Last weekend the Broadwindsor News parish magazine dropped through some letterboxes and went on sale at Broadwindsor Community Stores, priced 4op. The monthly magazine has a modest, loyal following of parishioners and is sent to other friends in other countries, who can expect to find the month’s coming events, news and updates from local groups and organisations and a full list of Beaminster Team Churches‘ services within and beyond our parish.
The main photograph shows an excerpt from the editorial on page 1. ‘Welcome‘ was the title… then half way through, the words “mean-spiritedness, backbiting and divisiveness.” are used describing the editor’s interpretation of her months in our village in 2022. The Editor may well have moved here (Broadwindsor) almost 22 years ago but it is common knowledge that the Editor and her husband regularly spend up to six months of the year abroad.
Although one may empathise with the Editor’s experience of ‘last year was a stinker’, it questions the voice of ‘the people’ and has caused quite a stir! ‘Shocked’, ‘Saddened’, ‘Surprised’ ‘Flabbergasted!’ It is most certainly not conducive to welcoming anyone to our village, which is quite ironic as the Editor also delivers such positive and warm words on social media on behalf of the White Lion pub. More HERE.
There was further unrest caused by the words from the Broadwindsor News Editor’s husband on page 6…
In the first instance, he implies that a complaint was down to an individual. He may be unaware that the individual who made the enquiry was indeed just a spokesperson for a number of people in the village.
Nonetheless, any individual has every right to question any registered charity. Said one village resident “A Church publication is not the place to put an opinion denying the rights of a person to complain. Be the complaint justified or not”.
When asked to comment, the Editor responded with “There have been a number of misinformed, unpleasant and libellous comments flying around over the past year or so. It would be a shame to perpetuate this when, hopefully, we are all trying to work for the good of everyone.” A response has not yet been received when asked to provide more detail to justify such comments.
The former Editor of Bridport & Lyme Regis News stated, surprisingly, that she did not have the Editorial Code, produced by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which can be found at: https://www.ipso.co.uk/editors-code-of-practice/) You can make your own judgement.
The Editor’s comment “for the good of everyone” is difficult to comprehend in view of the Editors remarks.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony – Mahatma Gandhi
