[Imc-uk-features] Feature proposal: Tweedle Brown

[Ben]

chris at aktivix.org wrote:
 >On Wed 27-Jun-2007 at 11:50:58AM +0100, Ben wrote:
 >> I'm not very keen on this feature going up, at least not
 >> yet.

 >> My first reason is fairly selfish - I'd like the gm
 >> feature to stay  at the top longer in the hope that more
 >> people will become aware of  the action on sunday.

 >This is not a good enough reason -- if you want that
 >feature to stay at the top you should propose that it is
 >made a start page feature.

Yeah it's a crap reason but it's a valid reason and been
used before to delay a feature. There have been many
occasions in the past when a feature has been delayed
a while in order to give breathing space for another feature.

 >I think it should go up straight away and when reports
 >about the protests today are posted these should be linked
 >in.

Well, any posts about protests today will appear at the top
of the newswire for the next 24 hours or more so that's not
much a reason to worry about it.

 >> My second reason is that I think it might be better
 >> suited for London  and Manchester features rather than
 >> UK.

 > Protests around the the PM changing is clearly a UK issue
 > (arguable a world issue due to the UK's role in the
 > genocide in Iraq) -- it will not just effect Manchester
 > and London will it?

You are of course correct that it is a national issue but
that's true of most things which happen at a local level.
Any antiwar action anywhere in the country could argue
the same thing.

 >> Indymedia isn't normally associated with following the
 >> in's and out's  of party politics and a front page
 >> feature basically about one  celebrity politician making
 > way for another doesn't seem quite right  to me.>

 >The article is about the protests and the politics these
 >leaders represent, it seems exactly right to me that these
 >are covered.

Of course, and they are, in the wire. The question is why
does it need a feature, right now, on the UK front page.
Is it because there a good newswire articles to draw together
on this issue or because it's the top news story on every media
outlet in the world?

 >> The manchester march didn't exactly get many reports in
 >> the wire,  mostly just whinging about lack of coverage
 >> in the mainstream media  and the usual moans about the
 >> STWC and A to B marching. Hardly  quality indymedia
 >> reporting.

 > DIY: next time why don't you attend an anti-war demo and
 > improve in the quality of reporting rather than just
 > complaining about the works of others? This is not a good
 > reason not to publish this feature -- of course there is
 > always a need for more and better coverage...

I'm not complaining about the quantity or quality of the
coverage (and I'm certainly not going to travel to manchester
to cover a STWC march). I'm simply arguing that the coverage
of the march on the newswire does little to support the proposal
of a UK feature. I notice that manchester IMC hasn't got a
feature about the march.

 >> Likewise, although there are quite a few posts about the
 >> peace camp,  there hasn't really been much to say at
 >> this stage and perhaps that  might change or better
 >> reports come out.

 >The fact that it is happening and not being reported in
 >the MSM is a good reason for it to be in a feature.

It's a good reason for there to be coverage on indymedia, yes.
I'm just questioning whether it needs to be a UK feature right
at this moment in time. Again, it's worth noting that London hasn't
yet done a feature about the peace camp.

 >> The SOCPA angle is very much a london thing and there
 >> will no doubt  be a lot more to say on the issue in a
 >> week or two as additional  court dates come up and the
 >> intentions of Brown on repealing the  restrictions
 >> becomes clearer.

 >SOCPA is a national issue -- Parliment doens't just make
 >laws for London.

That's arguable but who cares. Sure there is national interest.
I was just saying that there is set it be major news on SOCPA
coming up which may well warrant a UK feature so perhaps
there is no need to rush out this feature.

 >> All in all, I don't see an urgency to cover all that as
 >> a UK feature.

 >I totally disagree -- are you blocking the posting of this
 >feature?

Well, the 24 hours is up in about 10 minutes. I'm not sure what
exactly the protocol is for when the 24 hour consultation period
does result in some response so I'd suggest that a little more
time be given for people to respond to the issues I've raised.

There is wall to wall coverage of blair stepping down and
you can hear people yelling war criminal on the telly so
with any reports of protests already prominent on the top
of the newswire I think we can cope with not having the info
as a feature.

I propose as a compromise that a brief start page special
could be posted instead until the feature goes up.

Something like....

Gordon Brown faces an anti-war welcome for his first week in power,  
with little sign that he will break with Blair's disastrous foreign  
policy.  On Saturday there was a demonstration outside Brown's Labour  
leadership coronation in Manchester and a peace camp set up in  
Parliament Square. There are demonstrations in London today as Tony  
Blair stepped down.

(plus whatever links)

Ben