After right-wing hack Allison Pearson triggered press outrage because she was interviewed by police about an alleged ‘hate’ tweet, why is police harassment of some journalists worth reporting and not others?
Here’s Pearson’s account, along with a bit of commentary:
It is indeed hard to respond to an allegation if you don’t know what it is. I remember the controversy over the creation of secret courts in which, if a person was unlucky enough to be sent there, they were not allowed to know the charge against them or take part in the creation of any defence against it. I understand those courts are in operation in the UK today.
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But some have made a stab at working out what the offending post might have been:
Personally, This Writer doesn’t see how pro-Palestinian marches have caused widespread fear or spread hateful messages – but I don’t see that this particular post is hateful either. It’s just misinformed and misinforming (in my opinion).
It isn’t the message that caused Ms Pearson to be interviewed by the police, though. Reading between the lines, one can see that it is not far from being a hate message. I wonder why the offending message has not been identified.
The widespread coverage of this police call at a right-wing newspaper journalist’s house, and the large reaction on the social media, contrasts starkly with the total press blackout of (for example) the police raid on the home of Electronic Intifada writer Asa Winstanley in October.
This pro-Palestine social media journalist’s devices were seized under the Terrorism Act, as part of ‘Operation Incessantness’ – a counter-terrorism initiative about which Mr Winstanley was told hardly anything.
Did you hear about the detention at Heathrow Airport of Richard Medhurst and the arrest of Sarah Wilkinson in August 2024, both of them independent journalists who have been reporting Israel’s war on Palestinians?
What about the time Declassified UK‘s Matt Kennard was reported to the Metropolitan Police by a right-wing group of ‘Israel lobby’ genocide-deniers – for saying fascists are not welcome on UK streets?
No? None of them?
Only a few days ago, UK prime minister Keir Starmer published a comment piece for The Guardian in which he said, “Journalism is the lifeblood of democracy… Just because journalists are brave does not mean they should ever suffer intimidation.”
It seems he was only referring to journalists who have the same political views as him.
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Why is police harassment of some journalists worth reporting and not others?
After right-wing hack Allison Pearson triggered press outrage because she was interviewed by police about an alleged ‘hate’ tweet, why is police harassment of some journalists worth reporting and not others?
Here’s Pearson’s account, along with a bit of commentary:
It is indeed hard to respond to an allegation if you don’t know what it is. I remember the controversy over the creation of secret courts in which, if a person was unlucky enough to be sent there, they were not allowed to know the charge against them or take part in the creation of any defence against it. I understand those courts are in operation in the UK today.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
But some have made a stab at working out what the offending post might have been:
Personally, This Writer doesn’t see how pro-Palestinian marches have caused widespread fear or spread hateful messages – but I don’t see that this particular post is hateful either. It’s just misinformed and misinforming (in my opinion).
It isn’t the message that caused Ms Pearson to be interviewed by the police, though. Reading between the lines, one can see that it is not far from being a hate message. I wonder why the offending message has not been identified.
The widespread coverage of this police call at a right-wing newspaper journalist’s house, and the large reaction on the social media, contrasts starkly with the total press blackout of (for example) the police raid on the home of Electronic Intifada writer Asa Winstanley in October.
This pro-Palestine social media journalist’s devices were seized under the Terrorism Act, as part of ‘Operation Incessantness’ – a counter-terrorism initiative about which Mr Winstanley was told hardly anything.
Did you hear about the detention at Heathrow Airport of Richard Medhurst and the arrest of Sarah Wilkinson in August 2024, both of them independent journalists who have been reporting Israel’s war on Palestinians?
What about the time Declassified UK‘s Matt Kennard was reported to the Metropolitan Police by a right-wing group of ‘Israel lobby’ genocide-deniers – for saying fascists are not welcome on UK streets?
No? None of them?
Only a few days ago, UK prime minister Keir Starmer published a comment piece for The Guardian in which he said, “Journalism is the lifeblood of democracy… Just because journalists are brave does not mean they should ever suffer intimidation.”
It seems he was only referring to journalists who have the same political views as him.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Join the uPopulus group at https://upopulus.com/groups/vox-political/
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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