In an original piece of navel gazing it was reported (in the Oldham Evening Chronicle of course) that Chronicle editor DIave Whaley gave a presentation on the newspaper’s role in the future of our town., entitled- “Positive about Oldham” (negatives £2.50 each from The Chronicle Office.)
Defending the Chronicle’s right to report the unflattering, and to be critical “when the occasion and times demand”, he insisted it was in the interest of everyone who holds dear the future of Oldham that the borough has a thriving evening NEWSpaper. We thoroughly agree. Anyone want to start one? Note the emphasis on NEWS. Something that is sadly lacking in the OEC of today. It has more advertising than the Oldham Advertiser. At one time it was a paper filled with up-to-date news both national and local: a good read and good value. Now, what passes for news is hidden away in one inch segments in two or three end columns. We read reports of chimney fires in Westhoughton and bicycle theft in Wilmslow. What relevance to the people of Oldham?? What local 'news' there is has been recycled from competitors journals and is usually well past it's sell by date. Sports reports appear days after the event when everyone knows all the results and is past caring about rehashed old news. The Chron is now nothing more than a social gazette and a photo peddling operation. Every week they dream up another scheme to involve locals having their pics taken so increasing sales. The impression one gets with the Chron is that 'real news' gets in the way of advertising, the myriad Chronicle 'promotions' and the endless round of school reports, complete with pics, (available at a reasonable price)
He defends the right to be unflattering and critical. Yet nothing in this town seems to raise the ire of what is supposed to be our voice. Criticism of the miserable Council is verboten. Nothing remotely unflattering is ever written about the numbskulls supposedly running the town. Nothing critical of the hare-brained schemes dreamt up by the same numbskulls, the destruction of our town, the exorbitant council tax, the blatant self serving and self aggrandisement, the profligacy and sheer greed of our elected morons is ever published. Dissent in the letters to the paper is censored out, this means we are not allowed to voice our opinions in the OEC This is most likely because the Chron is mortally feared of losing it's only remaining source of information if it offends T'Council.
Everything in the town is perfect, every plan published is just what we have been waiting for. Only the other day we were greeted by the headline - "We're going places." Aye well we may be but I doubt it's the promised land envisaged by The Chron where we will all live happily ever after drinking OB and reading the Green Final. (Ask yer granddad!)
In a snub to the 'free beer, tomorrow ' hopefuls, Mr Whaley said, 'For this Utopia to come to pass, we need your support — we need you to use our columns to promote your business and support Oldham,. In other words, ' buy more advertising space.'
He added, “We don’t have a crystal ball; we can’t possibly know everything that is going on. But you people, our readers, do. We need you tell us all the good-news stories that reflect well on the people of Oldham. At one time the OEC had fine reporters who went out and about around the area and knew virtually everything that was happening locally. What have we now? Barely literate school leavers, who have probably done 'meeja studies' and think they are Pullitzer Prize winners. The writing is stilted and riddled with errors, grammatical and factual. One gets the impression that no thought, planning or research has gone into the output of these amateurish pieces. It is also obvious that the art of proof-reading has been lost at the Chron.
The online edition is slowly going downhill. Not a terribly long trip! It publishes later and later every day and what 'news' is in it is hardly worth reading. Eleven pieces of nonsense one day recently about how well our schools have done in what are laughingly called exams complete with endless lists of names. Who the hell is interested?
It's time the Chron abandoned it's Swiss style neutrality and stood up for the people of this town by condemning the excesses of the Council and the destruction of what was once, albeit not pretty, a pleasant place to live. Mr Whaley, in his relatively short time at the helm following the retirement of the much missed Jim Williams, has allowed the Chron to slide ever more toward being an organ of the Council Chamber. Our message to Mr Whaley? Become once again the voice of the people. Have the courage to stand up to the bullies in the Civic Centre, have the courage to say enough, have the courage to say no, have the courage to say something is wrong. Ride at the head of our army. We will love you more for it.
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