JEP Editorials. Compare and Contrast (2)

Back in August 2009 while Jersey's biggest Child Abuse Investigation (Operation Rectangle) was still live, Bloggers were publishing the evidence and facts that the Old Media (formerly known as MSM) was trying to bury.

We (Bloggers) were being trashed by the Old Media, discredited at any given opportunity, in a desperate attempt by the Old Media to churn out the Party Line and bury the truth. Survivors/campaigners/whistleblowers and the cops, (particularly SIO/DCOLenny Harper) were all either silenced or ridiculed by the Old Media, pedophiles, pedophile protectors and supporters of the regime.

Back then (August 2009) Jersey's only newspaper, The Jersey Evening Post, published an Editorial attempting to ridicule Bloggers/Citizen's Journalists and hold onto the immense power it had back then (but was rapidly losing).

We published that editorial HERE where we asked readers to "Compare and Contrast" the opinions of the JEP Editorial and that of a (then) senior journalist working for another Old Media outlet. Readers should read that link in order to grasp how far things have come, how wrong the JEP was and how it is because of the JEP (and all island Old Media) that Bloggers became so trusted and were proven right and totally vindicated whether it be by SENIOR POLITICIANS, Former SENIOR POLICE OFFICER(S) or the Jersey Independent Care Inquiry ITSELF. Even former Attorney General/Bailiff WILLIAM BAILHACHE (through gritted teeth) HAD to vindicate former SIO/DCO Lenny Harper.

We, on this Blog, have (rightly) exposed the JEP for its (shall we say) "failings" over the years, and indeed we've exposed the rest of the Old Media as well. But I digress, regular readers will know that we try to be as fair and balanced as we can be on this Blog and like to give credit where it is due.

In 2014 Andy Sibcy took over the editorship of the newspaper and we have repeatedly given him, and the paper, credit where it has been due and we are pleased to say that has been more often than not. He gained a lot of our respect when he came to the Jersey Independent Care Inquiry to sit alongside BLOGGERS to discuss the role of New and Old Media. It should be noted he didn't have to attend and ITV/CTV as well as The BBC didn't have the courage to come and defend their (indefensible) reporting, and non reporting, of the Child Abuse cover up(s).

We found that Sibcy was humble, at the IJCI hearing, approachable and willing to take onboard constructive criticism/feedback as readers will see by clicking on the above link. The paper (since Sibcy took over) has (in our opinion) become almost unrecognisable since the bad old days. That's not to say that it now practices any kind of investigative journalism, or such like, but you are now seeing articles/opinions published that would never have seen the light of day pre-Sibcy.

In this Blog Posting we want readers to compare and contrast the JEP's opinion from today's EDITORIAL and that of 2009.

Before we do that we need to give readers some context behind today's editorial.

Deputy Mike Higgins

Yesterday, (8th September 2020) in the States (parliament) sitting, Deputy Mike Higgins asked two questions of the children's Minister, Senator Sam Mezec concerning possible criminality within the Children's Services, certainly underhanded, and dangerous tactics allegedly employed by them and it appears the Minister is more inclined to protect the system than he is to hold it to account and protect its users/clients.

Video of the questions and "answers" (sic) can be viewed HERE and HERE. It should be noted that not one other politician had a single question to ask on the back of Deputy Higgins' question. That should put fear into anybody who thinks politicians (other than Higgins) are looking after Children's best interests, or protecting them in any way.

Former Health Minister, and whistleblower, Stuart Syvret

Deputy Higgins, just like Stuart Syvret (and others) before him is going up against the establishment trying to be a voice for the voiceless, trying to root out any wrongdoing and rot, before we have another Child Abuse atrocity on our hands because of Ministers protecting their Department/staff instead of protecting those who are allegedly being abused/failed by it/them.

Regular readers will know that whistleblowers, in the States (like Stuart Syvret) were always portrayed as troublemakers or conspiracy theorists and we thought after the Survivors/whistleblowers/cops and Bloggers were all vindicated by the IJCI that this would end. Well we know it hasn't, as demonstrated by Current Home Affairs Minister LEN NORMAN who tried to portray Deputy Mike Higgins as a troublemaker/conspiracy theorist just as others did before him to (vindicated) Stuart Syvret.

So, finally on to the compare and contrast of the JEP editorials.

JEP EDITORIAL 2009:

"RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

THE proposal that the States should be televised live on the internet should remind us that, as time
marches on, the media of mass communication evolve. A certain amount of hoo-hah over who should be allowed to video Scrutiny panel hearings also reminds us that a new breed of media person is abroad – or would like to be abroad.

Citizen journalists, as they call themselves, believe that they should share the same rights of access as
more traditional media such as newspaper reporters and TV or radio broadcasters.

In itself that sounds like a reasonable idea and a potential enhancement of democracy. The new kids on the block, however, must realise that if they want privileges they must play by the rules – and that involves signing up to codes of conduct and refraining from defaming everyone who is framed in the view finder or splashed all over a blog.

Until that sort of agreement can be negotiated and finalised, citizen journalists are about as welcome as citizen brain surgeons, citizen airline pilots or, indeed, citizen bricklayers."

JEP EDITORIAL 2020:

"THE Independent Jersey Care Inquiry evidenced beyond doubt that  victims and those who were in desperate need of support did not trust government departments which were supposed to provide it. There was also distrust on the other side of the fence – a reluctance to believe people who said that they were abused by those in positions of authority and responsibility.

As a consequence, marginalised Islanders turned to anti-establishment politicians and bloggers outside of the mainstream who they trusted. They became their champions and ensured the spotlight shone on things that others wanted to ignore or forget.

Long-serving backbencher Deputy Mike Higgins was one of those who used his position in the States to give voice to victims who felt unable or were unwilling to seek redress through more official channels – or who simply were not listened to.

In the wake of the inquiry report there were promises of action and better funding, of putting children first and taking steps to make sure mistakes were not repeated. And yet still there are stories of failings, of case-loads which make providing a good service impossible, of mistakes and cover-ups.

And still those fighting against the system turn to people like Deputy Higgins.

There will, no doubt, be people reading today’s front-page and issuing a sigh – irked by or not interested in what the St Helier Member has to say in his questioning of the Children’s Minister.

But to dismiss the allegations would be to demonstrate that the lessons of the past have not been learned.

Assertions of anything from abuse to malpractice and incompetence must, of course, be tested in appropriate ways, as not all allegations will be fair or true, but it is critical that people with grievances and complaints are empowered to speak out, to blow the whistle and to be heard.

In her opening remarks summarising the panels’ findings, chairwoman of the Independent Care Inquiry Frances Oldham QC quoted the 2008 words of the Howard League for Penal Reform after it reviewed Jersey’s youth justice system. She said: ‘Powerful interlocking networks may exclude and disempower those outside of the groups and make it hard for those outside of those networks, who have genuine concerns, to raise them or make complaints in an effective way. This is likely to be particularly true of deprived, disadvantaged and powerless children.’ The powerful networks of today might be different to those of the past, but they remain and there is still a gulf between them and the powerless. It is through that lens that we should read Deputy Higgins’s comments.

Editor: Andy Sibcy editorial@jerseyeveningpost.com" (END)

It is clear that the JEP has learned some lessons from the past. It's editorial today is not attempting to silence or ridicule the whistleblower, (Deputy Mike Higgins) it is (rightly) telling us to listen to him before the "mistakes" of the past are repeated.

The editorial appears to acknowledge its own (and all island Old Media) mistakes of the past when it concedes that trying to cover up the truth will only push people towards those who/were are telling it (Bloggers)

Quote JEP:

"As a consequence, marginalised Islanders turned to anti-establishment politicians and bloggers outside of the mainstream who they trusted. They became their champions and ensured the spotlight shone on things that others wanted to ignore or forget."

A line I wrote from the 2009 EDITORIAL:

"Citizens Media is here and it is here to stay, get used to it Shipley, you helped create it/us."    

So credit where credit is due. The JEP (evidenced by the two editorials) has come a long way since 2009. Unfortunately The BBC and ITV/CTV remain where they always were, untrusted, unreliable and completely silent (as far as we are aware) on the concerns raised by Deputy Higgins in the States yesterday. It was the (Old) Media's silence that helped the cover-up(s)...........History (in some cases) repeating itself.