๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ซ-๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ (2.5/3)
๐ผ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ – 22:00, 30.01.24
On 11th August, 2023, the article titled “Fear, Grievance and Hate: How A Community Became Radicalised” by Dorset Eye was published, sparking ongoing scrutiny. This series aims to assess the integrity, often cult-like fervour directed towards Alex Bailey and his family, shedding light on the false statements made by “Liz Bladon.”
WHO IS LIZ BLADON?
Throughout this series, our primary goal is to furnish information and empower individuals to examine the roles of co-facilitators Debbie Anne and Jason Richard Cridland behind Dorset Eye, allowing you to form your own opinions based on factual information.
In the previous instalment of this series, we delved into the heightened scrutiny facing Dorset Eye for featuring content that appears to defend Jackie Walker and justifies rocket attacks by Hamas, coupled with the dissemination of disturbing statements. Campaign Against Antisemitism initially raised concerns in 2017 regarding potential racial bias within the publication. Recent reports point to a resurgence of problematic articles, prompting doubts about whether publishers Debbie and Jason have adequately addressed the issue. The inclusion of screenshots in the aforementioned article without context, eccentric profiles, and numerous unsubstantiated claims complicates the situation, giving rise to ethical and legal concerns surrounding journalistic practices. The narrative presented by the presumed author “Liz” covers diverse topics with a lack of coherence, resembling an opinion article devoid of clear journalistic standards.
Numerous individuals have been targeted by unsupported allegations published by Dorset Eye, with Alex Bailey standing out as the primary focus, mentioned thirteen times. Even after Mr Bailey’s departure from the campaign in both real life and the associated Facebook group in August 2023, a period where one would expect a cessation of contact, he has endured an ongoing campaign of intimidation and harassment, alongside his family. As of this analysis, Alex Bailey asserts his active pursuit of legal action, leading to the removal of defamatory articles from Dorset Eye, including the mentioned one. Nonetheless, a minority persists in circulating two archived versions. While Mr Bailey’s future actions remain uncertain, he hinted at an impending unravelling of Dorset Eye due to the substantial defamatory content posted by Mr Cridland, specifically targeting him and, more significantly, his family.
In a recent phone conversation, Mr Bailey disclosed the existence of multiple deceptive online profiles that have surfaced since July 2023, falsely representing him, Kate Robson, Steve Coggins, and others. These profiles were orchestrated to disrupt events by disseminating manipulated flyers, creating misleading “No To The Barge” Facebook groups, and establishing YouTube channels with seemingly similar insidious goals, all contributing to a broader effort to sow confusion within the community. Notably, each of these pages, without exception, featured a link to the defamatory Dorset Eye article. Many of these pages have been repurposed under different names, managing groups similarly repurposed after Alex Bailey initiated legal action. However, the links have remained unchanged.
The crucial question remains: what claims are we seeking to dispel amidst the smokescreen? One of the central posts still in circulation, previously featured in the now-removed defamatory article, purportedly attributed to Alex Bailey, claims “500 plus fighting-age men of unknown origin and criminal past” (accompanied by a Britain First video he shared!). The “Britain First” video raised suspicions, particularly with its visible TikTok handle and watermark. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the account linked to the video no longer exists. Nevertheless, the content closely resembles numerous other videos on TikTok created by human traffickers, referred to as Harraga, a term meaning “those who burn.” This term alludes to the practice of burning identity papers, as documented in the BBC Radio 4 documentary “Crossing Continents: The Harragas of Algeria” and various other sources.
While the term “fighting age” might carry a touch of melodrama, it’s worth noting that the Ministry of Defence restricts its hiring to men between the ages of 18 and 36, though one can be a reservist officer up to the age of 48. Additionally, statistics on the distribution of first-time asylum applicants by sex reveal that a significant majority (70.8%) are men, with 53.9% falling within the 18โ34 age range. The phrase “unknown origin,” though it may sound ominous, has a straightforward explanation from the Home Office. Only 2% of the individuals who have arrived in the UK via small boats across the English Channel were found to possess a passport at the time of processing. This raises valid questions about the effectiveness of identity screening, security checks, and initial asylum processing conducted at the Western Jet Foil in Dover and Manston, Kent. A pertinent reminder is the case of an asylum seeker removed from Stoke High School in Ipswich, Suffolk after officials initially claimed he was over 18, only to discover he was in his 30s!
Isn’t there a whimsical saying that a falsehood embarks on a global journey while the truth fumbles to put on its trousers? The bedrock of journalistic integrity is a fundamental pillar in our profession, and hastily passing judgment based solely on a watermark is nothing short of laziness. Publishers bear the crucial responsibility of implementing reasonable measures to ensure accuracy, maintaining a transparent demarcation between statements of fact and opinion. They must refrain from deceptive practices and be forthright in identifying themselves as journalists. Given five additional dubious claims against Mr Bailey, building upon those previously debunked, we have chosen to divide this concluding segment into two parts. Moreover, as promised, we will conclude with an exploration of the intersection between activism and harassment in journalism, igniting a pivotal discourse on the ethical implications of such practices.
Sources
Fear, grievance and hate: How a community became radicalised – Dorset Eye
BBC Radio 4 – Crossing Continents, The Harragas of Algeria
TikTok – @mohamedzizo318 (since deleted)
What Age Can You Join The Army (mod.uk)
First picture of ’30-year-old’ GCSE pupil in Ipswich school CONFIRMED to be adult
Screenshots on FB
