Stroud Greens launched our report, 'The Right to Know: Oldbury Nuclear Expansion and Your Safety' just outside the power station where there are plans to build a plant six or seven times bigger than the current plant - plus the vast cooling towers (see mock up postcard left). The report looks at the wider picture about plans for building another nuke on the site.The BBC covered the story but as I noted here they have been less than fair. They came to Oldbury supposedly to cover the Green party as they had done virtually zilch so far about SW Greens in the coming election - did they not see the numbers who voted Green in Euros last year or that 20% of Stroud District voted Green in the last local elections?? It seems they are obsessed with the three main parties.
Anyway they came and interviewed Martin Whiteside, the Green party's Parliamentary candidate about the report launch.
So what goes out that evening on Points West? Well they twice misrepresented what the report was about. They interviewed people from the other parties and not Greens, having argued that they couldn't interview us without interviewing them. Well yes there was a glimpse of some Green party people standing around and a brief mention that both Greens and Lib Dems oppose nuclear - but no mention of the report or Martin's interview - instead they went straight to other politicians!
The Lib Dems must have loved out stunt that gave them minutes of interview time to explain their policies! Shame on you BBC!
As regular blog readers will know I have in the past defended the BBC (see for example here) - the alternative is worse - but I have to say my resolve is weakening! This is not the first time they have reported so unfairly. Apparently after a complaint that day they said they would put in the bit by Martin in their night slot.
Anyhow the nuke report will v soon be on the Green party website but do email me if you want a copy before then - I'll also note something more here on this blog about it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment