Guest 662- Registered: 18 Mar 2008
- Posts: 325
4 December 2009
10:4034319I picked up a newspaper yesterday entitled "DOVER" Express,
Now forgive me if I missed something but I was certain that on Saturday we were switching the lights on in "DOVER" with a whole host of wonderful things going on not least CJ's dancers (Biased as my daughter dances for them I know
) and Blackfish Panto Characters (Brilliant Ugly sisters by the way) and live music.
It seems that DEAL and SANDWICH switched on their lights with lots of photos and mentions but nothing about DOVER.
Am I going mad!!!
Sheli x
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
4 December 2009
10:5834321Why do you think not many people buy it any more?
Thanks to PaulB there's more local news on here than in the not-so-local rag!
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
4 December 2009
11:0334323Amen to that!
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
4 December 2009
11:0434324Yes Sheli, I wondered the same actually, I found myself turning back to the front page to check to see if I had picked up the wrong paper, shame, as there was so much going on, probably one of the busiest saturdays in Dover. As you say everyone had worked so hard to make it a special day and they certainly deserved a fair amount of publicity
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
4 December 2009
12:4734343Thanks guys. Yes this was surprising.. the lack of coverage in the Dover Express, as Phil Medgett their frontline photographer was there snapping away furiously. Not only was he in Le Salle Verte beforehand but he was also on the stage as the lights were switched on, photographing like mad while cosily sheltered from the downpour!
!
So not sure where the pix went. But of course we all make a horlicks of it now and again...
There was however great coverage in The Dover Mercury if anyone has missed out on that. They've got a v good picture right in the centre of the spread of the group at switch-on. Hard shot to get right.. in the prevailing downpour. Plus lots of other shots too.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
4 December 2009
13:0934344The Dover Express did respond to a plea from The Friends of The Dover War Memorial Project for a piece publicising the Christmas Market on the same day as the lights switch-on much better than the Dover Mercury, but the coverage of the event itself is a sad reflection of the DE these days which is just focussed on Folkestone. I don't know why they bother printing the banner 'Dover Express' at all these days.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
4 December 2009
13:3434347Just had this email in from Rhys Griffiths of the Dover Express..so in order to balance things fairly we are happy to reproduce it here...
"
By my count there were four photos from Dover, four from Deal and six from Sandwich. The opening paragraph says "celebrations took place in Dover, Deal and Sandwich". The story also contains quotes from councillors in all three towns.
It's unfortunate one of your members sees this as "Deal and Sandwich switched on their lights with lots of photos and mentions but nothing about Dover", I'm not sure they have read the same piece I have.
What people need to remember is that the Dover Express has always been a paper for the entire district, not just the town itself. We have now got an edition for the town and surrounding areas, and a separate edition for Deal and Sandwich. We have to provide coverage for all the areas of the district where our readers live and work.
"
Further email just in from Rhys...
"
I have just been through this week's Express and there is not a single story about Folkestone in the entirety of the editorial space. If he would like to find a single example to back up his claim I would be glad to see it so we can ensure this doesn't happen again.
Sorry to be on about this Paul, but as a newspaper we are proud to serve the people of Dover and the suggestion that we are focused on Folkestone is frankly ludicrous. I'm not whether people realise that if they don't support their local newspapers instead of running them down they will eventually wake up to find them gone, whether it's the Mercury, Express or YourDover. It really is a case of use it or lose it when it comes to local media in the current economic climate.
"
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
4 December 2009
14:1234348I have also had a call from Yam Zendera as it was Yam who did the Christmas Lights coverage in the aforementioned Dover Express. I think it is fair to say that he was a tad upset...he asked me to put up his number if anyone wants to talk it through with him...
Yam 01303 851660
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 December 2009
14:2134349they seemed to focua on deal more than dover for a while, but seem to have done a good job on dover in recent months.
what was the weather like at the deal and sandwich switch ons?
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
4 December 2009
14:3734351I withdraw my criticism of The Dover Express of being focussed on Folkestone if it causes upset; I think the strong response from Rhys is admirable in that they obviously take on board words that are said of them. Sorry.
However, I do believe that if one refers back over months the point I'm making about the pro-Folkestone slant is true; indeed, the Christmas edition last year was almost entirely about Folkestone, there was virtually nothing about Dover printed in that edition at all. Nor is this a one-off, on many occasions the coverage of Dover in the papers from that group is disproportionate to the title of 'Dover Express' which heralds (pardon the pun!) the jibe about not printing the banner of Dover Express.....
And, finally, I'm afraid that the company has to expect criticism from townspeople who have had their newspaper offices closed, in exactly the same way as the criticism aimed at Kent Police for leaving Deal town Police station unmanned at night. Sorry if it causes upset, but I don't believe that the town can be fully represented in the local media if the office is in Folkestone; that's not an anti-Express thing, that goes for the Mercury too.
True friends stab you in the front.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 December 2009
17:5234367last years christmas edition was full of folkestone.
there was only 3 news gathering days that week, nothing much happened, so our local organ was padded out.
i don';t remember much about folkestone in there since.
5 December 2009
09:0034394Last weekend was a very full one in Dover. There may have been some Dover bits in there - certainly were - but the buzz and busyness were not reflected. If a paper claims to represent Dover it has the same responsibilities as local authority reps to big it up and promote it. I don't feel either local paper does this effectively, whatever they say. I also, with some credibility, mistrust the contents of articles and the lask of responsibile reporting that I see, reflected from National to Local press. "In the public interest" covers a multitude of prurience.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
5 December 2009
20:5934416it would be nice for a local paper to be positive and "big up" local things.
however, there first duty is to their shareholders, so they have to go by what will boost sales and advertising.
we all like a whiff of a scandal, otherwise we would not buy newspapers.
5 December 2009
21:0234417"Local paper" - the clue is in the title. If that's a lie, don't buy the rag.
Guest 659- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 331
6 December 2009
14:4734458Hi Howard
I think our Xmas appeal for Carousel ward is bigging up something local and trying to do something for our community.
I can think of quite a few stories bigging up local things and trying to help a cause, quite a few have involved children needing help such as Travis Ransley-Warnes whose family raised enough money to take him to China for a stem cell op partly due to our coverage.
Unfortunately people don't seem to remember the good stories, they prefer the bad news even if they don't admit it.
6 December 2009
15:2834459I am probably missing some of these good stories, as you say, as I stopped buying the local papers some time ago because of their bias and uninteresting or unappealing presentation. It is good to learn that some local issues are being flagged up - I know from my own experience that some of the local issues, around the hospital closure for example, were not thought interesting enough by local "papers" a long time ago in the beginning , and I remember wondering why that was, at the time, given the genuine local appeal and the bank of information and evidence there was. I am also aware of some local news items that have not been in the public interest and have been merely prurient but have been run anyway - I do not, personally, see that as fine journalism. However, if there is one available I will probably take another look and see if there have been improvements - I am always happy to be wrong about poor quality.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
6 December 2009
21:1134494The Express gave good coverage of the launch of Dover Business Support and that's a good news story.
The Mercury managed a write-up the week before, so both are happy to put in good stories.
Roger
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
6 December 2009
21:3434497I am going to stick up for the Express,acording to Yam I don't normally,but I do think it is coming back to Dover in a manner,and yes they have a large area to cover but they can only cover the stories they are informed of,and things they know that are going on.I would prefer to see more words and less photo's but of course photo's also take big spaces,and the more photo's the less text.Of course my old mate Mark Winter is always worth reading if you are into sport,and Terry's little bits as well,but I do think things are coming round and reporting more on Dover.
ps it was a good photo of me.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
6 December 2009
21:3434498to be fair to the express they also give a column to jeanette of the london road community forum, i am sure that others would get the same coverage if they made themselves as public.
i hope you are reading this kathy!!
Guest 659- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 331
6 December 2009
22:0734503i am