North East NO Campaign

Press Release

Press Statement
12 Noon Thursday 15th July 2004

STATEMENT

Following the BBC broadcast on Monday 12th July by presenter Richard Moss on BBC's North East regional news programme Look North, which yet again portrayed a split / division between various 'No' Campaigns, influential think tank, New Frontiers warns that a BBC 'agenda' has obvious implications for the European Constitution referendum.

The statement by Director, Dominic Cummings can be seen below.

Neil Herron, Campaign Director of the North East No Campaign states:

"the BBC used old footage of our campaign and we were not given any opportunity to make fresh comment on recent developments. Had we been able to do so, we would have thanked John Elliott for his considerable efforts in setting up the business campaign, North East Says No, and pulling together such a formidable gathering of high profile North East individuals.

"John had originally agreed to come on board as our Chairman, but it was apparent that his links with the business community would be better served pulling together a coalition from the business world.

"The North East No Campaign, will continue to grow as the 'Peoples Campaign,' and has appointed a new Chairman, Judith Wallace. We have growing region wide representation. A press release detailing this is imminent. We look forward to working with John and the business group, NESNO.

"I am very surprised that the BBC report what is a 'non-story' and made no mention of some of the very highly respected and high profile names who have come out saying 'No', such as Sir Tom Cowie, Frank Nicholson, Les Bell,Christopher Fenwick to name a few...which was the real story and reported accurately in the Newcastle Journal.

"Perhaps it was simply poor journalism rather than a deliberate attempt at manipulation or the pursuit of an agenda, but I am sure that future broadcasts will be carefully scrutinised."

ENDS

Neil "Legend in His Own Kipper Box (according to BNP in the BBC broadcast)" Herron

Campaign Director

North East No Campaign, 48 Frederick Street, Sunderland, SR1 1NF.

Useful Links

BBC Look North

BBC Questions and Comments

BBC Complaints

Stop the BBC Bias

The New Frontiers Foundation

Cultural snapshot – how the BBC approaches an issue.

Yesterday, a new business campaign against the North East Regional Assembly was covered on the front of the Journal, a Newcastle paper. Many well-known people from the region were among those listed. The BBC’s Look North programme covered the story as follows: a new campaign was launched today but the real story is how they are all arguing with themselves; there is individual X, individual Y, and the BNP; interviews with X,Y, and the BNP regional coordinator explaining how they are applying to the Electoral Commission to be the official ‘no’ campaign; wrap up – the next few months look as though they’ll be dominated by rows between these three people about who is the ‘no’ campaign.

There was no reference whatsoever to the nature or scale of the organisation announced yesterday, and in its attempt to portray the new organisation as on a par with the BNP without even describing who was supporting the new organisation, the BBC broke its own rules on fair election coverage as well as being guilty of blatant misrepresentation. This is no surprise – one of the BBC’s most senior journalists in the region said to one of the Assembly’s opponents recently that if the North East campaign was lost, “I think we have less chance of winning the other two.“ Notice the “we”.

This is a classic of its kind – the BBC is dominated by a culture that regards differing points of view on issues such as regional assemblies, the EU, business, the role of markets in providing services, Iraq and WMD, as immoral. In their worldview, having certain views = immoral = more or less racist. The privileged closed world of the BBC needs to be turned upside down and its very existence should be the subject of a very intense and well-funded campaign that involves bringing out whistleblowers armed with internal memos and taped conversations of meetings.

This incident has obvious implications for the Constitution referendum.

Watch the broadcast at the link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/default.stm

DOMINIC CUMMINGS

Director, The New Frontiers Foundation

199 Piccadilly

London

W1J 9HA

020 7494 3000

Useful Links

BBC Complaints

Stop the BBC Bias

	*Press Release*

Press Statement 12 Noon Thursday 15th July 2004 STATEMENT Following the BBC broadcast on Monday 12th July by presenter Richard Moss on BBC's North East regional news programme Look North, which yet again portrayed a split / division between various 'No' Campaigns, influential think tank, New Frontiers warns that a BBC 'agenda' has obvious implications for the European Constitution referendum. The statement by Director, Dominic Cummings can be seen below. Neil Herron, Campaign Director of the North East No Campaign states: "the BBC used old footage of our campaign and we were not given any opportunity to make fresh comment on recent developments. Had we been able to do so, we would have thanked John Elliott for his considerable efforts in setting up the business campaign, North East Says No, and pulling together such a formidable gathering of high profile North East individuals. "John had originally agreed to come on board as our Chairman, but it was apparent that his links with the business community would be better served pulling together a coalition from the business world. "The North East No Campaign, will continue to grow as the 'Peoples Campaign,' and has appointed a new Chairman, Judith Wallace. We have growing region wide representation. A press release detailing this is imminent. We look forward to working with John and the business group, NESNO. "I am very surprised that the BBC report what is a 'non-story' and made no mention of some of the very highly respected and high profile names who have come out saying 'No', such as Sir Tom Cowie, Frank Nicholson, Les Bell,Christopher Fenwick to name a few...which was the real story and reported accurately in the Newcastle Journal. "Perhaps it was simply poor journalism rather than a deliberate attempt at manipulation or the pursuit of an agenda, but I am sure that future broadcasts will be carefully scrutinised." ENDS Neil "Legend in His Own Kipper Box (according to BNP in the BBC broadcast)" Herron Campaign Director North East No Campaign, 48 Frederick Street, Sunderland, SR1 1NF. Useful Links BBC Look North BBC Questions and Comments BBC Complaints Stop the BBC Bias The New Frontiers Foundation Cultural snapshot – how the BBC approaches an issue. Yesterday, a new business campaign against the North East Regional Assembly was covered on the front of the Journal, a Newcastle paper. Many well-known people from the region were among those listed. The BBC’s Look North programme covered the story as follows: a new campaign was launched today but the real story is how they are all arguing with themselves; there is individual X, individual Y, and the BNP; interviews with X,Y, and the BNP regional coordinator explaining how they are applying to the Electoral Commission to be the official ‘no’ campaign; wrap up – the next few months look as though they’ll be dominated by rows between these three people about who is the ‘no’ campaign. There was no reference whatsoever to the nature or scale of the organisation announced yesterday, and in its attempt to portray the new organisation as on a par with the BNP without even describing who was supporting the new organisation, the BBC broke its own rules on fair election coverage as well as being guilty of blatant misrepresentation. This is no surprise – one of the BBC’s most senior journalists in the region said to one of the Assembly’s opponents recently that if the North East campaign was lost, “I think we have less chance of winning the other two.“ Notice the “we”. This is a classic of its kind – the BBC is dominated by a culture that regards differing points of view on issues such as regional assemblies, the EU, business, the role of markets in providing services, Iraq and WMD, as immoral. In their worldview, having certain views = immoral = more or less racist. The privileged closed world of the BBC needs to be turned upside down and its very existence should be the subject of a very intense and well-funded campaign that involves bringing out whistleblowers armed with internal memos and taped conversations of meetings. This incident has obvious implications for the Constitution referendum. Watch the broadcast at the link below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/default.stm DOMINIC CUMMINGS Director, The New Frontiers Foundation 199 Piccadilly London W1J 9HA 020 7494 3000 Useful Links BBC Complaints Stop the BBC Bias

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