt there's a big folder in the JEP offices marked "Operation Smear Pitman", setting-out a strategy to bring them down with crap cartoons. Rather, it is a relentless litany of put-downs and misrepresentations of anti-establishment individuals; the corollary being the nauseating fluff-pieces on establishment characters. Of course, you won't see any evidence if you are wilfully blind.
As an almost irrelevant aside 'has anyone noticed that when BBC Jersey goes 'over to the newsroom' for headlines in a morning (possibly beyond but I don't get any further) 10 seconds in the telephone rings in an annoying false attempt at self importance and buzz of activity.It would be interesting to see if this now stops because they read this news source.
ReplyDeleteThe JEP don't exactly hide their prejudice against the more socially aware (lefty!) members of the States, take this gem from Richard Heath in his article last week "People just think that the States are a lost cause" (which I won't disagree with). While he seems to understand our frustration with the States, he's as much a part of the problem as the rest of the establishment when he comes out with tripe like this :
ReplyDelete"...... a mercifully short but tedious question time during which the usual bunch of backbenchers asked a series of pointless questions which did nothing but further their own agenda and feed their obsessions with conspiracies either here or abroad."
Unfortunately, to certain very stupid or very troll-like individuals, the very marvellous Jersey Evening Propaganda quote "...... a mercifully short but tedious question time during which the usual bunch of backbenchers asked a series of pointless questions which did nothing but further their own agenda and feed their obsessions with conspiracies either here or abroad."
ReplyDelete.... is not "evidence" of a smear campaign or a blatent agenda.
As poster at 08:30 points out "Not evidence because no offence committed according to our court"
So when it suits them the only "evidence" that they will accept is a judgement from a Jersey Court.
Perhaps it has escaped he, she (or it) that one of the central tenets of the Pitman's (&others) complaints is that Jersey's Judaical system is politicised.
Unsurprisingly I am unable to find "evidence" of this in the required form of a Jersey Court judgement
[/irony overload?]
Fortunately commenters and bloggers are able to demonstrate that the TPTB are unwilling or unable to provide an Article-6-compliant-court (Hence ex Health Minister Syvret's refusal to recognise or attend court)
And able to Post links to things like the sharp report to demonstrate that our Judaical system has long been infiltrated by like paedophile protectors Jurat Le Breton (or worse).
Intelligent people would realise that this is a problem for the island.
And equally that the mainstream or 'acredited' media's unwillingness to report on it is ....... strange ........ to say the least.
This just goes to show that gullible Jersey people are just as vulnerable to propaganda as Germans of the 1930s.
Just update the technology and substitute:
the Liberals ....... for the Communists
& Syvret etc ........... for the Jews
chuck in a few pre-judged show trials for good measure.
But luckily Jersey's voting classes are are far too sophisticated and have their own free will, moral compass and judgement
....... Yeah right! LOL
I am a Tory of the centre-right but I know the difference between right and wrong. Jersey has been led down a wrong road. A very wrong road.
Jersey has been led down a wrong road which protects only the privilege and power of a guilty few, but will ultimately bring nothing but shame and damage upon our island.
ReplyDeleteStop the madness now.
Did I understand correctly what the interviewer said at the end: the BBC cannot broadcast material that the BBC has not substantiated and justified? It follows that the BBC claims to have substantiated and justified all the comments by all of those of a different persuasion. Have I misunderstood?
ReplyDeleteI think this interview is terrible because what's Sean Power got to do with their court case next week and why did he get sent threatening letters?
ReplyDeleteWhy and who sent the letters is the question? Have the police made any links to anyone?
DeleteWho sent the letters could only be persons wanting to harm the Pitman's court case and smear them. The police, IMO, will not even be investigating it let alone linking anybody.
DeleteShould an investigative journalist and self proclaimed independent media champion be giving out "opinion" as if it were fact but with no supporting evidence to justify how or why you arrive at this conclusion?
DeleteDue to the seriousness of the crime, I believe it should be investigated by an off Island police force.
ReplyDelete@16:05
ReplyDeleteAny threats like this should be taken seriously. An off Island police force would have a better chance of feeling collars on this.
Which is not a lot of chance, because the muppets passed the letters round their offices.
Almost as if they wanted to contaminate the evidence. Or maybe they are just a bit thick.
Both. They are both.
DeleteYet more Data Protection double standards in Jersey.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-25040672
Why are States members who break the law not prosecuted?
They are, don't you see the news?
DeleteSyvret is in prison.
And Sean Power isn't.
DeleteI'm left sitting on the fence on this one. Shona was inept at handling MP, and he was rude and downright hostile to her. She could do with some media training for sure, but it was disgraceful how he simply wouldn't listen or give her a chance to make her points in a way that would satisfy his overzealous need to avoid the slander of the rag. An experienced politician would sidestep the kind of objections MP had and carefully rephrase it to avoid letting him block her - but we don't expect any Jersey politician to be as adept as the slimiest of Whitehall or Washington politicos.
ReplyDeleteNeither of them come away from it well, but at least Shona tried, and comes over as earnest and honest while MP just sounds like an utter tool.
The problem I see with the interviewer is not so much who comes off better, but why the truth never comes off better. He, not the deputy being interviewed, is responsible for willfully distracting the conversation away from any useful information. He wants to rubbish her, not elicit new information from her. How can anybody miss that intent in his word and tone?
DeleteWhen Price interviews a progressive, he becomes shrill and nearly hysterical in trying to block any evidenced statements of fact. Is he terribly afraid of game-changer disclosures? Obviously he is. That's what matters here. He sets himself up as the guardian against newsworthy facts which might not tie in with the oligarchy and state media stance.
ReplyDeleteBBC state radio has reached a new low, and a low low it is. A real high would be listening to MP John Hemming go up against Matthew Price. Hemming would rip that furiously anti-journalistic shill to shreds. Would be worth selling tickets for.
ReplyDeleteI think she handled that very well, as well as anyone could against such a one sided interviewer biased interviewer. It's good to be able to hear for ourselves just how biased BBC state radio actually is. Well done Shona.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how left wing politicians are treated with contempt by the JEP but others are fawned over. I remember an occasion when Frank and Fiona Walker were photographed by the JEP and Frank was allowed to stand on a box to make him look taller.
ReplyDeleteZoompad shared an interesting thought on Rico's older blog about Monty Python doing a parody the Jersey Way, which would not require any new screenwriting, lol.
ReplyDeleteHere, Jon Stewart of Comedy Central TV speaks truth to power in ways the msm fall well behind. Not sure if you have internet access to him on "The Daily Show" there or not, but his fabulous humour is in letting politicians and the media disgrace themselves as outrageous fools by simply replaying their own media clips. He doesn't need to take their words and deeds out of context to expose them as unintentionally hilarious buffoons. Perhaps that is what Jersey is waiting for - a comedic person who simply shows them for what they are by quoting the blatantly biased media and the ridiculous feudalist oligarchy. It wouldn't require any script, so it would be almost cost-free to make. It would be an especially powerful adjunct to the evidence-based independent journalism blogs.
Well done to VFC for allowing a wide ranging and civilised debate. This illustrates that freedom of expression and an accurate understanding of what is really going on is best had from the more reputable internet blogs. How this contrasts with the propaganda of the JEP, Connect and CTV with their strict party line. No wonder the journos come with backgrounds of service in organisations like "Russia Today". Jersey too has its Motherland Party.
ReplyDeleteHere is an excerpt from an 1811 manual on the management of slaves. It may be pertinent to us:
‘where slavery is established, and the population of slaves outnumbers their masters ten to one, terror must operate to keep them in subjection, and terror can only be produced by occasional examples of severity.’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNelt33QP_8
ReplyDeletePeople talk about Trevor Pitman a great deal and I fully understand why. But it should never be forgotten what a very good States Member Shona was.
ReplyDeleteShe had a reputation for a staggering work load of constituent cases and the importance of this generally gets overlooked because it is behind the scenes.
Maybe I can put this in to a little bit of perspective from a personal experience?
I have never met anyone, family, friend or work collegue who has told me about about being helped by a politician.
Apart from in regard to Shona Pitman.
And then not one person or two but three people I know told me that they were helped by her! I think this says loads.
Hard working, evidently brave and honest. That is the sort of person I want to see in our government. Not posturing failed DJs, bankers and the like.
Thanks for the reminder.
And anyone who buried Tel Boy Le Main and ended his political career at the ballot box has to be a gem and worthy of a medal.
She was good actually wasn't she. Must have been hard having a husband who the cameras seemed to love even if they just wanted to try and portray him as a rabble rouser.
ReplyDelete