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Chronicle 'charges fees to
publish press releases'
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Letter addressed to Board of Directors of Gibraltar Chronicle, and sent to us for favour of publication:
Dear Sir.
I would like to draw your attention to an incident that occurred only a few weeks ago at the Gibraltar Chronicle (newspaper) offices.
Ever since I can remember the Gibraltar Chronicle has never charged fees for publication of ‘press releases’ particularly to organisations, clubs or any association. I as a committee member of the Small Boat Owners Association have on numerous occasions, handed in press releases for publication at the Chronicle and no one has ever mentioned anything regarding any charges. Also in a personal capacity, I have for years been a regular contributor to the chronicle’s ‘letters section’
A few weeks ago one of our committee members Mr. John Buttigieg went to the Chronicle counter to hand in a press release regarding an important matter. He requested the publication of this press release. Mr. Buttigieg was unexpectedly informed by a member of staff that before our press release would be considered for publication he would have to pay a fee of £16 or £17 and without this payment our press release would not go to print. Mr. Buttigieg left the Chronicle office and later informed me.
Some time after I went to the Chronicle to enquire, where I spoke to the same member of staff who in a very aggressive tone said that Mr Searle (the editor) would not publish anymore letters or press releases from our association, she appeared to have said this even without consulting Mr Searle or it appeared that way.
I then informed this person that it clearly looked to me, that as the main subject matter in the associations' said press release had direct political implications, as it concerned issues involving the boat owners and our dealings with the previous Administration and also the new Government, that she had taken it personal, mainly because the GSLP/Liberals had won the election and she was trying to make matters difficult for the new government!
I then said that I would be taking the matter to the Chief Minister, this lady then became visibly more angrier, she said “if the chief minister wants to talk to me I will not be waiting for him or lose any of my time doing so.”
This now irate person also told me that “government had taken their pension” I told her that the present government had done no such thing, and that the Chronicle pension issue was a matter in which the Chronicle representatives had entered into an agreement with the previous government to pay back outstanding arrears. I also told her it was wrong to blame the new government!
The Following day I was in Main Street when I saw Mr. Dominique Searle, I approached him and informed him in the manner I had been treated by a member of his staff, and without a second thought Mr Searle told me “that he would not be publishing in the Chronicle any more letters or press releases from me or the boat owners association, he also told me that he did not want to see me anymore at his office” and then left!
This incident with the Gibraltar Chronicle was reported to the boat owner’s 700 strong membership, who were quite rightly angry, there was strong indignation towards the Chronicle, a media service who calls itself an ‘Independent Daily Newspaper’.
Here we have the editor of a daily newspaper, Mr. Searle, who often talks of democracy in the media, but most people know that Mr Searle is a very strong GSD supporter and probably this is the reason why he discriminately decided to stop me putting the GSLP/Liberals points across in the media!
And all this, when other people are allowed to openly write and express themselves on similar issues in the Chronicle. People who support the interest of the GSD and other political parties and whose freedom to express themselves in the media are not curtailed in this manner and are certainly not asked to pay fees for publication of press releases!
The whole saga is a truly dictatorial approach for a so called Independent Newspaper to treat members of the public in a Democratic Society!!!
Yours Sincerely,
Louis Edwards
15-03-12
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