Back in September Webby reported that the parent company of the Chronicle & Echo had announced on its own website that it 'had' obtained the Herald & Post newspaper, amongst others, and that this merger would give the Chronicle/Johnston Press 96% of Northamptonshire's newspaper market.


AT THAT TIME (Back in September), JOHNSTON PRESS WERE NOT WILLING TO UNDERGO AN ENQUIRY BY THE COMPETITIONS COMMISSION?


WHY NOT YOU MUST ASK YOURSELVES?


But now, they have submitted a 'revised application', indicating that they are now willing to accept a reference to the Competition Commission?


It is worth noting that I don't recall this huge story of great public interest being published in the Chronicle & Echo.......WHY NOT? Could it be that they don't want too many people objecting to the application?


Could it be that they wanted time to try and put over the alleged false sense that they are actually politically unbiased?


Many people in the political arena and out of it have commented to me personally that the Chronicle & Echo have "recently" began to report stories that are not in the Labour controlled Borough & County Council's favour. BUT WHY I ASK?


Could it be that they did not want to be referred to the Competition Commission back in September as they knew that they had been politically bias in favour of the Labour Party locally?


What is going to happen if Johnston Press do get the go ahead for this buy-out? Are the Chronicle & Echo then going to revert to their previous stance on politics and not report anything that Cllr Wire, Davies, Tony Clarke MP & Sally Keeble Mp don't want printing?


Even now, although they are 'AT PRESENT' giving the impression that they are not bias over the last two/three months, not one story that might portray Tony Clarke or Sally Keeble in a bad light has appeared in the Chronicle & Echo, WHY NOT?


This website has uncovered some of the biggest stories that have over recent years come to light about abuse of position by both local MP's, did the Chronicle & Echo report on them -NO...Ask yourself why not if the newspaper is not bias?


The newspaper ran the same story THREE TIMES about the alleged misuse of a photocopier by one political party (obviously not Labour) in as many weeks, but FAILED to run a story about exactly the same thing concerning the Labour Group....is this not political bias?


There are too many incidents such as this for me to mention in this article, but I and many of our web-fans feel very strongly about the damage we believe this buy-out would cause to the people of both Northampton & Northamptonshire. For one newspaper group to own 96% of the whole newspaper market in a single County is unacceptable and certainly NOT in the publics interest.


Local newspapers should report ALL stories wether they be in favour of any given political party or not - they should not be selective in their political reporting as has been the point to date with the Chronicle & Echo.


The most recent incident was last week, when this outcry began about the parking restrictions in the town centre, particularly those that affected the disabled. The local BBC Radio ran with the phone-in three days on the trot - it was such a hot, overwhelming subject that the public simply kept ringing the local radio station. BBC Look East were interested and made a number of inquiries and of course, Webby broke the story first on this website.


BUT WHAT DID THE CHRONICLE & ECHO REPORT ON THIS PUBLIC OUTCRY - NOTHING!!!!


Oh, forgive me, they had a small column inside somewhere stating that new parking restriction were going to be enforced and that was it! They should have ran a full article on it due to the public interest on this issue. Even the Borough Council went on the BBC Radio to try and explain why they were doing this and despite the DJ's plea to alter it, the public's plea to alter it, Tim Turner, the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter stuck to a well prepared verse that the NBC would not alter their stance.


IF YOU VALUE A FREE PRESS WHICH KEEPS YOU WELL INFORMED OF ALL POLITICAL STORIES THAT BREAK IN NORTHAMPTON AND THE COUNTY, THEN YOU REALLY MUST VOICE YOUR OBJECTIONS TO THE COMPETITION COMMISSION TODAY-----


E-MAIL:  timothy.oyler@competition-commission.org.uk


This is your last chance to stop this dreadful event happening, remember that the newspaper needs you and that you don't need the newspaper! If you don't object now, then don't complain when you don't hear about all the stories for instance that we have uncovered and exposed and that the Chronicle & Echo have ignored, despite them being of a huge significance to the public of Northampton and Northants.


Here is the full press release from the Competition Commission (Which you won't see printed in the Chronicle & Echo (maybe they don't think that them owning 96% of the market is of any interest to you the people of that very same market?)).


PREVIOUS ARTICLE ON MERGER ATTEMPT

JOHNSTON IN £16M DEAL FOR PAPERS
DEAL IS BAD NEWS FOR NORTHAMPTON AND NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
JOHNSTON Press, the parent company of the Evening Telegraph and Chronicle & Echo newspapers, has announced it plans to buy eight free weekly papers.


Johnston Press, one of the UK's leading regional newspaper groups, is to acquire from Trinity Mirror titles which include Northampton, Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough Herald & Post series, Peterborough Herald & Post, and the Derby Trader, for £16.1m.



*** The deal is subject to approval of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.


This - in Webby's opinion - is far from being in the best interests of the people of Northampton or Northamptonshire.


Many people have contacted me voicing their concerns and disquiet about the alleged 'political bias' in the Chronicle & Echo's reporting and coverage of the General & County elections recently.


But this is not simply a 'new' problem, this has been developing over a long period of time.


I have personally contacted the Editor (Mark Edwards) asking a number of questions concerning the political reporting policy of the C&E, I hasten to add he has refused to reply to date (his actions, or lack of them - speak volumes in themselves)!


ALL political parties with the exception of the UK Independence Party (and the Labour Party of course), have contacted this website and complained about how much they believe the C&E is acting and reporting political news articles - in favour of NewLabour.


I for one have found little, if any evidence to rebuke these allegations.


Some have gone as far as to say that Tony Clarke MP actually owes his extremely marginal seat to the C&E, while others simple say that the C&E wrapped him up in cotton wool during the lead-up to the General Election.


If Johnston Press are allowed by the Secretary of State to go ahead with this purchase, the people of Northampton & Shire shall be the losers.


This town and county shall then, if the allegations are correct, be NewLabour controlled and have a single newspaper organisation that is 'allegedly' NewLabour bias....NOT a recipe for good journalism or representation.


I would urge everyone to write to the Secretary of State to register their objection at this proposed buy-out as a matter of urgency.


Should the merger be allowed, then we should write to the Competition Commission to do exactly the same ASAP. (their addresses are at the bottom of this page).


Some similarities with NewLabour can be found on page 13 in today's newspaper (10/07/2001) under the heading "Our ace reporters scoop top awards".


Mark Edwards rambles on and on in the exact rhetoric and style as Mandleson did for NewLabour (and look where that got him!), playing up the role of his own organisation beyond belief. As Mandleson was the ultimate spin-doctor for NewLabour, one could be forgiven for thinking that Edwards is the spin-doctor for Johnston Press locally. I only hope that the people of Northampton don't fall for it like they did for NewLabour's spin.


As for the article itself - I'll pass no further comments than I have already done on this website in the recent past, but simply state that I don't like people who deceive others for their own benefit, gain or furtherance of their own careers!


It goes without saying that Webby has already registered his objection to the merger. Don't leave it to chance and hope that others might do it.