 THE ANNIVERSARY OF SHAMEToday, Schapelle begins her NINTH year of torment, for a crime which her own government know she is innocent of. They have known since 2005.These are just some of the proven truths which the corrupt and criminal are terrified of being exposed. They are cast iron facts which the callous and the cowardly are desperate to hide, and which the Australian establishment and media censor from the people: 1. Schapelle Corby's boogie-board bag was the only one not scanned at Sydney Airport: it was diverted past the scanner by baggage staff. Customs Minister Ellison withheld this vital information, even when Schapelle Corby’s lawyer asked directly about scanning. [Transit Report]2. This information was also hidden from Parliament, when direct questions were asked, and critically, it was withheld from the Bali court. John Howard, and his friend, Head of Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd, Max Moore-Wilton, also kept quiet about it, when they both knew. [Transit Report]3. The AFP never investigated the reason for this missing screening data, and AFP Commissioner Keelty, who also knew, never commented upon it. [Transit Report]4. Schapelle Corby’s bags were subsequently found to be 5kg overweight on the Qantas system, when she had checked her bags in, underweight, without any excess charge ($175). [Transit Report]5. Again, neither Schapelle Corby, nor the Bali court, were ever provided with this critical information. [Supplementary Report]6. Two weeks before the verdict, AFP Commissioner Keelty told the media that there was no evidence of airport drug syndicates using innocent passengers, when this was clearly, demonstrably, and utterly, false. The AFP had held the Kessing Reports for months, and it withheld a host of other vital support evidence, which proved the long term and systemic nature of such syndication at Sydney Airport. [Transit Report]7. The AFP and DFAT demonstrably evaded the forensic and DNA tests which Schapelle Corby begged for. [Mutual Evasion Report]8. The AFP also told Parliament that it couldn't perform marijuana pollen tests, when it could, and indeed, had originally offered to perform them for the INP. It also refused the services of a forensics expert, who had volunteered to perform them. [Mutual Evasion Report]9. Ellison subsequently told a clearly false story about marijuana testing, in a letter to a constituent. [Mutual Evasion Report]10. DFAT did not invoke the MACMA treaty to obtain the sample of marijuana which Schapelle Corby begged them for, when it could have done so within the provisions of the treaty itself. [Mutual Evasion Report]11. The AFP and Qantas provided wholly contradictory stories about the missing CCTV footage, which Schapelle Corby pleaded for. [Transit Report]12. Foreign Minister Downer, and Prime Minister Howard, publicly endorsed the original Bali trial, when they were well aware of the multitude of legal and human rights abuses committed throughout. [Bali Trial Report]13. Ellison publicly endorsed the burning of the evidence, when Schapelle Corby pleaded for it to be preserved. [Mutual Evasion Report]14. DFAT have, de facto, endorsed and suppressed the ongoing documented abuses of a mentally ill Australian citizen for eight years. [Health Report]15. ACLEI, when forced to examine the AFP's role in the affair, was directly and demonstrably complicit with an AFP officer, in producing a report which was an utter embarrassment to all parties. A functionary, who was at the heart of the Howard regime when the AFP abuses occurred, was allowed to rubber stamp ACLEI's complicit rubber stamp. [Whitewash Report]16. The government forced an Australian QC, Mark Trowell, on to Schapelle Corby. He then decimated her appeal by attacking her defence team to the media. When he subsequently admitted that he was working for the government, and not for Schapelle Corby, the government hid, refusing to comment. The precise role of Justice & Customs Minister Ellison, Trowell’s long term friend, in this affair, has never been explained. [Insider Report]17. Downer and Howard publicly called a standard flour hoax a “biological agent” and a “murderous attack”, when there was no evidence whatsoever to suggest that it wasn’t flour. Neither of them said that the note included with the flour didn't even mention Schapelle Corby, and was even written in Bahasa, when they promptly blamed it on her supporters [PowderGate Report]18. Ellison did not alert the parties necessary to prevent the false (but support-wrecking) story from circulating around the world, when he was informed of the benign nature of the flour, by email, at 6:35pm on the same day [PowderGate Report]19. The government seized Schapelle Corby's book royalties, when she was still in legal process in Indonesia, when it knew that this would signal 'guilt' to Jakarta. It brought the Australian judiciary itself into disrepute, by illegally extending its jurisdiction outside Australia, and holding secret trials, at which Schapelle Corby was not even represented [Political Seizure Report]20. The government thus denied her the funds for another appeal, and for medicine, even though it was well aware of the nature of the Bali trial, and of the vital primary evidence which it had, itself, wilfully withheld [Political Seizure Report]21. The dozens of breaches of the Freedom of Information Act, with respect to requests made on behalf of Schapelle Corby, for information held on herself, remain totally un-addressed [FOI Abuse Report]22. The AFP suppressed a secret recording of two known criminals discussing the collection of marijuana from Sydney Airport on the same day that Schapelle Corby flew to Bali [Candidate Sources Report] 23. The Commonwealth Ombudsman has supported the government with respect to every complaint ever lodged relating to Schapelle Corby. The same applies to every other quango presented as a watchdog to the public. [Quango Report]24. Serious broadcasting media abuses, including criminal matters, which were submitted to the government in 2011, were excluded from the Finkelstein media inquiry. Compelling evidence of political interference with respect to the ABC, and evidential proof of subsequent editorial and reporting abuses, continue to be ignored. [Media Reports]25. The current Attorney-General has refused to accept a formal Crime Report, including a 450 page evidential Addendum, which documents serious breaches of the law by politicians and the AFP [Crime Report]. Truth is Schapelle's best friend. Let's take these truths to the world, shouting from every rooftop until Schapelle is free. There must not be a tenth year. www.expendable.tv |
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Today, Schapelle begins her NINTH year of torment, for a crime which her own government know she is innocent of. They have known since 2005.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
'Please don't get in the van': Friend begged April Jones not to get in kidnapper's vehicle Officers are quizzing a 46-year-old man, named locally as Mark Bridger, who was arrested in the town where April was abducted - By Richard Smith, Luke Traynor, Ada
Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/april-jones-missing-friend-begged-1357238
APRIL JONES MISSING'Please don't get in the van': Friend begged April Jones not to get in kidnapper's vehicle
Officers are quizzing a 46-year-old man, named locally as Mark Bridger, who was arrested in the town where April was abducted
Lost girl: April Jones in the same purple coat she wore on Monday PA
The best friend of snatched April Jones begged her not to get into the van in which she was driven off by a kidnapper.
As police and neighbours last night continued the hunt for the missing five-year-old, an RAF search and rescue helicopter was scrambled to a “very specific location” at short notice with police on board.
Officers were also quizzing a 46-year-old man who was arrested yesterday in the townwhere April was abducted.
Do you know Mark Bridger? Ring us free on 0800 282 591
Mum-of-two Vicky Fenner told how the two close friends had been playing together when the kidnapper struck.
The 25-year-old added: “The two girls went out together and we’ve been told by the seven-year-old that April got into a vehicle parked behind the garages.
"It was wet and cold and the other girl told April not to get into it. But April said: ‘It’s all right, I know them’.
“I think the girl was the only person who was with April. She is the last person to see her.
“I was told April was in the same vehicle two or three days ago. On that occasion three children got into the vehicle but one girl is denying it.”
April’s friend said she climbed into a left-hand drive van willingly.
The arrested man was named locally as Mark Bridger, a swimming pool attendant.
Neighbours say he has a daughter about April’s age.
Arrested: Mark Bridger
He was held walking on a road near the town.
Police later found his vehicle nearby and took it for examination.
April’s devastated parents Coral, 40, and 43-year-old Paul said in a statement directed at whoever had taken her: “Please, if you have our little girl, let her come home to us.”
Shocked residents on the Mid Wales estate where the girl was snatched told how their quiet community has been shattered by the abduction.
And they said they previously had no fears about letting children play outside because the area was considered very safe.
Vicky added: “I’ve grown up on this estate and we all thought this was the safest place in the world for kids to play.
"April goes past my house 20 times a day with her friend. This is such a shock because everybody looks out for everyone else’s children and we all know what is going on.”
Another mother added: “We always thought this was the best place in the world to bring up kids. This is like taking the innocence away from our town. April is tiny and so sweet.
“It’s shocking isn’t it. They are a nice, normal family.”
The youngster was snatched on the Bryn y Gog estate in Machynlleth, Powys at 7pm on Monday.
Police, coastguard, mountain rescuers and the RAF were concentrating their search for her along the banks of a river.
The RAF Sea King flew from the same base on Anglesey where Prince William is based. He was not involved in the search operation.
Powys Chief Superintendent Reg Bevan, leading the hunt for the girl who was wearing her favourite purple knee-length coat when she disappeared, said last night: “April is still missing and all lines of inquiry are continuing with the view she is alive.”
Parents: Paul and Coral are said to be "shattered" Wales News Service
See live updates as the search for missing April Jones continues
Last night detectives said they were examining a left-hand drive Land Rover Discovery.
People who knew the arrested man claim he had a similar vehicle.
Officers have carefully quizzed April’s friends to piece together the moments before she was snatched and to get a description of the kidnapper.
Superintendent Ian John confirmed the main witness was a seven-year-old girl.
He added: “She saw her walking willingly into the van on the driver’s side.
"We are treating the witness with a great deal of sensitivity and specialist officers trained to deal with children are slowly and precisely interviewing her.”
Mr Bevan added: “The indications are that April got into the vehicle willingly. There’s nothing to suggest at this stage there was a struggle.”
April lives with her parents, sister Jasmine, 16, and brother Harley, nine.
Neighbour Gareth Jones, 51, told how 45 minutes after she vanished, Coral turned up at his house in tears asking: “Have you seen my daughter?”
He added: “Coral was totally distraught. She was in pieces.
“This is totally shocking. We come from a quiet mid-Wales town. We wanted to do anything to help. The way everyone has stepped up is amazing.”
Another parent told how she joined the search party looking for April as soon as it became clear she had vanished.
The mum said: “It is very scary and I can’t even imagine what Coral and Paul are going through. It’s heart-wrenching and horrible.”
Rallying round: Hundreds of volunteers helped the search PA
More than 500 people yesterday joined police to help in the search.
They spent the night scouring every road within a 25-mile radius of the town.
Mum-of-two Helen Roberts told how Harley banged on her door pleading for help after his sister went missing.
The 43-year-old, who is a dinner school meals supervisor at the local primary where April is a pupil, said: “He said, ‘Please, please, please come and help me’.
"I went and grabbed my coat. Harley was in tears, he was frantic. He wanted everybody to help because he thinks the world of April because she is the youngest.
“April is a lovely, pretty little girl. She is always happy and has lots of friends. She is a great girl and always listens to me.
"I held her hand in the playground on Monday. She said, ‘What time’s dinner, Auntie Helen?’
“Everybody is confused about where she has been taken and who has taken her.
"There’s great sadness but we are hoping to find her safe and alive. We searched the school and estate.”
April’s godmother Mair Raftree joined the hunt for the youngster.
The 49-year-old said: “She is such an intelligent child there is no way she would get into a car with a stranger.
"She had to have known him. I cannot believe what is happening, no one can, we’re in a state of shock and we are all praying for a miracle.
"I spoke to April’s mum this morning and she is struggling to keep it together. Coral is at home now and she’s been told not to leave her house.”
Coral is a member of the junior school parent teachers association.
Paul used to own a hardware shop and is regularly seen out walking the family’s pet dog.
A vigil was last night being held at St Peters Church in Machynlleth where wellwishers prayed for April.
Neighbours said Bridger was a well-known figure in the small town.
One added: “Everyone around here knows him. He used to work as a lifeguard.”
Wayne Thomas, 32, once worked as a welder with the suspect.
He said: “I’m amazed he has been arrested for this.”
Bridger’s parents Pamela and Graham last night refused to comment at their home in Hailsham, East Sussex.
See live updates as the search for missing April Jones continues and see all the news on the April Jones case
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The search for missing 5-year-old April Jones
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Missing 5 year old April Jones in Machynlleth Thu 04 Oct 2012 11:00 - Statement by Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan:
Missing 5 year old April Jones in Machynlleth
Thu 04 Oct 2012
Thursday October 4th 2012
11:00
Statement by Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan:
I would like to give you a brief update on progress of the investigation into the abduction of April Jones in Machynlleth.
The suspect Mark Bridger remains in police custody at Aberytsywth Police Station.
He appeared before magistrates this morning when an extension of 36 hours was granted to allow us to further question him.
We have until just before 5pm tomorrow before we either charge, release or apply for a further warrant of detention.
The investigation continues and our focus remains on finding April.
The investigative team will be further interviewing Mark Bridger today. We will be continuing to piece together his movements during the relevant times and looking to overlay what we glean from his interviews, witness accounts and sightings.
While there is a huge visible presence of police officers and search teams, there is also a significant team of officers working around the clock behind the scenes, assisting in developing that picture so we can map out to the best of our ability his movements.
This includes a vast amount of forensic analysis taking places which forms a crucial part of the investigation, however forensics alone will not solve this.
We need information from the public which may help us find April.
In particular we are looking to trace the movements of Mark Bridger between 6.30pm on Monday and 3.30pm on Tuesday and any sightings of him between these times.
In addition, if anyone had contact with him between these times, we would urge you to come forward.
By contact I mean any contact - including face to face, telephone, text or social media.
We also need information regarding the movements of the blue Land Rover Discovery registration number L503 MEP between Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon.
Statement by Superintendent Ian John:
We are appreciative of the support from volunteers who we know desperately want to assist in the search to find April, which remains our top priority.
We continue to implement the police led searches in partnership with other police forces from around the UK, which includes nationally recognised search advice, Mountain Rescue, Coastguard and other agencies.
We understand fully why people feel the need do something practical to get out and try to find April. We want to ensure that we do all we can to find her, and at the same time do nothing to jeopardise the effort to locate her.
We are consulting the National Police Search Centre to see how we can best use the untrained community volunteers to do this.
We want people to come forward to provide the volunteer search coordinators with their details and what skills and local knowledge they possess.
We have developed a set of questions which we want the coordinators in Machynlleth Leisure Centre to complete and feed to us. This information will help us make a wider search more effective for us.
I also remind people to look at their immediate environment and search their gardens and outbuildings and let us know if they have any information that can help us locate April. We can then process this information to help us in our on-going evaluation of our search priorities.
By way of reassurance we have the following specialist resources deployed now:
8 Specialist police search teams directed by 5 POLSA’s
6 Police Dog Handlers
Officers from Dyfed Powys Police Marine Unit
RAF Mountain Rescue Team, coordinating the Mountain Rescue response with Brecon Beacons & Dyfi Valley Mountain Rescue Teams, including 11 Search & Rescue Dogs
The Coastguard Search Team, RNLI
This is undoubtedly a large and complex search operation of it’s kind in recent policing history.
We will continue to do all that we can collectively to find April.
The three key messages for me are:
Volunteers are welcomed.
- The police must co-ordinate the search activity to ensure integrity of the search operation.
- Under Police co-ordination we can use volunteers at the right time, in the right place and utilise appropriate skills. This will maximise opportunities and prevent people attending when there may not be readily available tasks.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Researchers Examine How Characteristics of Automated Voice Systems Affect Users’ Experience By Michele Masterson on September 21, 2012
The personality and gender of the automated voices you hear when calling your credit card company or receiving directions from your GPS navigational system may have an unconscious effect on your perception of the technology.
Researchers Rochelle Edwards and Philip Kortum at Rice University have conducted a study focusing how the gender and tone selected for an IVR affects its user-friendliness in which participants interacted with a medical IVR that collected information about their health. Users responded to both male and female voices that spoke in different tones, such as upbeat, professional, or sympathetic, and were then asked to judge the system’s usability. Edwards and Kortum will present their paper, “He Says, She Says: Does Voice Affect Usability?” at an upcoming Human Factors and Ergonomics Society meeting,
Past studies have indicated that users are more responsive to actual human voices than to computer-generated voices, but little research has been completed on the role that voice characteristics play in user perceptions of the technology.
“We have been systematically looking at what affects user performance on IVRs for some time now,” said Kortum. “Voice is the major element in an IVR interface, as graphical elements are for a Web page, and this study was a first attempt to understand the impact voice might have on the perceived usability of such systems.”
The authors found that although IVRs with male voices tended to be perceived as more usable than those with female voices, they were not considered more trustworthy. The researchers encourage designers to take voice characteristics into consideration when developing future systems.
“Anyone who uses an IVR knows how frustrating they can be,” said Kortum. “Much of this frustration stems from poorly designed IVRs, not from the form of interface being intrinsically “bad.” This research shows that some simple modifications to the design of these systems can have an impact on the usability of voice interfaces.”
Source: The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Researchers Examine How Characteristics of Automated Voice Systems Affect Users’ Experience By Michele Masterson on September 21, 2012
The personality and gender of the automated voices you hear when calling your credit card company or receiving directions from your GPS navigational system may have an unconscious effect on your perception of the technology.
Researchers Rochelle Edwards and Philip Kortum at Rice University have conducted a study focusing how the gender and tone selected for an IVR affects its user-friendliness in which participants interacted with a medical IVR that collected information about their health. Users responded to both male and female voices that spoke in different tones, such as upbeat, professional, or sympathetic, and were then asked to judge the system’s usability. Edwards and Kortum will present their paper, “He Says, She Says: Does Voice Affect Usability?” at an upcoming Human Factors and Ergonomics Society meeting,
Past studies have indicated that users are more responsive to actual human voices than to computer-generated voices, but little research has been completed on the role that voice characteristics play in user perceptions of the technology.
“We have been systematically looking at what affects user performance on IVRs for some time now,” said Kortum. “Voice is the major element in an IVR interface, as graphical elements are for a Web page, and this study was a first attempt to understand the impact voice might have on the perceived usability of such systems.”
The authors found that although IVRs with male voices tended to be perceived as more usable than those with female voices, they were not considered more trustworthy. The researchers encourage designers to take voice characteristics into consideration when developing future systems.
“Anyone who uses an IVR knows how frustrating they can be,” said Kortum. “Much of this frustration stems from poorly designed IVRs, not from the form of interface being intrinsically “bad.” This research shows that some simple modifications to the design of these systems can have an impact on the usability of voice interfaces.”
Source: The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Supreme Court case tests US leadership in human rights - By Jodie A. Kirshner / October 1, 2012 - The Christian Science Monitor
'+'\x3C/scr'+'ipt>'); })();Supreme Court case tests US leadership in human rights
Today the Supreme Court will assess whether US courts can hear lawsuits that pertain to events outside the country. If the justices eventually decide 'no,' an important avenue for redress will be closed to foreign victims of human-rights abuses – and America’s beacon will shine less brightly.
By Jodie A. Kirshner / October 1, 2012
EnlargeThe US Supreme Court is under a protective scrim, as work continued on the facade Sept. 27. Op-ed contributor Jodie A. Kirshner writes about the case the court will hear on the first day of its new term today: 'Between 1994 and 1995, [Barinem] Kiobel and other residents of the Ogoni region of Nigeria were arrested, tortured, convicted of murder in a sham trial, and shot.' With no redress in Nigeria, Kiobel's widow and survivors 'turned to the American courts.'
Alex Brandon/AP
New York
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via csmonitor.com
Shell Blocks Employee Access to Activist Website 71,010 employees blocked from tweeting Oprah about Supreme Court murder case
Shell Blocks Employee Access to Activist Website
71,010 employees blocked from tweeting Oprah about Supreme Court murder case
Houston, TX (October 2, 2012) — Early Monday morning, 71,010 Shell employees received an email from the company's "Grassroots Employee Empowerment Division" providing information on Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, a pivotal human rights case being argued in the U.S. Supreme Court. The email contained links to news stories, as well as a tool to help employees tweet their feelings about the case at key US news anchors (and Oprah Winfrey).The only thing is, Shell has no "Grassroots Employee Empowerment Division," and they don't want publicity for the case. The email was in fact the work of an activist group called People Against Legalizing Murder (PALM), who received the list of Shell emails from what they believe to be a group of disaffected employees. (A similar leak occurred two years ago.)Within minutes of the email being sent out, Shell internally blocked the site, preventing employees from accessing it. "I would love to participate, but access is denied to all links you sent out," wrote one employee among many. The 71,010 employees were informed this morning of the situation and the site's new URL.PALM intended the action to help shine a spotlight on the case, brought by the widow of Dr. Barinem Kiobel, who was hanged along with novelist Ken Saro-Wiwa for opposition to Shell's drilling plans in West Africa. Shell is alleged to have aided paramilitary forces that raided more than 60 villages, killed over 800 people, and displaced 30,000 more.To prevail, Shell lawyers must overturn a 200-year-old law, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), that compensates victims of international crimes. (The law has been used to compensate Holocaust survivors who sued for restitution from corporations that profited from slavery and forced labor during World War II.) Shell's lawyers are arguing that their corporation is not subject to the ATS because it is not a person."When it comes to things like election spending, Shell and other corporations want to have all the rights of people," said Sean Dagohoy from PALM. "But when accused of murder, Shell conveniently argues that they aren't a person. A ruling in their favor would be a very dangerous precedent, and would badly undermine the United States' reputation as a place that cares about human rights. That's why we attempted to reach out to Shell employees to help get the word out.""Surely most Shell employees, like most people, don't want multinationals to get away with murder just because murder's convenient," said Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Lab, which provided technical assistance for the action. "Shell needs to let its employees speak," said Mike Bonanno of the Yes Lab. "They can prevent it for a day, but in the long run they have no choice."
ContactSean Dagohoy sean.dagohoy@gmail.com People Against Legalizing Murder (PALM)Andy Bichlbaum or Mike Bonanno murderisbad@yeslab.org
The Yes Lab
Monday, 1 October 2012
« The closure of the Independent Living Fund (ILF) 30 Sep Crippen takes his gloves off for Cameron! Posted 30/09/2012 by crippencartoons in Uncategorized. 10 Comments
30 Sep
Crippen takes his gloves off for Cameron!
Posted 30/09/2012 by crippencartoons in Uncategorized. 10 Comments
OK you bastard, it’s ‘gloves off’ time!
The time has come to take the gloves off with my response to the inhuman treatment of disabled people by David Cameron.
What is it with this man. Has he made some sort of pact with the devil? Has he been offered this meteoric rise to power in exchange for a regular supply of disabled souls? And make no bones about it – disabled people ARE dying out there because of his policies!
Or is he so driven by his loyality to his pay masters that even his own personal experience of losing a disabled child can’t halt his savage attacks upon sick and disabled people?
And what about his cronies. It wasn’t so long ago that they were all attacking Labour for holding an attitude towards disabled people as being ‘scroungers’.
Quentin Davis, Conservative MP and spokesman for social security – and under the guidance of William Hague – told us that “those who are disabled should get the support they need to lead a fulfilling life with dignity. I am proud that we in the Conservative party never thought of taking such measures when we were in power.”
No I’m not making this up. It’s all recorded in Hansard if you care to look.
So what the hell is driving Cameron in this apparent complete turn around in Tory policy. And why are the rest of the government supporting him?!
And by the way, I make no apology for the cartoon that accompanies this blog. Some of you may consider it in the worst possible taste and feel that I’ve over stepped the mark here. But as far as I’m concerned Cameron has crossed a line with regard to his total disregard of disabled people, their families and friends and deserves everything he gets!
Colour me angry …
Like this:
Monday, 25 June 2012
Gypsy, Roma and Travellers - IS IT REALLY A DEBATE IF THE POWERFUL DON’T LISTEN? Posted by TravellerSolidarityNetwork on June 25, 2012
http://travellersolidarity.org/2012/06/25/is-it-really-a-debate-if-the-powerful-dont-listen/
IS IT REALLY A DEBATE IF THE POWERFUL DON’T LISTEN?
Posted by TravellerSolidarityNetwork on June 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Last week, a few TSNers attended a seminar in Parliament organised by the Irish Traveller Movement of Britain [LINK], and chaired by Andrew George MP of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsy Roma and Travellers*. The event aimed at bringing journalists as well as ‘media execs’ into conversation with representatives of different Traveller communities. This is something that is all too rarely done, as the pervasiveness of racism in the media illustrates and the ITMB should be praised for holding such an event. Indeed the turnout was good. Unfortunately many who came from the Media didn’t seem to be particularly receptive to the idea.
But lets start at the beginning, Mike Doherty, the press officer for ITMB spoke about the submission they made to the Leveson inquiry here: <http://irishtraveller.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ITMB-Gypsy-and-Travel...>
Doherty outlined six main points in which the Media are routinely racist in their reporting of Traveller, Roma and Romani Gypsies:
1. The linking of the Traveller ethnicity to crime.
2. The fact that the word ‘Gypsy’ seems to be news-worthy in itself- note the amount of inane stories in the Daily Mail simply because of ‘Gypsy’ involvement.
3. Incitement to racial hatred.
4. The failure to sanction offensive online posts in response to articles. The Basildon Echo comments section, as well as most others are full of bile, hatred and in many cases illegal incitements of racial hatred.
5. Capitalisation – Gypsy, Roma and Travellers are legally recognised ethnic minorities, and therefore should have capital letters as standard;
6. Complaints – under current laws, there is a right to pursue complaints about racism in terms of their effect on individuals, but not with regard to their effect on groups. This fails to recognise the collective and cumulative damage done to whole communities.
Also speaking were Tina and Bridy, Irish Travellers living in London, who highlighted the direct effects of the racist portrayal of Travellers in Channel 4’s Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. After years of gradually increasing respect for Travellers from the settled community, the audience were told how the series had “turned back the clock” resulting in abuse, name-calling and endless questions about dresses. More seriously, ITMB has received news from many Headteachers concerned with the increase in bullying and levels of sexual assault against Traveller girls in schools. This is a direct result of BFGW’s sexualisation of Traveller girls, showing them as promiscuous objects of sexual desire, in complete contrast with Traveller culture. Even worse is the idea of ‘grabbing’, the completely made-up idea that ‘Gypsy’ men choose their partners by physically grabbing them.
Speakers Mike Jempson of MediaWise and solicitor David Enright also gave interesting presentations, on tackling racism in the press, and on the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding Billboards.
Then came the turn of Nick Hornby, Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor and the man responsible for BFGW to speak. Having heard from several speakers of the direct results of the show’s racism, Hornby brazenly defended the show and made no attempt to apologise or take on board the criticisms. It seemed he did not want to recognise the power or responsibility he held. I couldn’t help asking myself whether it was really a debate if those with the power don’t listen? Representatives of OFCOM and the Press Complaints Committee were also present, but were keen to point out that they worked to specific codes, which as other speakers pointed out, are not sufficient.
Where does this leave us? Fighting racism in the Media is undoubtedly a key battle, as it impacts attitudes and treatment of Travellers directly. We were told just as much at the seminar, even if the Media execs want to pretend otherwise. It seems that much more pressure on the Media at all levels is needed, from complaints, actions and legal cases against individual newspapers, to changes on a wider scale.
* A Big Fat Public Debate? Gypsies, Roma and Irish Travellers in the Media, Houses of Parliament, 19th June 2012.
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