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Medway Times report
Statement in response to article published in the 27 April
print edition of the Medway Messenger
Medway Council released the following statement to the Medway
Messenger when it asked about the internet site, the Medway Times,
being given notice to leave desk space in the council’s Innovation
Centre offices.
The council made it clear that it had not given notice to the
Medway Times for running articles on the council, something it had
done from the outset, as, of course, they like anyone else are
completely entitled to do so.
We stated that the Medway Times had, though, started politically
campaigning by sending spam emails to local and national
politicians and media organisations urging people not to vote for
mainstream parties – something that cannot be done from a council
owned premises, which is rented to start up businesses at below
market value.
This is because it is a taxpayer funded premises and it would be
improper for such a place to be used for political campaigning.
The council even sent the Messenger’s reporter examples of the
spam emails, but the newspaper on page 43 of its Friday April 27
edition has only partly quoted from our statement and inaccurately
run as fact the incorrect claim that the Medway Times was ejected
for running anti-council articles.
To set the record straight, please see
our statement in full below.
A Medway Council spokesman said: "The Medway Times started
operating from the Innovation Centre five months ago after renting
desk space at below market value – something that the council does
to help local start-up businesses.
"However, in the past week or so we noticed the firm seemed to
move from operating as a media outlet providing news and comment to
its readers to a political campaign outfit, which sent spam emails
to various local and national politicians, media organisations and
others.
"This included sending out messages from a blogger, who has
declared an intention to stand for election, urging people not to
vote for mainstream political parties.
"This was a clear breach of the terms that firms can
operate under in this building and we make this clear to all as
council properties and resources cannot be used for political
campaigning.
"For this reason, we were left with no option, but to terminate
their contract. "We wish the Medway Times every success in their
future home and believe they are entitled to make their views
heard, but it would be quite improper for them to rent a below
market value desk space in a tax payer funded office to do
this."
Response
Thanks to the Medway Messenger for running the following in
their 4 May edition on page 22 to correct their earlier inaccurate
story, which prompted our original complaint:
Following our story about the eviction of the website Medway
Times by Medway Council from its Innovation Centre, we have been
asked to point out that the reason given by the council for the
action was that it was due to the political campaigning nature of
mass emails sent out and not because of any criticism of the
council in any stories or comment pieces on the Medway Times
website.
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