The Salford Star rails against LIFE plans - North West Media News

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The Salford Star rails against LIFE plans

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Monday, 27 October 2008

Stephen Kingston, the editor and co-founder of campaigning free magazine title The Salford Star, has been in touch with How-Do to blast the local council’s plans to increase the frequency and size of its own publication LIFE IN Salford.

LIFE getting to Kingston and co

Kingston, known for his firebrand, investigative journalistic stance, wrote a comment to How-Do drawing attention to what he sees as the unfair actions of the council.

He imparted that The Salford Star would be spearheading the move to oppose LIFE’s expansion (to a monthly 24 page publication), a cause already apparently supported by opposition parties in the area and the East Salford Community Committee.

His bullet-point comment reads as follows:

•At a time when Salford Council is refusing to give its own low paid workers a fair wage and increasing its unsupported borrowing to £33million is it right to be spending almost £175,000 on its own publicity vehicle?

•Does this mean that the Council will be able to `punish’ the media that dares to scrutinise or criticise it by withdrawing its advertising?

•Whatever happened to the Council obligation to tender out contracts to the Third Sector?

Kingston's baby

•John Merry states that LIFE is “completely politically neutral.” Will you ever be able to read in LIFE, for example, that the number of Salford Council employees earning over £100,000 has doubled?

•As a free and independent publication the Salford Star prints facts, figures and features that Salford Council maybe doesn’t want its council tax payers to know – is this why our application to the city’s community committees for so-called devolved money got ripped up last year?

Do we really want the flow of information in Salford to be completely controlled by Salford City Council?

Council leader John Merry acknowledged in Friday’s story that some money spent on recruitment advertising for the council could be re-directed to LIFE, but noted that “as well as saving money, this will give residents improved access to job opportunities.”

He added: "I am confident this new approach will not cost tax payers any more money."

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Comments (8)

1 By Tony McNulty, on 27-10-2008 00:40
I can't belive the Council did not do this years ago, its long over due.
The Salford Star is ok, but it isn't that good!

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2 By B, on 27-10-2008 07:36
Makes one wonder whether the councils real motivation is to compete with the Salford Star. If this is the case they should forget it. The council has little credibility among the community & trying to produce a vastly inferior product would only further reduce that credibility.

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3 By Dr Rhetta Moran, on 27-10-2008 09:20
Can Salford City Council either:
demonstrate to the satisfaction of the public that, legally, it was not obligated to tender out for the contract

or:
now issue an open tender for the contract and guarantee transparency and accountability in the process of tender selection

Look forward to hearing from them

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4 By Neil Hill, on 27-10-2008 11:37
I never fail to be amazed at the way the press in the Manchester area appear to be controlled. How can certain people/groups get coverage and others not get coverage.
We are as close to a Totalitarian government as it is gets. Surely people realise that the Press are being controlled by people in government (and others) who continually give biased coverage to projects when it suits their interest and for propoganda purposes.
I have never witnessed such one sided and biased coverage as the transfer of the housing stock to City West and we are now being subjected to biased 'propaganda' that promotes the benefits of the congestion charge.
To use taxpayers money in this manner (to promote a one sided view) is corrupt. At no time have I witnessed the beneifts of holding an opposing view of these projects being published? There are two sides to every story....the only publication that I have seen in the Manchester area that gives space to people who have different views on these matters is the 'Salford Star' and they are to be commended for this.
To use public money, as Salford City Council regularily does, to promote biased and one sided views on these various projects, is against the governments own guidlines (The EEC guide for good administrative behaviour) and despite regularily violating these guidlines, the PCC appear to be 'toothless tigers' when it comes to policing these matters.
Neil Hill. Irlam

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5 By KATE, on 27-10-2008 12:11
How on earth does saving money by restricting the placement of recruitment ads in other media "give residents improved access to job opportunities"?

Salford Council is obligated to ensure that information on its services and job opportunities reaches the widest audience. It cannot fulfill this obligation via one solitary outlet, ie it's own free magazine.

Saving money it may be, but at what cost?

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6 By Matt Taylor , on 27-10-2008 13:05
The Salford Star does an excellent job of covering real issues, uncovering injustice, investigating hardship, reporting scandal. Being independent means it can be truly objective, unlike any council sponsored and operated magazine that won't be worth the shiny paper it's written on. Most will undoubtedly get thrown in away after the first glance of the inane drivel that masquerades as content, but hey, at least it will help Salford council reach its recycling budget.

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7 By Sarah Ryan, on 27-10-2008 18:46
The Life magazine, is Life-less"! It's a dreary affair that doesn't warrant investment. It looks like an information leaflet...a quality similar to a Netto leaflet stuck inside the advertiser. There is no journalistic merit in it. Have you ever felt inspired or surprised by it's content. The Salford Star provides journalistic and creative work experience and training opportunities to many people in the community, it also provides a voice for the community. It is slick, hip, relevant and a good read. Stephens own passion for Salford, it's people, and ethical treatment, shines through each issue. This is what Salford Council should be investing in. Their own arrogance prevents them from seeing or admitting this is misplaced funds. I suppose John Merry is not the most inspiring individual so he can't help making these naff decisions. Bless him.

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8 By Sidney Lewis, on 28-10-2008 12:42
Stephen Kingston works tirelessly to bring the truth to the people of Salford, by making sure that you can get the Salford Star in parts of the city that are disenfranchised such as Chorlton. Everything written in the Star is spot-on, everyone else is wrong, and Salford City Council is out to get him. If you don't believe this, just ask Elvis when he arrives from the moon with the Egyptians to reclaim their planet.

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