by admin | Jan 21, 2017 | Campaigns, international, Turkey
The weekend before the SPOT (Solidarity with the People of Turkey) delegation arrived in Istanbul, the city was in the grip of freezing temperatures and the heaviest snow-falls for 20 years with over 2 feet (65 cm) of snow paralysing the city. A few days later when we...
by admin | Jan 19, 2017 | Campaigns, Turkey
I have recently returned from a visit to Istanbul with the SPOT delegation (Solidarity with the People of Turkey). The following day (15 January) the Turkish Parliament gave preliminary approval to a new constitution which will increase the powers of President...
by admin | Jan 1, 2017 | Campaigns, international, Turkey
The IFJ/EFJ, English Pen and other trade unions and press freedom organisations have called for the immediate release of leading investigative journalist Ahmet Sik, who was taken into custody in Istanbul on 29 December. Following his detention Ahmet Şık has now been...
by admin | Dec 21, 2016 | BBC, Europe, Press, Public Service Broadcasting
I have just finished reading ‘Unleashing Demons’ by by Craig Oliver, David Cameron’s former spin doctor (Director of Politics and Communications to give him his official title, a position which he held from September 2011 until Cameron’s...
by admin | Dec 12, 2016 | media ownership, media plurality, Press
On 16 February 2013 in my blog ‘Journalists trusted as little as bankers’ I reported the results of a Ipso/MORI poll which reported that journalists and bankers were trusted by just 21% of the people. The bottom group at 18% was taken by politicians. You...
