It's the media killing the media . . ..

This apperared in the Bath Chronicle on May 3 in the middle of the Leveson inquiry. It provoked at least one hostile letter... 


Ladies and gentlemen here is the news. And it is all about the news.


Again.

For, yes, once more all week we have all been bombarded with stories, interviews and debate about the press, Rupert Murdoch, phone hacking and the role that newspapers play in this country.

And, despite the fact that this is my industry and one I have been proud to serve for nearly 30 years, I am sick to death of all this coverage and can’t help wondering just what the millions of people who aren’t remotely connected to the media industry make of it all.

For this is the media eating itself.

And it is not a pretty sight.

Now don’t get me wrong. What the News Of The World did in terms of phone hacking was a terrible thing but it was something that bore no relation to the honest, integrity-led journalism produced by the vast majority of our newspapers nationally and (even more so) locally.

That paper simply went far too far and adopted a ‘get-the-story-at-all- costs’ policy that was probably inevitably going to lead to a dramatic fall at one point. But I doubt if any of us could imagine just how big that fall would be for the paper that paid the ultimate price. And let us not forget the closure of the News Of The World was a self-imposed act at the end of a sensational turn of events.

As a result of all that it was only proper that a serious debate about ethics and journalism should follow and I for one felt that was the right thing to do.

However, the relentless day-to-day coverage of that debate ever since smacks of serious overkill.

So many important things have happened in the world in recent days but many issues are being drowned by some media outlets poring over every word and every nuance of everyone involved in the current media inquiries to try and bring newspaper people (and the odd Government minister) down.

Sometimes it just looks like media luvvies relishing the chance to comment about the thing they ‘luv’ the most – themselves, the media.

All of this newspaper-bashing is in serious danger of making us all feel (wrongly) that the free, written press we should all cherish is rotten from top to bottom.

It.

Is.

Not.

Newspapers – especially local ones – are still a force for good in my opinion. We fight for our communities, reflect the cheers (as well as the tears) of our communities and provide a forum for debate and comment, all in (for local papers at least) a totally non-partisan independent context.

But I fear we are all in danger of forgetting that due to the wider media’s OTT, self-indulgent obsession with all things Murdoch.

Some politicians would love nothing better than to strangle press freedom as a belated revenge for the MPs expenses scandal being (brilliantly) exposed by The Daily Telegraph. The media itself is playing into their hands. And boring us all silly at the same time.

Not all newspapers should be in the dock . . .

This is the leader I did for the Bath Chronicle on July 12 - before we knew the News Of The World was to close

This has not been an easy week for anyone involved in newspapers or the written press.

The terrible revelations about the extent of the phone hacking carried out by the News of The World has left all of us in the press feeling a sort of collective guilt.

Of course we, at the Chronicle may be a million miles away from the 'red-tops' in terms of the way we approach news - and indeed the way we get our stories - but we are all part of the same profession.

As such, when one of us lets the side down we know our industry as a whole can start to look very bad in the eyes of the public.

But, just as one rogue policeman doesn't mean a whole police force is corrupt or one bad teacher means an entire school has failed, it feels only fair, as the attacks on our profession mount, to at least ask that people don't tar all newspapers with the same brush.

As Alaistair Campbell pointed out on the radio on Tuesday night Britain has some of the best and the worst press in the world and we hope that local papers such as the Chronicle are seen very much in the former category due to our absolute commitment to our communities.

Our hopes for this were raised this week by a Newspaper Society survey which showed that the local press remains the most trusted of all media - ahead of television and well ahead of our national colleagues. We have earned this position, we believe, by trying to provide an independent news service week in, week out that fully reflects and celebrates local life.

While national newspapers have political or social biases, we have none - our only bias is towards our readers and their concerns. We believe our papers are built on the basis of mutual respect and trust between ourselves and our readers.

However, we are not complacent and we are always keen to hear from you about how we can improve because we are conscious of the fact that you set us very high standards.

It is our privilege to try and match your standards. Why? Because this is your newspaper.