FRANK SINATRA sang “regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention.” Maybe my swansong should be “complaints, I’ve had a few…”
They come with the territory as an editor, serving in some ways to demonstrate that at least people are reading your newspaper; albeit the legal eagles at Grabbit, Sue & Run, or a reader concerned about coverage of a particular story.
Of course there is ultimate redress to the Press Complaints Commission which acts as a final arbiter to issues of newspaper practice.
Late last year, one story, the report of an inquest and how the Adver treated that report, was referred to the PCC by the family of the young girl whose inquest we covered. They were unhappy with the rights of reply and the actions we took in dealing with their complaint.
The Adver was found by the PCC to have acted properly in the handling of the inquest. However, that did not mitigate the sympathy I have for the family who must have been going through a traumatic time, with the inquest serving only to heighten that anguish.
Patronising drivel it is not, but I frequently remind reporters that we have to remember how we live in the community we serve and so have to act properly. I deliver this same message when talking to business leaders and community groups about the role of the Adver in Swindon. It is a community newspaper aware of its responsibility.
Disappointingly, I received a complaint this week about an article which I wrote.
This was the Passing Shots column which appears in Saturday’s Adver. It is meant to be a gentle, light-hearted read.
One of the sections is the ‘Blotter’ which features an array of small items including Gimme Five, Go Figure, and little bits of trivia. Among the potpourri of blotter offerings this one week was a section of strange newspaper headlines, one of which read: “Woman kicked by husband said to be greatly improved”.
I subsequently received an e-mail from one lady which described the joke as “tasteless” and added:
“Domestic Violence is no joke under any circumstances and your casual reference undermines the great work that is being done nationally and locally to combat this.”
She further made the point: “I have noticed that the coverage that has been given to it in the Swindon Advertiser recently has declined.
“That may be due to the departure of experienced journalists who had taken the time to research the subject and to meet with key individuals and agencies locally. I do trust that there has been no change in editorial commitment to dealing with the subject in an informed and sensitive manner within your team in Swindon.”
If the joke was viewed as tasteless, then I apologise, and did so in my reply to the lady.
However I did take exception to the comments about the Adver’s coverage of domestic violence. This is an issue which we cover regularly in our columns, both from court reports and dealing with the human face of it in the town. In fact, the paper has been praised for the depth and level of those reports by agencies who deal with domestic violence.
In November, we gave over the front page and several pages inside with the headline “The unacceptable face of violence” which tackled the latest domestic violence figures and asked what is being done about it in Swindon.
I get on my high horse when I receive these sort of comments. They are so mis-informed and I wonder if those who make the comments actually read the paper – not just with domestic violence, but other issues in the paper. Read the Adver, read it regularly, and you will understand how broad our agenda is.
Our coverage of domestic violence is knowledgeable, sensitive, balanced and in-depth. Incidentally, the editorial team at the Swindon Advertiser is led by an editor who sits as a magistrate and who sits on domestic violence cases in the new fast-track courts. I know all too well the consequences and the impact of such a dreadful issue.
You could argue that I should have known better than to make a joke about domestic violence, but a joke is what it was. It doesn’t demean the victims, it doesn’t mean that domestic violence is not a serious issue. Because it is.