Brighton Argus: Contacting Advertisers

Michael Beard editor of the Brighton Argus, presumable not shoplifting


I have just been out shopping and was talking to 'an occassional' parishioner who has a few problems and one of my regular crack addicts came past, we chatted very briefly, he was obviously in a hurry, she was rather disgusted by him and said, 'I thought you hated people like that, he is disguting ....' I told her off of course and asked how she had formed that opinion of me, she had been reading the Brighton Argos.

I am so angry, they have really trashed my reputation, it hurts, and I am angry and it hurts my parishioners.

If you read the Argus' unscrupulous journalist Bill Gardner's twitter account he revels in his animus against me not I think because it is me nor because I am clergyman, 'a vicar', no, it is because I am a 'Catholic priest', it seems quite apparent this is an anti-Catholic thing, from his point of view at least. His stories, however, have been approved by his editor. Gardner informed me my blog was often discussed in the Argus Office.
Here is one extract from his Twitter account, I have copied it all of course, sorry it is difficult to read.:

1.      

1.     Bill Gardner‏@billgardner865 Sep

Are "lying" poor people sent by God to test us? This Catholic priest thinks so. By me: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10656521.Poor_people_are__irritating___says_Brighton_priest/ …

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We are still waiting to hear from Mr Beard, the editor of the Brighton Argus, we suggested a face saving apology to go into the paper, no accusation or uncalled for breastbeating. The dreadful thing about Christians we actually believe even our enemies have a right to dignity, as messy as they are.. Yes, we want a small donation in reparation too our poor fund and Brighton Voices in Exile who use my house, they are struggling for money at the moment.

I don't know if this anti-Catholic thing is just associated with the Argus or if other publications owned by Newsquest delight in telling lies or misquoting and trashing the reputation of Catholic clergy, maybe some good readers might care to trawl their website. Possibly American readers could check our Gannett Company who own Newsquest. If you know any of the directors a quiet word would very welcome.

I have had a few sleepless nights, as you can imagine, one of my parishioner suggested that we should get a group of people together to ring around or write to the Argus' advertisers to tell them what their favourite local paper gets up to. I'll put out some feelers, there are certainly some good Catholics who own companies who advertise in the Argus.

As I am reasonably well know in the town it would be a very sensible to get a few people to ring around and find out the extent to which my reputation has been damaged by the work of Mr Gardner and Mr Beard, we might well need that type of information, the obvious people to ask are those who advertise in the rag. The next question is will be about their continuing to advertise and therefore support their defamatory newspaper.

I wonder if the actually know that the biggest faller amongst regional newspapers 'was the Newsquest-owned Brighton Argus, which fell 19.6 per cent year on year to 19,199 followed by the Norwich Evening News, which fell 19.3 per cent to 13,322', with it lack of ethical standards and low circulation, would any serious advertisers use the Argus.

I might publish a list of their more prominent advertisers, a few calls from Idaho or Nebraska or Budleigh Salterton Might be a useful lever. After the Leveson Enquiry even provincial newspapers have got to start cleaning up their act, they could start by employing staff who follow at least a minimal ethical Code.

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Procrastination and the Argus

I am very grateful, to one particular reader, Dr Colin Harte, who has been working very hard on my account.

We are trying to  get matters resolved but the editor of the Argus who for some reason is procrastinating, maybe waiting for legal advice, maybe for affirmation from Gannett Company in the States who own the ghastly rag.

I want to express my thanks to those who have offered me their help and support over the last few days, especially the bishops from abroad, priests and deacons from everywhere, friends and some foes too, some exceptional journalists, bloggers, people who have made comments here and elsewhere. I seriously did consider giving up blogging, it is horrid to have a parishioner showing you an article in which a complete stranger can trash everything you feel is important and ascribe something vile as your opinion, and when even those who should know better think what is reported is actually what you believe or wrote, these are Der Stürmer tactics.  I had hoped this might have been resolved before resuming blogging.

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A new post!

Some prayers this morning please

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A time to keep silent?

After recent happenings I have been thinking I ought to stop blogging. I do not think I have done anything wrong but if journalists, like the unscrupulous, or possibly he is not malicious just not that bright, Bill Gardner, are getting the wrong end of the stick and using it to beat the Church with, then maybe silence is better.

I certainly do not want to be an embarrassment to brother priests, and I am well aware that although the young tend to rely on electronic media, older people, for example those amongst my parishioners and many clergy I know 'don't read blogs', the majority of people would simply read what was presented in the Argus, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph etc and come away with a very bad opinion of the Church, something quite contrary to what I have endeavoured to project.

And although I care little for the opinion people have about me as an individual, I care a great deal about the opinion people have of the priesthood. Mr Bill Gardner and other journalists have been enjoying trashing my reputation as a priest nationally and internationally and therefore of course all Catholic priests and bishops have suffered, because of way I have been portrayed, it is of course an attack on the Church.

Frankly I feel rather battered by this latest onslaught, and yes as Christians we understand the supernatural dimensions of these attacks but nevertheless we have to realise the effects of our personal actions on others and the whole Church.

Maybe I am being a little cowardly, Brighton is after all the second most atheistic city in Britain, although I didn't see them myself, I am told that there were lots of malicious remarks on the Argus website regarding 'my pervy friends' and threats of violence too, which were presumably were from the mad and taken down eventually by the editors, I don't like being the cause of that. Indeed some the versions of Mr Gardner's story are such a vile attack I haven't read them, besides there are so many.

One or two people have suggested I complain to the Press Complaints Council, I might, perhaps I should, but I consider irritating journalists rather like other irritating little *******s who steal, who lie, who mess up life for the rest of us, as part of the course of life, they are sent to test us, we grow closer to God if we bear them with mercy and patience. Others are free to make such complaints if they feel strongly they should, in the interest of Truth, and a decent press in this country. I am more concerned about other things at the moment, though I will be interested in hearing about the legal situation of such journalists from those who know about such things.

I was rather amused by Eccles little bit of humour today and in the light of it I would be very interested to hear how today's Gospel about hating one's family, and one's own life and giving up all one's possessions might be played by a journalist. Throughout the years I have been writing this blog I hope only rarely have I treated as my possession rather than a way of extending my ministry as priest of God.
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Pope Benedict who has been the inspiration for this blog chose silence and prayer and for the time being I make that same choice, to reflect at least for the time being on whether God is best served by speaking or being silent and what purpose my blog can contribute anything useful to the life of Our Mother, the Church.
Pray for me!
And pray for journalists

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Pope's Letter to G20

Mr Vladimir Putin
President of the Russian Federation


"In the course of this year, you have the honour and the responsibility of presiding over the Group of the twenty largest economies in the world. I am aware that the Russian Federation has participated in this group from the moment of its inception and has always had a positive role to play in the promotion of good governance of the world’s finances, which have been deeply affected by the crisis of 2008.
In today’s highly interdependent context, a global financial framework with its own just and clear rules is required in order to achieve a more equitable and fraternal world, in which it is possible to overcome hunger, ensure decent employment and housing for all, as well as essential healthcare. Your presidency of the G20 this year has committed itself to consolidating the reform of the international financial organizations and to achieving a consensus on financial standards suited to today’s circumstances. However, the world economy will only develop if it allows a dignified way of life for all human beings, from the eldest to the unborn child, not just for citizens of the G20 member states but for every inhabitant of the earth, even those in extreme social situations or in the remotest places.
From this standpoint, it is clear that, for the world’s peoples, armed conflicts are always a deliberate negation of international harmony, and create profound divisions and deep wounds which require many years to heal. Wars are a concrete refusal to pursue the great economic and social goals that the international community has set itself, as seen, for example, in the Millennium Development Goals. Unfortunately, the many armed conflicts which continue to afflict the world today present us daily with dramatic images of misery, hunger, illness and death. Without peace, there can be no form of economic development. Violence never begets peace, the necessary condition for development.
The meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the twenty most powerful economies, with two-thirds of the world’s population and ninety per cent of global GDP, does not have international security as its principal purpose. Nevertheless, the meeting will surely not forget the situation in the Middle East and particularly in Syria. It is regrettable that, from the very beginning of the conflict in Syria, one-sided interests have prevailed and in fact hindered the search for a solution that would have avoided the senseless massacre now unfolding. The leaders of the G20 cannot remain indifferent to the dramatic situation of the beloved Syrian people which has lasted far too long, and even risks bringing greater suffering to a region bitterly tested by strife and needful of peace. To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution. Rather, let there be a renewed commitment to seek, with courage and determination, a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation of the parties, unanimously supported by the international community. Moreover, all governments have the moral duty to do everything possible to ensure humanitarian assistance to those suffering because of the conflict, both within and beyond the country’s borders.
Mr President, in the hope that these thoughts may be a valid spiritual contribution to your meeting, I pray for the successful outcome of the G20’s work on this occasion. I invoke an abundance of blessings upon the Summit in Saint Petersburg, upon the participants and the citizens of the member states, and upon the work and efforts of the 2013 Russian Presidency of the G20.
While requesting your prayers, I take this opportunity to assure you, Mr President, of my highest consideration."


From the Vatican, 4 September 2013

(Signed)
Francis

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Protecting the Bride

I had a lovely wedding, a bit retro, the one in white is Stewart, the one 'standing like a queen in robes of gold' is Hazel his bride in what I suppose is a 20s/30s dress. I also did an interview with BBC South on the Gardner story that got onto the agencies.

More serious journalists, who actually earn their living through their craft, have also advised me to fight this. I initially said I wouldn't, I thought that it was prudent to keep quite but as the Argus, our local paper, seems to do this kind of thing to me every few months and  various people have contacted me suggesting reasons for Will Gardner's attacks, which may or may not be true but I have come to the conclusion that it is important to make a stand, not so much for myself but because it is really an attack on the Church, my bride, Christ's bride.

Just as involvement with poor is messy so is involvement with media but actually defended that which is true is important, it is the manly thing to do, I was rather heartened by some of the comments Mr Gardner's piece, there are usual crackpots but I am grateful to those who got down into the mess of the forum in order to point out what was wrong with Brighton Argus' Bill Gardner's piece.

It is fine protecting the bride of Christ in the cosiness of the Catholic blogosphere, perhaps the truly manly thing to do is to protect her and fight for honour in the media, 'on the peripheries' as Pope Francis would say.

Oh, the interview is on 6.30 tonight, as I don't have a tv perhaps someone might put a link in the combox, I'll be doing something priestly at that time.

Pray for Bill Gardner
Pray for the Argus
Pray for those who work in the media

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Bill Gardner: an unscrupulous journalist

 Have a look at this article by a 'journalist' called Bill Gardner,  in our local paper, it is his take on this piece I wrote on the poor.

I was saying that the poor, the really poor, turn our lives upside down. I know the local paper pays peanuts and expects its journalists to create stories in order to get onto the news networks but this is just a malicious and deliberate misrepresentation.

It is very interesting to see what a disreputable journalist can do with a few carefully chosen adjectives. I didn't 'condemn', 'complain', 'blast' etc, and I am pretty certain that some of his other quotes are not my words, especially not, 'test my holiness', I don't speak like that, 'only God is Holy'. Though I admit in an informal moment I might question the marriage of the parents of someone who disrupts the worship of an entire congregation, especially if they consistently steal from the church or other poor people.

It is interesting to see how an unscrupulous journalist can so easily put an entirely different slant on a simple theological reflection, presumably even basic Christian concepts are beyond the comprehension of some.

Well, journalists are obviously as messy as the poor; except unscrupulous journalists can do more damage. Perhaps Mr Gardner might like to help on our soup run, it doesn't have to be 365 day a year, once a week would be fine, providing he treats our clients with respect, or maybe he could take Jason or Daryl or Pawel or Dawn out for a cup of coffee or a meal, or just come a clear up the next time someone comes in and vomits or bleeds all over my kitchen because he is drug or has been beaten up.

Maybe next time I run out of money I could tap him for a few quid when some vulnerable 17 year old girl needs to top up her phone to speak to her mum because her boyfriend has beaten her up or she needs a roof over head because she is sleeping in a tent and it is just few degrees above zero and she is vulnerable, or maybe the next time I am arranging a child's funeral and someone comes to the door in need of someone to talk because they are suicidal I can send them round to Bill's place so he can spend a couple of hours listening to them.Here, to, I am neither complaining, blasting, lambasting or anything else, just asking.

I understand Mr Gardner's little piece has been syndicated internationally, perhaps kind readers might, if possible post my response.

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