Bristol Evening Post - time to take a stand

bristol | media and culture | news report Wednesday May 06, 2009 09:01 by Faye faye at purdown dot org

Racism in our local 'paper'

This story appears today and its got my blood boiling. I for one have had enough of this joke of a rag getting away with printing this kind of rabble rousing racist crap with my city's name on it.

I'm writing to the PCC to stick an official complaint in. I know it probably wont make any difference, but I can't sit and let them spew this sort of hatred anymore. If anything, it will let the editor of this terrible newspaper know that its just not on. If he choses to do anythign about it is up to him but I reckon if I and anyone else keeps complaining whenever we see a breach of the code, someone somewhere will get the message. Especially if they keep havng to print apologies. I know its not very Anarchist and direct action so forgive me for ranting.

Bristol shopkeeper - travellers use their kids to steal

A Bristol dress shop owner fears she could be put out of business by "travellers" who use their children to help them steal.
Susanne Lawson, who owns Lady Chique in Horfield, says she is being targeted by families of thieves who regularly take valuable items.

She says thousands of pounds of dresses and clothes have gone missing from her shop over the last few years and in the last month her business has been hit several more times.

Last Friday afternoon, a family of four with Irish accents went into the shop on Gloucester Road. The mother tried on a gown and a man, presumed to be her partner or husband, went to the till and tried to pay for a different dress.

But the cash card he used had no chip in it and while he distracted Mrs Lawson, the woman and a girl aged about four left the shop with a dress worth £350.

It was a full-length, size-12 white gown with a tight bodice, lace, mother-of-pearl beads and sequins, made by Champagne fashions. Mrs Lawson also discovered a £120 blue silk top had also vanished.

She said: "It happens all the time and I'm sick of it."

Mrs Lawson, 57, who suffers from severe arthritis added: "I'm thinking of putting up a sign on the door saying 'no travellers'. I might be targeted again for speaking out but I don't care, I've had enough. Travellers are not welcome in my shop.

Mrs Lawson has already put a notice on her shop door saying: "We have been targeted by a certain element. These people have stolen from us for the last time.

"This store will only be open to socially acceptable people not those who expect normal people to pay for their existence."
The last theft happened just before 3pm on Friday afternoon. The woman said the dress was for her sister's wedding.

"When I was at the till I saw her bend down, give something to the girl and she screwed it up tight.

"It's really upsetting. I'm struggling as it is and I cannot afford to let these dresses go. They are putting me out of business.

"The people who do this are very sneaky. They have no social graces and no conscience. They send their kids in to steal.

"I just wish they would stay away. I've got very bad arthritis so there's very little I can do."

In April, two identical, fuchsia pink gowns worth £229 each were stolen in the same week. And about two months ago a £70 corset was taken.

Mrs Lawson, who has sold designer wear for special occasions from the shop for 15 years, said: "Four of them came in that day and the lady did actually buy a dress but one of the girls with her stole the corset.

"I had some contact details so I rang her up and said if you get the girl to bring the corset back I won't take the matter any further. A girl aged about 18 or 19 brought it back and put it on the counter, but travellers came back three days later and it was gone for good."

Mrs Lawson has resorted to keeping the door to her shop locked so customers have to ring the bell, and is going to get CCTV cameras installed.

The woman who stole the dress on Friday was quite large, wore short denim shorts, a white T-shirt, and had black hair with blonde roots. She was about 5ft 6in tall.

The man had short, mousy brown hair, weighed about 18 or 19 stone and was about 5ft 9in tall.

Avon and Somerset police are investigating. Anyone who can help catch the culprits should call the police

----

Point 12 of the PCC Code of Conduct

12. Discrimination

i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.

ii) Details of an individual's race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental illness or disability must be avoided unless genuinely relevant to the story.

The National Union of Journalists guidelines state:

The National Union of Journalists has ratified guidelines for all its members to follow when dealing with race relations subjects. These are the guidelines.

Statement on Race Reporting:
The NUJ believes that its members cannot avoid a measure of responsibility in fighting the evil of racism as expressed through the mass media.

The NUJ reaffirms its total opposition to censorship but equally reaffirms the belief that press freedom must be conditioned by responsibility and an acknowledgement by all media workers of the need not to allow press freedom to be abused to slander a section of the community or to promote the evil of racism.

Guidelines on Travellers:
Only mention the word Gypsy or Traveller if strictly relevant or accurate.

Strive to promote the realisation that the Travellers' community is comprised of full citizens of Great Britain and Ireland whose civil rights are seldom adequately vindicated, and who often suffer much hurt and damage through misuse by the media.

NUJ Code of Conduct - Clause 10:
A journalist shall only mention a person's age, race, colour, creed, illegitimacy, disability, marital status (or lack of it), gender or sexual orientation if this information is strictly relevant. A journalist shall neither originate nor process material which encourages discrimination, ridicule, prejudice or hatred on any of the above-mentioned grounds.

---

TO COMPLAIN TO THE PCC:

1. Summarise your complaint in a letter to us and tell us why you think the Code has been breached. If there are any other relevant letters or documents which might help us to assess the complaint, then please send us copies. Alternatively, you can complete our on-line complaints form by clicking here. Please note that if you make a complaint via e-mail you must supply us with the article either in hard copy form within seven days, or as an attachment or link to the e-mail.

2. Send us a cutting of the complete article - making sure the name of the publication is clear - and a note of the date on which it was published.

Then send your complaint to us in the post:

Press Complaints Commission
Halton House
20/23 Holborn
London EC1N 2JD

complaints@pcc.org.uk

You should make your complaint within two months of the publication of the article (unless the piece remains available on the publication's website in which case the delay rules do not apply).

If you have taken up the matter directly with the editor promptly after publication and are dissatisfied with the outcome, we will deal with complaints received up to two months after the end of effective correspondence with him or her.

When dealing directly with readers' complaints about matters that fall under the editors' Code of Practice, newspapers should give accurate information about the PCC's rules on accepting late complaints in case the complainant wishes to refer the matter to the Commission. If the newspaper withholds this information, the Commission may in certain circumstances be more inclined to accept complaints that would otherwise be out of time.