[cma-l] shhhh! campaigning?

[Roger Drury]

I always thought the raison d'etre was to give access to the Voices that don't get heard and by doing this taking a very small step to give a mishappen balance of output from the other media - be it local press, distortion or mostly omission of grass roots opinion in the face of  government policy.

 And the power of directors (and funders) should always be balanced by the volunteers that run the station and the community you are serving.

but things change don't they....

best to all

Roger Drury
SOUNDWORK Community Projects 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ian Hickling 
  To: marilyn at northernvisions.org ; julian at 10radio.org 
  Cc: cma-l 
  Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 4:02 PM
  Subject: Re: [cma-l] comty radio and campaigning


   
  I suggest that the safest move to cover the situation is to write formally to the CEO of the Authority concerned, specifically pointing out that you have a duty to be impartial but he's not offering his view.
   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: marilyn at northernvisions.org
  Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:31:18 +0000
  To: julian at 10radio.org
  CC: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
  Subject: Re: [cma-l] comty radio and campaigning

  .......you can't be expected to have 'balance' in every programme but you can achieve 'balance' across a schedule. This need not necessarily be focussed narrowly on an issue like libraries, you could consider broader approaches such as a discussion of local government priorities, residents priorities, national public spending cuts effect on locale. I suspect you will always get into diffs with single issues when those either for or against are poor communicators but you could say on air that an invitation was sent to the local county council and they did not reply, were not available etc.... if a majority of people in your community are opposed to library closures and those carrying out the closures have a poor record of communication, that is not your fault. It is the reality of what is happening in your community and you are reflecting that .....discussing positive ways forward, opening up dialogue and involving the community and its elected representatives should help your listeners to see that you are attempting to be impartial.... 






  On 10 Jan 2011, at 14:02, Julian Mellor wrote:


    A question for you hive of minds: 


    Under Ofcom rules we have to show due impartiality, give air to differing opinions etc.


    But how does that impact upon how we cover issues and decisions that will detrimentally impact upon the communities we serve?


    To illustrate this:  our local county council wants to close 20 or its 34 libraries, including the one in our town.  Via our website we have been very vocal in our opposition to the closures, although on air we are giving coverage to both sides of the argument (although the County are pretty hopeless at coming forth to communicate!)  Some of our Directors are a little bit twitchy about this, thinking that we shouldn't come out for one side or the other, whether on air or off air.


    Is there a definitive line on what we can / can't do in this multi-platform world?  And what do others do?


    Many thanks


    Julian


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  Marilyn Hyndman
  Northern Visions/NvTv
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  Tel: 028 9024 5495 ext 207
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