IT IS RARE indeed that journalists are obliged to answer directly to those they That was the position that journalists on the racist Tottenham Weekiv Herald in North London were placed last week when confronted by an angry meeting of representatives of the black community, the local labour movement and anti-racist members National Union of Journalists.
The Herald's coverage is in line with that of many local rags in the present racist upsurge which the mass media has played a prominent part in fostering. 'What about us whites, asks angry councillor" is typical of the Herald's headlines, and just one instance of countless column inche devoted to the outbursts of Michael Coney, 'MP hits out at hospital's foreign labour' turns out to be a grossly distorted account of a speech by Norman Atkinson against the exploitation of low-paid immigrant labour in the NHS. The paper has also consistently campaigned against a project Dy Headstart to ser up a nouse for ten homeless black teenagers, inventing totally unsubstantiated stories of a split in the Labour Party over the issue.
The meeting held on 23 August initiated by the recently formed Campaign Against Racism in the Media [CARM] -resurred, precictably, ma no acknowoge ment by the Herald journalists that they are reintorcing and orten inciung race male ably assisting the building of what is aleady a strong fascist base in the area. The NUJ chapel on the paper is under the sway of chief reporter Kevin Kavanagh, one of the main architects of its racist policies; and it was Kavanagh who acted as chief defendant at the meeting.
'A journalists's job is to reflect the attitudes in the community', he maintained. 'Only a small proportion' of Councillor Coney's thousands of letters were published. A few "pro-black' articles were meant to establish 'balance'. Deadlines left no time to 'worry about details.
There was no response to an invitation from journalists on the neighbouring Hornsey Journal — who last year refused to work on an issue which carried an advertisement for an NF rally — to regularly exchange views on race coverage.
Members of the NUJ's North London branch are now bringing a formal complaint against Kavanagh under the union's Code of Conduct and Race Guidelines, WiCh Come resuE a nine or more schous disciplinary action.
Geoffrey Sheridan from CARM won enthusiastic applause from the meeting when he argued that what is news and how it is reported reflects values and ideas that are dominant in society. *These include racism, chauvinism, and nationalism', he said, 'and few journalists openly oppose These toeas.
Denis MacShane, chairperson of the NUJ's General Purposes Committee, compared the attitude of the Herald staff with the obsequiousness of many journalists in Nazi Germany.
CARM announced that since discussion persuasion had failed to shift the Herald journalists, local blacks and anti-racists would have to bring pressure to bear on the paper CARM mobilising support in the NUJ and other media unions. This proposal was adopted the following night by a meeting which established a Haringey anti-racist campaign. A working party was established to work out an action plan against the Herald.
CARM is now turning its attention to other racist local papers in London, and a pamphlet is being produced detailing examples of how the media reinforces racism and what has to be done to put a stop t this. Details of CARM, which holds open committee meeings, rom: is cieve Koad London NW6.