The end for the News of the World

By Simon Wright (News and personal piece)

CLOSURE: The final edition of the paper will be on Sunday

AFTER 168 years of exposing celebrities, shaming politicians and campaigning for better human rights, this Sunday will see the final ever edition of the News of the World.  Rupert Murdoch has taken the controversial decision to axe the newspaper, in a desperate bid to bury the phone hacking scandal which has dominated news headlines across the world this week.  Some 200 journalists have lost their jobs as a result of the decision taken by News International at its Wapping headquarters, but chief executive of the company, Rebekah Brooks – who was editor of the paper during the scandal, has remarkably held onto her job.  This morning, Andy Coulson – another former editor of the tabloid paper and former press aide in David Cameron’s coalition government was arrested for his role in the phone hacking, as well as allegations into payment to members of the Metropolitan Police.

     The News of the World has come under significant fire for the phone hacking of famous celebrities and politicians already this year.  Film star Sienna Miller, former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, PR guru Max Clifford and TalkSport radio host Andy Gray were amongst the victims.  Some of these disputes were being settled with significant compensation packages.  However, the twisted events of the last week have led to the downfall of the biggest selling newspaper in the UK. 

      The trouble started when it emerged that the mobile phone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler in 2002 had been hacked into by rogue journalists.  As the days rolled on, more scandals emerged.  Also targeted were the parents of murdered Soham schoolgirls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman and victims of the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London – on the eve of the sixth anniversary.  The final death knell was when it emerged that some families of servicemen who fought for the country in Afghanistan, but never came home also had their phones and voicemails listened into.  Police have confirmed that they have had 4,000 complaints of mobile phones being targeted and the scandal is likely to cost News International £120million.  Media regulator OFCOM is investigating News International’s other businesses, including fellow newspapers under the branch; The Sun and The Times.  It also throws the proposed takeover of BSkyB into severe doubt, with culture secretary Jeremy Hunt forced to delay the go-ahead for the bid until September at the earliest.

QUESTIONS: Murdoch has decided to keep his chief executive

     Murdoch was reeling yesterday.  For a man who loves making news, he looked scared as he desperately tried to escape questions from pressing journalists on a golf course in Idaho, USA.  It seems though that under fire Brooks will keep her job as chief executive of the organisation, despite the cost of many other innocent positions.  Labour leader Ed Miliband, who has criticised David Cameron for his handling of the situation all week, is furious that Brooks still has a job, despite her knowledge of such illegal journalism practices.  He told the Daily Mirror;

     “It’s clearly people power that has forced this decision.  It’s the result of the revulsion that people felt at what happened at the News of the World.  The one person who seems to be staying in her job in chief executive Rebekah Brooks who was the editor at the time Milly Dowler’s phone was hacked.  I don’t think News International can hope to start to move on while she remains in place.” 

     The lawyer for the Dowler family, Mark Lewis is also saddened that those responsible are still in higher positions; “It’s sad that people will end up losing their jobs, but those responsible are still there.”  Current chairman of News International James Murdoch was interviewed by ITN’s political editor Tom Bradby last night.  He gave his full backing to Brooks and insisted he had no choice to announce the pulling of the plug for the paper;

     “The good things the News of the World does has been sullied by behaviour that was wrong.  Indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company.  The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account, but it failed when it came to itself.”

     Celebrities have used Twitter to express their views on the newspaper’s axing today.  Singer George Michael said; "Today is a fantastic day for Britain.  These beliefs are in no way an excuse for any of my behaviour in recent times.  I was happy to do my time, because I was so ashamed.  But... I believe every individual, whether privileged or the average citizen, deserves the law.  And many of us rich or poor have been denied it by News International.  You gotta have faith in Karma.  Today it's very real. And I hope the families of Milly Dowler and all the others who died...."

     Former editor of the Daily Mirror Piers Morgan lamented the move, although he did slam their actions; “Shocked and saddened by closure of the News of the World.  Scandals of past week indefensible, but has been a great British newspaper."

     Founded in October 1843, the News of the World has an annual circulation of 3million readers today, despite the powers of 24-hour rolling news, social networking sites and the radical growth of the internet.  It is famous for its hard-hitting interviews and massive investigations that send celebrities into a pit of shame.  Some of its most famous moments included the undercover sting that exposed Sven-Goran Eriksson into agreeing to take over as Aston Villa manager in January 2006.  Eriksson, contracted to England at the time announced his departure after the 2006 World Cup finals just days following the ‘fake sheikh’ investigation.  It has also revealed Prince Harry’s experimentation with drink and drugs in 2002 and the spot-fixing involving Pakistan cricketers during last summer’s test series in England.  Unsurprisingly, the News of the World has also had to fight many libel cases.  England footballers Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney have received damages out of court for sleazy stories that made the front page headlines, whilst former FIA president Max Mosley used an invasion of privacy into allegations regarding his private life in March 2008.  Mosley won £60,000 in damages, but lost the battle to change privacy laws in the UK only two months ago.  The News of the World has been underneath Rupert Murdoch’s News International banner since 1969.

MY VIEW

My symphony is with those affected by the disgusting practices

Although the celebrity phone hacking scandal is totally the wrong way to go, the cynics would say that to be famous, you are going to get negative headlines and therefore, these sort of practices.  However, once bereaved families are targeted, it becomes totally indefensible and inexcusable.  The practices are sick and I can’t believe that some rogue journalists would stoop so low to get a story.  Clearly there was no news in the world!  I am very saddened by the whole issue and of course, I have every symphony with the families of Milly Dowler, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the 7/7 victims and families who have lost their loved ones at war.  For their families to basically go through the whole nightmare in the public eye once again is really sad. 

     I am not saddened by the closure of the News of the World.  Frankly, I felt the paper was full of unproven gossip and garbage.  I already boycotted The Sun anyways, due my anger over their coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster.  Who I do feel sorry for are the innocent journalists, who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.  However, Rebekah Brooks keeps hers.  It is unbelievable that she can still be backed by News International, especially after being the editor while Milly Dowler’s phone was being hacked into.  How can she sleep at night!  If she had any decent piece of soul in her body then she should do the honourable thing and resign.

     I do hope the BSkyB takeover doesn’t go through either.  Murdoch did introduce the concept of 24-hour rolling news into the UK and has revolutionised English football with the Sky Sports Premiership deal.  Great things for sure, but I don’t think it would be in the audience’s interest for a rogue media organisation to own BSkyB, no matter how viable and profitable it is. 

     Will people miss the News of the World?  Honestly, I don’t think so.  The Today newspaper was the last major paper to get the chop and that was owned by Murdoch in November 1995.  No-one remembers it today.  Rumours are already flying around that The Sun on Sunday will be launched, so it will probably just be same stories, and similar angles with different name.

     If there is a winner this week, it has to be Ed Miliband.  The Labour leader has really managed to show some steel and determination to push for change in the British press industry this week.  Miliband has put David Cameron under pressure and for me; the Prime Minister has not been convincing enough.  If Andy Coulson is charged by police, it puts David Cameron in a very difficult and stressful position.

     Ultimately, one of the main losers will be those studying journalism at colleges and universities.  The Press Complaints Commission code needs a total rework and the new restrictions and ratifications that will come into force will just make the job for journalists even tougher.  Fewer jobs will be around and if any budding journalism student had commonsense, don’t work for Rupert Murdoch!  He doesn’t care about people’s feelings; he’s only after money and that’s all he’s ever thought about.  So, he is the male version of Janine Malloy from EastEnders then!

     It has been a sad and damaging week for the British press industry.  The phone hacking scandal has dragged the reputation of many names in media through the mud and there are many losers in this.  The story won’t go away and is going to drag on for the rest of the year, especially with enquiries and investigations likely to continue.  If News International can ditch a newspaper and think it will solve the problems, they are seriously mistaken!

One more message; RESIGN REBEKAH! YOU’RE A DISGRACE! 

You only live once!

SO THAT’S IT, the latest academic term at University is finished and Friday afternoon was the perfect reflection of the term; ‘You only live once!’

     I had personally worked so hard over the previous week to keep in control of the upcoming workload.  In fact, I look back at the week with a lot of pride and satisfaction.  Everything on my course from my perspective seems to be under control, which is a good feeling.  Although I can’t relax totally over the Easter holidays, I don’t have a load of unnecessary pressure underneath my shoulders.

     Last week, I proved that I don’t just talk and produce rubbish.  My group has put together an outstanding documentary for a module which requires journalists to explore more about film styles and techniques.  Our documentary was based on a common everyday problem wherever you go around the country, especially at colleges and Universities.  The University of Northampton was used as the prime example, and it does have; let’s say some situations that leave students incredibly frustrated.  We feel that a perfect counter-balance has been struck, highlighting a point which the University need to address, and promoting the student’s struggles and disapproval combined with how the new parking charges cope from an official viewpoint.  Major thanks have to go to the incredible Tamika, who had to put up with my obsessive ability at attempting to produce the perfect edit.  She has taken on a leading role in our production and I have been massively impressed by her dedication to the documentary.  Hopefully, we will get the final grade we deserve.  The final version can be seen on YouTube here: 

    The most boring piece of work was to produce the 1500 essay on a law that has affected working journalists since it came into force.  I know it is important to have supreme knowledge of these laws, especially if anyone wants to make it a success in the world of journalism.  Nevertheless, that still doesn’t hide the fact that studying these laws is extensively boring.  I hope no-one else mentions the 1998 Human Rights Act to me now, because I don’t want to know! 

REFRESHMENT: The perfect drink in the perfect weather, don't mind if I do!

     Friday afternoon bought absolutely gorgeous weather, which did make studying rather uncomfortable.  When I found out that some of my course mates had disappeared to the SU to sit in the sun and have some drinks, it made me jealous.  When I wrapped up at 3pm, I thought; ‘You only live once!’  I joined the party and it was great.  After such a hard-working week, which had seen me spend 21 hours of my own time in squeezing the best I could out of some tricky subjects, I took the approach that I needed some strong alcoholic drinks to wrap up a term that has provided success and traumas for me.  There are some wild characters on my course and others who are just pure sweet.  It was nice to spend to spend some time with my mates in a slightly different capacity to normal.  Farida was rebelling against her unfortunate run of bad luck, which has blighted the strong, hard-working abilities that she has traditionally shown.  She seemed excited to see anyone, bouncing down the road when she spotted Ellie.  Farida began to shout her name constantly when she approached us.  You could tell how excited she was.  The free spirit that Farida is means that life simply will never be dull!  We ended up chilling on one of the nearby fields in the fantastic weather.  Farida and another of my friends, Shamina ended up having a hilariously funny beer fight!  Together, these two individuals can be a very lethal double-act!  Friday felt like the perfect day!

     There’s no point holding back at all times.  Staying secure is important and taking risks all the time is a real gamble.  However, you don’t want to do one or the other.  Finding the right balance is the best input to life.  After all, ‘You only live once!’  Plus, you need to make the most of your opportunities offered to you, otherwise, where exactly are you going to go in life.   

The Journalism Gang 2010/11 (University of Northampton)

HAPPY TIMES: The Journalism gang pose before xmas for Unique magazine

EASTER is fast approaching and so too is the end of another academic year.  It is almost two down, one to go.  There can be no doubt that second year has carried its trials and tribulations, for many of us.  I wanted to take the opportunity to share my favourite moments and praise some of you, hopefully giving all of you a lift with the end of second year fast approaching.

Ellie – I think it’s safe to say that Ellie and I have been down a rocky road in 2011, which tested our previously stable friendship right to the edge, or shall I say, needing emergency CPR treatment!  However, the heart hasn’t flat lined and we have a solid foundation which will take something massive to smash it completely.  Ellie is one of the sweetest and cutest individuals I’ve ever met and an amazing friend.  I know I am very lucky to have her in my life.  She is very caring and has always had belief in me and what I am capable of.  This year, she seems to be working harder than ever before and by getting two weeks of work placement with two different newspapers, no-one should criticise her dedication towards journalism.  If Ellie showed a bit more confidence in herself, she could turn into a top-notch journalist.  She also seems far happier this year, especially by being in a loving and very secure relationship with a stable boyfriend.  Ellie will never lose her wild side, and I don’t think she should, because it would take away a major part of her personality.  However, I will always value her opinion by being so close and I hope we will be able to properly rebuild the trust which admittedly has taken a battering so far this calendar year.  What I do know, is without Ellie in my life, it would be far duller, because I love the drama that it comes with!    

Farida – I love being around Farida, because it isn’t just the pickles that she can get herself into, almost quite literally!  It is the dedication she shows.  Farida is a top class writer and has already shown it in abundance.  As far as I was concerned, her feature on shoes in Northampton was a class above anything else in the spring edition of Unique magazine.  She has all the talent in the world and I know she will go onto bigger and better things.  When you throw in the funny arguments with Lauren and the hilarious quotes she comes out with in law, it makes her a complete all-round person.  I think Ellie would win the most dramatic individual award, but if there was one for all-round personality, I’d nominate Farida hands down.  She won’t stop at anything to get her story, as shown also by e-mailing almost every single media organisation ever for work placement, including a caravan magazine earlier in the year!  Although she is going through a host of bad luck at the moment, Farida has the ability to turn it around in her favour and I hope she continues to fight for every opportunity offered to her, because she is going places, big time!  Plus, let’s not forget the love for Enrique, Nicole and the Sky Blues!

Shane – I didn’t meet Shane until the start of this year, but he is a funny and great addition to the group.  Together with me and Tamika, we can have a load of fun in the Tuesday workshop and he did a very good job as our news editor, or shall I say ‘the leader’ for the xmas edition of Unique magazine.  Shane has always helped me out, whenever I need it.  He plays a brilliant role with acting, as portrayed by his role as ‘The Maskman’ in a sound demo I had to do for Film Style & Technique. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o4QhG8dFOA&feature=channel_video_title)  Shane is an all-round nice guy and I have been very privileged to be in his company this year.  The only tip I’d give to him is, start reading the news on a regular basis!

Tamika – Tamika is a stunning individual, a very caring person and has always been there for me this year.  In fact, without her, I don’t think I could have survived the year.  Not only is it her natural beauty that stands out, but she is a hard worker, who puts in a load of effort and I think it has shone through.  Tamika is a fantastic actress (see our Sound Demo) for evidence, always offers a proper opinion on my work and has taken on the role as group leader in the ‘Parking Problems’ documentary very impressively.  She even taught me some useful editing techniques, which I didn’t know before, despite my passion for it.  She also called me an ‘editing genius,’ which is one of the sweetest compliments I have received this year.  I don’t have a bad word to say about Tamika.  I want to take the opportunity to thank her for the incredible support she has shown throughout this year, which has been a very challenging at times.

Rochelle & Emily – Rochelle and Emily, a brilliant double act who go together as well as Morecambe & Wise, Max and O.B from Hollyoaks and Hamilton & Button in Formula One.  They are better known as ‘The Twinnies!’  Without them, I know I would be in a poorer place.  The three of us have had some brilliant nights out this year, when we can have a real laugh.  Rochelle is a real sweetheart, and I don’t think she has a bad stain on her character.  She wants to succeed and show how hard-working she is.  Her blog on Tumblr is always full of wit and humour and a fun read.  Plus, she seems to have a crush on almost every celebrity bloke around!  It was Rochelle’s recommendation for me to go and watch ‘The King’s Speech,’ and I’m glad she did encourage me to watch a film masterpiece.  As for Emily, she is a brilliant friend and also a very hard-worker.  I haven’t seen much of her this year, besides DTP and the Wednesday nights out at Pennywhistle’s, but she has always been another friend who I can totally trust on and I’m privileged to have around me.  Long live ‘The Twinnies!’

Miles – I may have distanced myself from Miles more this year than last year, but I do still think he is a nice bloke.  I’ve had no problems with him, that’s for sure, even if others have.  Miles has a very strong opinion on many issues, which can sometimes be a real positive thing to have, especially in this competitive industry and it can also backfire.  The row with Hilary in DTP at the beginning of the year, which saw him kicked out of a session showed this.  Nevertheless, I’ve always got on well with Miles, no matter what others think.

Josie – Like Miles, I haven’t seen much of Josie this year, apart from the compulsory law sessions.  However, she is still another close friend and I can always rely on her for support.  The work she put in for the law presentation was very strong and I still feel a bit guilty for having not trusted her a bit more with it right at the beginning of the assignment.  Josie’s strength is definitely in Photography and I bet she is so relieved she dumped Creative Writing, because it was totally the right decision.  Her Photography is stunning and if she follows this path, there is going to be a load of success in it.  I look forward to seeing her documentary, because I think it has the potential to be top-notch.  Josie puts maximum effort into all her work and has a load of potential to do some bright things, not just in third year, but after graduation.

Lauren – Personally, I wasn’t that close to Lauren last year, but I have found her very easy to get on with and enjoy being around her, especially when it comes to those funny arguments with her partner in crime, Farida.  Lauren did some very strong pieces for both editions of the Unique magazine and will say whatever she thinks, without holding back.  There are a lot of people who do hold back on saying things, but Lauren isn’t one of those.  The way she has been totally honest with Creative Writing in telling Leigh what she thinks of him and the subject has been mightily impressive.  The highlight that sticks out in my mind of Lauren this year is the water fight with Natalie during a fire alarm drill on a freezing November Monday evening in law.  It was just pure comedy at its finest!

Chris – Chris is another individual who I’ve always got on really well with and is a clearly a fan of Twitter.  It was touching to see Shane give him 18p the other day, then for Chris to Tweet what just happened lol!  I’ve worked with Chris this year on the ‘Parking Problems’ documentary.  Despite a lack of general paperwork from him, he produced an excellent first script, which it made it very easy for me to create the voiceovers for the documentary.  Not only that, when the pressure was on and the lack of interviews was galling, Chris went out and in just over an hour, got five interviews with students, which turned our documentary from one with potential, which was likely to end up being a major disappointment into a total success.  Not only that, he then didn’t give up with speaking to a security supervisor on the car parking issue last Tuesday.  He constantly went back and forth and got the rewards with a brilliant interview in the end.  Chris’s strengths are definitely in going out and grabbing the interview required and he also did some good stuff for the xmas Unique magazine too.  By being strong in both print and TV, Chris has more of a choice than some in being very strong in two fields of journalism.

Stef – Friday mornings can be a real bummer.  Getting up for a 9am DTP session has never been a load a fun, but Stef can provide that fun and entertainment that can wake me up.  When I thought about leaving myself three weeks ago, Stef was one of those who I asked what she thought of my situation.  She gave me an honest assessment of things, and it was nice to hear it from someone who I don’t always confide in, in retrospect to the usual suspects who I turn to.  Like Lauren, Stef is not afraid of speaking out and saying it like it is and with a camera, don’t come near her!  That’s not in a bad way, but you don’t want to be off-guard and get caught out by Stef filming you for fun haha!  Luckily, I got away with it when I was at my lowest.  She is such a fun person to be around and has a real habit of making me laugh and smile.  Also, if you want random entertainment, check out her and Shamina’s video called ‘Skins,’ earlier last month, it’s brilliant. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co_L_hm4-ag)

Natalie – To be honest, I haven’t seen much of Natalie this year, but she is still a valid member of the group.  The water fight with Lauren in law back in November stands out for me.  She also realised how useless Creative Writing was and stopped turning up to lectures from November onwards for that module.  Wish I’d kinda done the same lol!

James – Honestly, I’ve never always got on really well with James, but I still respect him and he played a significant role in the group-based law presentation before Christmas.  It sounds like he is working hard on his documentary too and like Chris, has no fear in making the phone call or going out to get the interview he needs to strengthen his work.  However, I don’t think turning up late for a load of Hilary’s workshops made him very favourable with Hilary!

Shamima – Aww, Shamima is a real sweetheart and has a heart full of two places, Northampton and Birmingham.  I think she is the most dedicated party girl on the course, though Lauren and Ellie would give her stiff competition.  If anyone has had it tough this year, it is Shamima.  She has had to go home back and forth this year, due to illness and it must have been hard for her to try and keep up with the fast pace of the excessive workload.  At Christmas, I doubted whether she would return, but I never should have.  Plus, when things aren’t going right, she can get rather angry, which she showed in the workshop last week.  Aside from the constant Facebook rape statuses that regularly appear on my News Feed, I had the privilege of interviewing Shamima for a workshop task earlier in the year.  I found out a lot more about her and I opened up to her, which is something I didn’t think I could do.  Together with Stef, they are a very popular double act and go along together like chalk and cheese.  The course needs people like Shamima, so we are all lucky to have her around.

Rheannon – Like Natalie, I haven’t seen much of Rheannon this year, along with Robyn and Amanda.  However, Rheannon was another individual who I opened up to when I had another tough time at the end of January.  She said to me “one bad week doesn’t even come close to the positive weeks you have had.  Think about it, you attend all your lectures, so your initiative mark is going to be perfect and you work so hard, it’s an inspiration to the rest of us.”  It was quite possibly the sweetest thing someone said to me all year and it was a very nice surprise that made things massively better.   

Tom – I haven’t spoken to Tom too much, but he is a good guy who again, you can’t say a bad word about, despite supporting Manchester United (boo!).  So, rubbing it in at Liverpool’s recent Premiership success against United at Anfield was nice to do in the following Tuesday workshop.  If they pull it out, he and Amy could have a brilliant TV piece for ‘Employability Week,’ and I hope they do, because they showed a lot more commitment than for example, me with a rather crappy radio piece.

Nicole – In similar regards to Shane, I only got to know Nicole this year, but she is such a nice person all round.  She works very hard and keeps herself to herself.  Some don’t recognise Nicole, but that’s because she prefers to get on with the tasks in hand, rather than be in the thick of the action.  She is always willing to improve and having read and proofed both of her pieces that got into Unique; I know she can be a very successful journalist.

Amy – Amy is in both my workshop group and in Creative Writing.  Although I don’t see much of her, she can pull some very strong pieces out of the bag.  Whilst Farida’s shoes feature was the best piece in Unique spring edition, Amy’s piece on the homeless over the festive season for Unique xmas edition was simply fantastic.  Amy has the ability to produce the unexpected, which is a good thing, because it can be seen as a real bonus to many employers, almost like a wildcard entry at a major sports tournament.  Plus, she is also a funny character and the new red hairstyle really suits her too!

The rest of you – I couldn’t mention everyone unfortunately, otherwise I would go on for hours.  However, you are all amazing people with various qualities which make you tick.  Even I have to acknowledge the contribution and eccentric attitude of Jonathan! (Gulp!)  I wish you all the best; I know you can all succeed in these remaining weeks.  Remember, the summer isn’t far away now, and you all can lookback on with pride and satisfaction if you conquer this year, which has had its challenges for all of us.

See you all at Uni, take care everyone

Simon

xxx

BBC blacked out by NUJ walkout

MANY BBC programmes have or will be affected in the next 48 hours, after thousands of journalists walked out, following rows over pensions.

Little has run to schedule, as many of its staff, some highly-established members amongst them took to the picket lines in the early hours of the morning.  On the radio, BBC Radio 4’s flagship programme, the Today show was replaced between 6am and 9am this morning by pre-recorded documentaries.  Meanwhile, over at 5 Live, their normal schedule also went because of the strikes, with its Breakfast show taken over by pre-recorded interviews and repeats of previous shows.  Other radio services, both local and national have also been severely affected.

Meanwhile on the television, BBC2’s Newsnight programme, scheduled for 10.30pm tonight is not expected to air and the BBC News channel has been running a very basic service today.  The one o’clock news wasn’t presented by any of the normal regular presenters, and BBC Breakfast also ran a reduced show from the BBC News studio.  It is likely that the regular of the 10pm news slot on BBC1, Huw Edwards will not present the news tonight.  On the internet, the BBC News website also had a restricted service, with many blogs and opinions being left untouched from yesterday. 

So, why are there all the problems?  Well, all the journalists who have walked out under the NUJ banner (National Union of Journalists) are not worried about programme cuts; it is about the planned alterations to their pension schemes.  The BBC insists that changes have to be made in order to cut the broadcaster’s £1.5billion pension deficit.  They will keep talking, but insist that no money is on the table.

More strikes are planned for November 15 and 16, and the NUJ is also threatening a more damaging walkout at Christmas.  The NUJ’s argument is that journalists at the BBC would “pay more, work longer and receive lower pensions.”  Fiona Bruce, Tony Livesey, Victoria Derbyshire and Simon Mayo are among those journalists who are believed to be on the picket lines outside Television Centre and Bush House.

The BBC’s director general Mark Thompson insists that the new pension scheme on the table is ‘fair.’  However, despite the Beeb saying that they have measures in place to limit the disruption, this isn’t a good image it is promoting.  Thompson has got a lot of head scratching to do if he wants this issue to be solved quickly and peacefully.