Press Silence on PD
Socialist Republic1982Partition and the national questionPartition and the national question
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See — —E—eEeEeeEeEeeEeEeEeEEE—EEE————————————— Peoples Democracy are standing in the Assembly elections and using the opportunity to put forward a unique appeal for a return to the streets and aunited 32 county campaign against the new Stormont. This, following the dramatic defeat of Fitt, and the Workers Party and the humiliation of Paddy Devlin by P.D. in the May elections, should be enough to make a major news story in itself, let alone the supposed obligation on the press to provide coverage of every political viewpoint.
In fact, it would be difficult to discover, by following media stories from the North, that P.D. was standing, let alone the basis of our campaign. A paper wall of silence has been thrown around our struggle for unity, This is to be expected from the alist press provides better coverage? In fact the main nationalist newspaper - the ‘Irish News’ managed to mention every party, including the Loyalist parties,except P.D. The to fear from our message as the British themselves.
This press censorship is not a reason will be keeping a record of press coverage during the campaign and ‘lodging formal complaints. The constituents of our councillors in North and West Belfast can help by supporting our campaign and the support meetings we will be holding in the 26 counties and thus British media, but surely the nationnationalist bourgeoisie have as much for not standing - it is simply another barrier that we must overcome. P.D.ampaign helping to forge a united campaign the press cannot ignore.
FOOTNOTE: itis not only the bourgeois press that have shown hostility ta PD. A fcoal antiimperialist paper - the Andersonstown News’ recentiy referred to Fergus O'Hare's defeat of Gerry Fitt as faving been carried out 6y ‘an unknown individual from an obscure organisation’ As the Andersonstown News’ fully reported P.D.'s campaign against Fitt in May (98), we don't Rnow what Aas prompted this sudden lass af memory, We do know that this sort of cheap political sectarianism has nothing to ao with building a united fight against Prior.