Distribution of several British newspapers was disrupted on Saturday after climate change activists blockaded printworks used by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, publisher of The Times and The Sun, drawing condemnation from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other Tories.
Extinction Rebellion said nearly 80 people had blocked roads leading to two printworks, at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, north east of London, and at Knowsley, near Liverpool. Hertfordshire police said they made 42 arrests and Merseyside police made 30.The Murdoch-owned Newsprinters works also print the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times. Campaigners said they had taken the action to highlight what they regard as the newspapers’ failure to accurately report on climate change.But the action was condemned by Johnson. “A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change,” he said on Twitter.
Whatever your views on the merits of Extinction Rebellion The cries that this was attack on the Free Press are laughable.
Just three companies (News UK, Daily Mail Group and Reach) dominate 83% of the national newspaper market (up from 71% in 2015). When online readers are included, just five companies (News UK, Daily Mail Group, Reach, Guardian and Telegraph) dominate nearly 80% of the market, slightly up from our last report. In the area of local news, just five companies (Gannett, Johnston Press [whose titles were later bought by JPIMedia], Trinity Mirror, Tindle and Archant) account for 80% of titles (back in 2015, six companies had the same share). Two companies have 46% of all commercial local analogue radio stations and two-thirds of all commercial digital stations.
“Two billionaire press barons now own half of the top 10 daily newspapers
The biggest owner of UK press is Rupert Murdoch’s an Australian botn Citizen who owns News UK, which owns The Sun, Sun on Sunday, The Times and the Sunday Times.
When I was a young hippie "The Free Pres" referred to small often Left Wing or Libertarian (sometimes both) newspapers not the daily providers of right wing propaganda which spurns out anti-immigration venom, backs Brexit and the Tories and often are climate change designers.
Hence the Jefferson Airplane song
Crazy Miranda
Lives on propaganda
She believes anything she reads
It could be one side or the other
Free Press or Time Life covers
She follows newsprint anywhere it leads
But still she can't seem to read
And nobody knows
Nobody knows what she needs
It could be love
Still Aberconwy MS, Janet Finch-Saunders, has been criticised by one of her opponents in next year’s Senedd elections after she said she would not meet members of Extinction Rebellion and branded the campaign group “neo-fascist”.
According to Nation Cymru.
Plaid Cymru Aberconwy county councillor, Aaron Wynne, who is running against Mrs Finch-Saunders in next year’s Senedd election called her comments “a bit rich” and said he would be happy to continue to work with Extinction Rebellion to tackle the gravest crisis facing the world.
He said that Mrs Finch-Saunders’ comments were hypocritical as she had attacked the climate change campaign group just days after Conservative county councillors in Conwy met with members of the group at County Hall.
Aaron Wynne said: “I along with some of my fellow county councillors met with Extinction Rebellion on Bank Holiday Sunday, and we had very constructive discussions with the group.
“The Conservative leader of the council was there as was a county councillor who works for the Conservative Party so it’s a bit rich for Janet to say something as absurd as this.
“Unlike Janet I’m not afraid to duck a debate and given her own county councillors were willing to do the right thing it’s hypocritical of her to make these silly comments.”
Janet Finch-Saunders had said that Extinction Rebellion’s actions “in targeting a free press” when they blocked the printing presses of newspapers such as the Sun and the Times were “beyond the bounds of acceptable political protest”.
She also called on the Welsh Government not to engage with the organisation.
“As Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Energy and Rural Affairs I have declined to meet with the extremist and neo-fascist organisation Extinction Rebellion,” she said.
“Their actions today are a dangerous example of hatred and intimidation which has no place in politics and I am also suggesting that all Welsh Conservative candidates for next year’s Welsh Parliament elections do not engage with them either.”
But Aaron Wynne sais that her comments were not appropriate.
Cllr Wynne added: “Throwing around terms like neo-fascist is particularly ill-judged, it does a disservice to our veterans who fought real fascists,” he said.
“Janet’s comments were themselves a disturbing attack on free speech from the establishment and she backed up a newspaper that is rightly boycotted across north Wales and Merseyside because of its disgusting history.
“Does she think that Liverpool and Everton fans are in the wrong because they advocate a boycott of the Sun?”
At least "Crazy Miranda " got to read different viewpoints , Even those of us who still read the Guardian do not see the "liberal" champion of past years and for anyone who is not in the centre (wherever that is) or on the right of it , we have to look elsewhere .
1 comment:
E.R has been hijacked by a groupthink Fascism while the MSM is largely owned by good old corporate Fascism. Let them eat each other and maybe we'll end up in a better place. I doubt whether either of them deserves uncritical support. Same goes for BLM, a worthy cause again hijacked by sinister mob who wish to impose their "values" and ditch all others. All this talk of being inclusive, they don't even know the meaning of the word.
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