Wednesday 24 September 2014

'Positive' stories from Brent Council to drown out racism findings?

A regular reader writes to point out his suspicions of news management by Brent Council
  • The Kilburn Times website published an article about the Rosemarie Clarke tribunal decision on Monday lunchtime (22 September). 
  • This story will hopefully appear in tomorrow's paper edition, which they would have been finalising the content for on Tuesday (23 September), with only a limited space available for Brent Council related stories.
  • Also on Tuesday, Brent Council issued four press releases, each containing a "positive" story.
  • Two of these press releases contain quotes from Cllr. Butt.
  • Cllr. Butt is at the Labour Party conference this week, and unable to deal with important issues, such as what to do about Cara Davani in the light of the Rosemarie Clarke tribunal decision.
Brent Council's Commications Director Cheryl Curling was made redundant in January 2014. Her department was then restructured and expanded from 9 staff to 11. Existing staff had to reapply for their jobs.

This is the current structure of the folks paid to give Brent Council a great public image and mitigae any negative stories:


Recruitment for the Head of Communications was handled by our old friends Bloomsbury Resourcing LINK

Here are the 'positive stories' released on Tuesday. Hold the front page!

Free activities for National Fitness Day

Bid to build more homes in Alperton and Wembley 

Reduced waiting lists for Brent allotments

Win for Brent in prestigious horticultural awards 

One more for luck was released today:

Wembley Crossrail key to Brent's backing for Old Oak Regeneration

The latter may make it into the Wembley and Willesden Observer which always has one Brent story on the front page but very little about Brent inside.

However this was relased 8 days after Brent Cabinet made the decision about Old Oak. Not exactly hot off the press!







8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The ONLY positive story which I am interested in hearing about from Brent Council is the sacking of racist bully Cara Davani. No matter how many other 'positive' stories they wish to release nothing is going to distract residents and staff from the fact that those at the top are shielding a racist bully.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Shame!

Anonymous said...

Now, now let's not be too hard on this 'finger on the pulse of the community' communications team. They are really in touch with the residents as they are trying to distract us from a racist bully judgement (because they think that we are so stupid and they also have a blatant disregard for us) with good news stories, Helping to make us feel better about them! A BIG FAT ZERO FOR EFFORT! I can't wait to see what they come up with tomorrow...next!!! Let's face it, the assistant chief exec needs something to head up to justify his salary and place in this expensive top heavy, white senior manager structure!

Nan said...

Air fresheners will only disguise the smell and presence of rot, they will never eliminate it.

Anonymous said...

http://www.brent.gov.uk/council-news/press-releases/pr5864/
Lol. Butt can't address the Tribunal ruling but he can talk about allotments. Hilarious!

Anonymous said...

Allotments???? Cllr Butt there are bigger fish to fry.

Anonymous said...

Spot on Nan. They must be feeling the heat and thinking what the best strategy is every day. Their biggest wish is that it will all blow over. No chance of that. ....keep these blogs going.