The great Yourmedway debate on Twydall

TWO weeks ago, I wrote a brief spiel about KOS Media launching eight new weekly free papers in Kent. Well I have just got my hands on issue 3 of Yourmedway – and discovered that there has already been a fierce debate from within its pages, sparked by a mystery blogger article in issue 2.

So why should this concern me and my quiet little blog? Well, firstly it is an interesting local issue – the first debate of the new paper, and secondly, the article in question was written about Twydall, “Medway’s forgotten estate”.

The mystery blogger wrote last week about how Twydall has become Medway’s forgotten estate, questioning the current Labour Councillors’ commitment to the ward and its residents. In the conclusion, the author of the piece directly attacked the Labour councillors, saying that some viewed them “as taking the area for granted … Either they need to change their attitud, or in four years’ time they need to be replaced with people willing to stand up and proudly proclaim Twydall’s existence.”

Obviously, my response to such moving sentiments would be hear, hear! But not everyone seemed to agree as this week featured a response by Labour Councillor for Twydall, Glyn Griffiths, in which he condemned the words of who he assumed to be a Liberal Democrat activist “with an axe to grind”.

He went on to explain what Labour Councillors in Twydall were doing for residents, blaming its imperfectness on the fact that we currently have a Tory-run Council (though, as a Critical Thinking student, I personally found this laughable: all he included was an unsubstantiated conclusion, with no evidence of how, or why, the Tories have supposedly gone wrong).

Cllr Griffith’s response to the blogger’s article was anything short of amicable – and he wasn’t about to shy away from that as he launched his attack further: “Twydall is a pleasant area and I am proud to represent it”, says the Councillor who lives in Watling Ward. “My fellow ward councillors and I work hard to represent the views of all our constituents”, aside from the fact that my views (as a constituent of Twydall ward) haven’t been represented by the three musketeers (well, in relative terms they’re arsenal consists of more tickling sticks than bayonets).

Cllr Griffiths then criticised Yourmedway’s use of anonymity in the Yourmedway blogger section: “it enables people to write biased articles without people being able to see who they are or what axe they might have to grind.” I’m sorry, Cllr Griffiths, but I am with the Yourmedway team on this one: “we recognise that some issues will provoke strong emotions and we offer any of our readers a voice – and equally everyone a right of reply in Yourmedway.” Many people have frustrations they wish to vent, and anonymity may be the only way they are willing to do so.

Cllr Griffiths’ letter ended on the author of the article: “I assume that it is an active Liberal Democrat who wrote the article, since it praised their actions but failed to mention that the road relating to the petition is where a Lib Dem councillor lives.” By golly that man is right. The original article stated that “the Liberal Democrats recently presented a petition calling for residents-only parking in Westerham Close [reported by myself here], while the Labour councillors concentrated on extending their claws in the direction of the ruling party.” Meow!

I must say that my most amusing opinion on this comes from the point of view of a Critical Thinking student, i.e. Cllr Griffith’s letter has thrown up many assumptions, which we were talking about only last lesson. For example, not only has Cllr Griffiths openly assumed that the author was a Liberal Democrat, but he has also quietly assumed that the article was praising the actions of the Liberal Democrats.

Now, call me a pedantic cynic, but (and this is having re-read the article twice) I cannot find anywhere in the article praise for the actions of the Liberal Democrats. In fact, from where I stand, the author wrote a biased article, granted, but only in terms of attacking Labour (don’t we all, sometimes?). The Liberal Democrats’ actions were referenced (objectivally) as being relevant and the Conservatives and Independent of the Council were not referenced at all.

In his defensive response, he brought the Conservatives up (completely out of thin air) for the sake of a few political points, subjectivally attacked them with zero reasoning and then moved on. Subtle, and all that! I could launch into a tirade about how it is his party’s government which has caused the financial mess which has caused the funding problems this year, but I shall pass. This time.

Instead, I shall conclude. Yourmedway is a fantastic newspaper by KOS media – and I think it advances head and shoulders above other local papers for both its price and the opportunity to anonymously air one’s views. It is also fantastic to see that it doesn’t shy away from a good debate. I look forward to further such debates in the future…