What Is It With The Echo?

EVERY NEWSPAPER has a right to its own editorial opinion; but in its columns, unless it is clearly marked as an advertorial, it has an overwhelming duty to ensure it prints the facts.

That duty is clearly something that the Echo’s editorial department simply disregards whenever Dave Blackwell or his associates are mentioned.

It is known that Bob Spink, Castle Point’s last MP, held a sword of Damocles over editors’ heads - threatening to sue them over stories they had written about the former’s marriage – if they once again impugned his image. It is that threat that lay behind the Echo’s reluctance to pursue the topic of Bob Spink’s expenses and other allegations that were consequently confined to this Blog. But Bob Spink no longer holds power – and the man, it could be said, now has no image to impugn. There is enough information on this Blog and its WordPress sister to ensure that any libel action undertaken by our deposed MP (if he can now in fact afford such actions without access to taxpayers funds) would be summarily dismissed.

So, what is it that forces the Echo to continue to appease the Spink clan in reports about Canvey Island Independent Party characters, and their friends? What is it that forces its editors (because few reporters are prepared to attach their by-line to such pieces) to resort to misrepresenting the facts?

Today’s ‘report’, entitled ‘Mayor stops critic speaking at debate’ might have been carried by any openly political journal; but the Echo purports to be a newspaper – and even charges its readers for the benefit of its ‘news.’ News, in this instance, that has been fabricated to cast doubt on Castle Point Mayor’s integrity; misrepresent the reasons for Colin Letchford’s unsuccessful petition for an elected Mayor; and suggest that, had Dave Blackwell been in the mayoral seat, the situation would never have arisen.

The Echo, once again, decided to repress the news in favour of printing a political spin piece for the benefit of Dave Blackwell and his party.

Residents had hoped that their local newspaper might return to providing unbiased political comment in the wake of Spink’s defeat; but, it appears, he is still pulling the strings from behind his imposed obscurity. Either that, or the file that the Echo’s solicitors feared has now been passed to Blackwell. Either way, the scene seems set for comprehensive local coverage of the protests signalled here – and little adult discussion or explanation of the issues this island faces in the New Year.

A real ‘Happy Christmas!’ from the Echo…