Results tagged “media circus; The Sun; Muslims; Archbishop; Rowan Williams; race relations; ethnic diversity” from Birmingham Mail - Editors Chair Blog

Too many weekends result in me ending up depressed at the national media.

Over the years I've been particularly scathing in print about how the nationals savaged Longbridge and the future of car-making during the BMW sell-off in 2000.

I've also regularly hit out at how so many in the national press ignore anything north of Watford, and I have written countless editorials complaining that they are too often smug, London-centric posers.

Today (and yesterday and Friday for that matter) I've been shaking my head at the thousands of column inches and hours of air time the national press and broadcasting world have spent on building themselves up into a frenzy over Archbishop Rowan Williams.

OK. The man hinted at what he felt was the "inevitability" of Sharia law becoming entwined in British law. But does this really make him 'The mad burqa' (headline in The Sun)?. Does that really mean he should resign (suggestions from The Times, Telegraph, BBC and others)?

Yes, perhaps he was little naive with his complex lecture. But what has he actually done wrong?

In my mind, he may well have done more good for race relations and ethnic diversity in Britain than ALL national newspapers put together have done in the last 12 months. Why? Well, for raising an issue that has focused the attention of the world on how best (or not) to integrate diverse ethnicities and religions in an increasingly cosmoplitan country.

Is this considered by the national media? No, of course not. They are too busy milling around in their media circus, snatching pictures of the palpably nervous Archbishop at church, hoping and praying (no pun intended) that he will resign and give them even more days to tear into the subject.

They jump onto eachothers' bandwagon, the national press, on any such story, almost sweating profusely as they try to outdo eachother with pious comment and clever-clog headlines. On this particular tale, the broadsheet or quality press have been no better than the red-tops.

And the uncomfortable truth about this media circus is that it instills fear and foreboding in the many millions who read or watch them, in this case making the nation feel even more at odds with eachother about race and religion... and especially about "the Muslims". This leaves many organisations - including us in the regions - to pick up the pieces in the cities, towns and villages that we not only serve but also live in and work.

Do national editors care? Not a jot. As they sip their champers in the confines of wine bars frequented only by themselves, the only thing they worry about is whether they can outdo eachother in ridiculing the next victim of their uncontrolled rants. I think their lack of responsibility is appalling.

This blog will return to the so-called finest of Fleet Street from time to time, and it would be nice to think that on occasions it might be because they have impressed regional editors such as myself, who should surely be looking up to them in awe.

I very much doubt it.