๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ซ-๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ (2.6/๐)
๐ผ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ – 12:00, 11.02.24
Continuing our ongoing series, as detailed in an article dated 11 August, 2023, entitled โFear, Grievance, and Hate: How a Community Became Radicalisedโ by Dorset Eye, we delve deeper into our investigation. Throughout this series, it has become increasingly evident that Jason Richard Cridland, one of the “co-facilitators” of the publisher Dorset Eye, has failed in his duty to uphold accuracy, a matter we have and will continue to address in this analysis. There is a noticeable absence of any clear distinction between factual statements and personal opinions. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that Jason and Debbie Anne Cridland are not the sole perpetrators of such unethical journalistic practices.
Our focus now shifts to Kallum John Paul Gethins and Jake Mark Brewer, who oversee another “citizen journalist” group known as ‘Dorset News’. It is worth noting that they operate without regulation or affiliation with any press association. Despite their claim as Dorset’s largest and most esteemed media entity, accusations of defamation and dissemination of misinformation have been levelled against them, subjects we will explore further in this article.
The author of the original article, referred to as “Liz Bladon,” has made unverified allegations against individuals in Dorset, and the publisher has been the subject of multiple accusations of racial bias. “Liz” in the article asserts that Alex Bailey has accused SUTRD protesters of being “bused in!” In response, we reached out to him for clarification, and he provided us with a corroborated copy of an advertisement by Unite, a trade union, offering a complimentary coach service for union members to participate in a ‘Portland Unity Demonstration’ in September 2023. This document has been included in the ‘Sources’ section of this article for reference.
Furthermore, “Liz” alleges that Simon Avery made offensive remarks publicly. During our conversation, Mr Bailey indicated that Simon Avery was removed from the ‘No To The Barge’ Facebook group after a video surfaced. Subsequently, he shared this confirmation with Mr Gethins, who had already authored a hatchet piece at the time, and then chose to make their private conversation public. It would have been basic journalistic practice for Kallum not to disclose private conversations without consent, and he should have separately reached out to Mr Avery for comment.
It’s important to highlight that in the screenshots presented by “Liz” in the article to showcase Mr Avery’s comments in the group, he seems to have been blocked. However, there is no timestamp on the “Liz Bladon” screenshot, like many others, and there’s no evidence of his current presence in the group.
Based on the screenshots provided, it’s evident that Simon Avery was indeed blocked from the group. So, why would Mr Gethins act in such a disingenuous manner? We can look to an article published in September 2022, where he has been accused of creating “articles looking for clicks but with absolutely no substance.” This critique, outlined in the ‘Sources’ section, focuses on Kallum and his partner, Jake, alleging the inclusion of defamation and falsehoods in their news coverage. The article also highlights their purported use of unauthorised National Union of Journalists press passes and an attempt to misrepresent their connection to Dorset Echo to Mark Palmer, the former director of Weymouth Football Club.
It’s reasonable to suggest that without proper journalist training or oversight from a regulatory body, the duo have resorted to deceptive practices in their reporting, potentially leading to intimidation and harassment of local residents, as seen in the case of Mr Palmer. They should have taken the necessary precautions to ensure they do not fabricate sources Of concern is the duo’s attempt to revive the Weymouth Carnival on questionable moral and professional grounds. Additionally, their alignment with โView From Newspapers,โ run by Duncan Williams, raises questions about their commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content to local audiences. We have reached out to Mr Williams for comment.
Despite my endeavours to conclude this series, four dubious claims persist, underscoring the careless approach of the so-called “citizen journalism” involved. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, we must explore the intricate relationship between pseudo-activism through Community Interest Companies and harassment within the journalism sphere.
Sources
https://web.archive.org/web/20230907103412/https://surveys.unitetheunion.org/232332546335048
Leaked email suggests Dorset News being investigated for lies and defamation (an interesting read)
Screenshots from FB
