schools

[interested-party]

The Lanc Evening Telegraph's education reporter doesn't miss much as I see another school story was on front of the paper yesterday
I buy the paper every day and in last few weeks we've had ham pizzas fed to muslims, white children put together in class and now some woman moaning she don't get free transport to school cos she lives in blackburn but kids go to school over border in samlesbury

luckily my brothers child's school has yet to have front page treatment!
Still not really paper's fault - the telegraph is always accused of knocking council but they are accountable to public so fair play
what do you think - is local media anti-council?

[SPUGGIE J]

Councils open them selves up with "odd action" to the media and besides its fun to read.

[vitty]

Yeah, I must admit their education reporter has been on the ball of late.

It's always helpeful when you do a school story because you're not limited in terms of the contacts you use..i.e. you can speak to the education councillor, the governors, headteacher, parents etc.

I don't think the LET or we (the Accrington Observer) are anti-council. We both share a very good relationship with HBC.

However, sometimes we feel hindered because we have to field our media enquires through a single press officer, which means it is sometimes harder to hold educaton bosses more accountable.

That said, there is a lot of crossover in education with Lancashire County Council...so it sometimes muddies the water in terms of who is accountable for a particular issue.

[Gayle]

I don't think either of the two local papers are anti-council. It's their duty to print good and bad stories about the councils. I do, however, thinkk that often the papers make more of a meal over 'bad' stories - quite simply because it's often the juciest story and the most interesting.

It would be nice if every now and then we had a batch of really positive stories - could genuinely help in restoring pride in our area!

[Doug]

Factual, Impartial, Responsible and Accountable are what Reportage should be. I think your right with what you say Gayle. Maybe we could have a year of talking the area up, a positive year across all areas of life.

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by Doug

Factual, Impartial, Responsible and Accountable are what Reportage should be. I think your right with what you say Gayle. Maybe we could have a year of talking the area up, a positive year across all areas of life.

That might be asking for a free lunch at Buck house every second Friday of the month and the Queen to serve it.

[vitty]

I am with Gayle on this one and I can assure you - we love positive stories just as much as you guys.

But, nine times out of 10, positive stories come from people coming to us (that's just the way it has always been).

So all you people out there with positive stories, feel free to pm me.

Examples of recent positive stories that have come from this site:

Junette's wonderful Tenerife reunion

The Comet's appeal for a new bus

Gayle's lobbying for more dog bins in Oswaldtwistle (yes, you could say it's a negative story, though the campaigning element to me is positive).

I am eterenally grateful to all the people who fill me in on things like these and the fact that we have used them shows it is worth getting in touch.

[dillon]

I have a feeling that local reporters often use this site to keep a 'finger on the pulse.' We should start to keep track of stories which appear in the local press, which have probably come from accy web. Maybe start a new thread on the topic and update it when necessary?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by dillon

I have a feeling that local reporters often use this site to keep a 'finger on the pulse.' We should start to keep track of stories which appear in the local press, which have probably come from accy web. Maybe start a new thread on the topic and update it when necessary?

Perhaps you could do it?

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by garinda

Perhaps you could do it?

Depends on if he is brave enough to try.