An inaccurate view (From Bucks Free Press)

An inaccurate view

12:27pm Friday 27th August 2010 in

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I AM grateful for the right to reply to your article headed “Cash-strapped councils spent £13k on media training”, dated July 30.

Had I been offered the opportunity to comment by your reporter, I would have pointed out that the figure covered three years and involved four councils.

Instead, your reporter chose to quote part of a sentence from the top of a 17 page booklet that I have written and part of a sentence from the end of the publication.

This is unfair and gives an inaccurate view of the training provided by my company.

I have already used the article in my training sessions to illustrate how journalists can package stories to serve their own pre-set agenda.

Thus I am also grateful that this article has demonstrated the necessity for public servants to be media trained so that they are aware of how some journalists may operate to the detriment of their organisation, should they not follow the ethics of fairness, accuracy and balance.

Susan Bookbinder Managing Director Zamala Ltd