Spiers and The Herald have a slice of humble pie.

[trublusince1982 243]

stick to the truth or reap what you sow.

[Blue Moon 1,113]

It has come to the situation where people are given a platform in a national newspaper and other media to attack us and to be supported by MSPs. These people need to be challenged at every turn. It is now entirely acceptable to denigrate one club and one set of supporters. I never see anything remotely resembling these attacks on any other groups of supporters or clubs.

[colinstein 294]

Has the NUJ removed their previous statement supporting them ?

[Juancornetto 1]

Has the NUJ removed their previous statement supporting them ?

 

Sort of!

 

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://www.nuj.org.uk/news/herald-condemned-for-axing-of-columnist/

 

Herald condemned for axing of columnist

 

29 January 2016

 

The NUJ has robustly defended a journalist at the Sunday Herald, whose column has been terminated because of pressure by Rangers football club.

 

The union has written to the editor condemning the pulling of columns of Angela Haggerty and Graham Spiers following intervention by the football club.

 

Dominic Bascombe, assistant organiser NUJ Scotland, said:

 

"The NUJ has already defended Angela over the bullying and harassment she has suffered for doing her job. The axing of her column sends a message that The Herald is unwilling to stand up for its contributors and is willing to sacrifice journalists when commercial interests are involved. This is totally unacceptable."

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said:

 

"It is outrageous that commercial meddling has led the Herald to sack a respected columnist. This pandering to the mob does the freedom of journalism and the reputation of the Herald no favours. We call on the editor to reinstate these columnists at once."

[andy steel 0]

Herald & Times Group: A statement

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/1...__A_statement/

 

A Graham Spiers column published on heraldscotland in December made a claim about an un-named member of the six-strong board of Rangers.

 

This presented a legal issue which had to be addressed and which was discussed at length, by all parties involved.

 

The issue was whether we could defend in court a contentious statement and the advice given was that we could not. Finally, on clear legal advice, we were left with no option other than to apologise and seek to draw a line under the matter.

 

After the apology was published we had to abide by it and the spirit in which it was published. Unfortunately that apology was then undermined and we had to take appropriate action.

 

Our titles have a long history of supporting quality journalism and defending free speech and robust comment. This made all the more difficult the action we had to take.

 

While one of our advertisers is on the board at Rangers that was never an issue and we shall continue to report and comment on the pressing issues of the day without fear or favour.

 

Magnus Llewellin,

 

Editor-in-Chief

 

Herald & Times Group

 

Well that seems conclusive. Graham has dropped a clanger if he or the paper can't legally defend a piece he's written and they've published, while Angela, in repeating the piece (or parts thereof) left herself open to disciplinary action too. I think sacking is a bit extreme but I'll cry few tears. So long as editorial decisions are not being influenced by finance I can't see a major issue.

 

See the real problem? Right now, Man U are playing Derby on the TV, a full house, great atmosphere. If you have Alba, turn over to see the morgue that is lovely old East End Park. All that's missing is Dick van Dyke and Jack Klugman running the lines - the place is dead. The game has more pressing concerns than iffy reporting or clubs taking the huff. Who on earth thought going head to head with a glamour FA Cup tie was a good idea? I can't believe Alba send vans round the country laden with gold to compensate clubs handsomely for their loss of income.

 

Honestly, it's hard to keep up enthusiasm for the game up here when it spends so much time wallowing in its' own excretia.

[RANGERRAB 3,254]

Let's not forget The Herald (& Sunday Herald) are not entirely blameless in all of this either. Whoever decided to employ Haggerty & Spiers must have done so knowing their backgrounds and the sort of topics (or should that be topic) they would write about and the controversy that could cause.

 

Spiers article it seems was the straw thatbroke the camel's back by making unproven allegations towards an unnamed Rangers director. When challenged on this he was unable to support the claims in his article forcing the newspaper to issue an apology which was undermined by both him & his colleague. Their positions at the newspaper became untenable and it would be a very foolish editor who would employ either of these two ever again in these sort of positions.

 

The irony of this is we have journalists who want free speech and be able to write about whoever they want & making all sorts of allegations but would deny football supporters the right to use whatever words they want to use in a song

 

Meanwhile I'd suggest the Rangers board immediately introduce a indefinite ban on Spiers entering Ibrox Stadium or MP as I would expect he'll be seeking some sort of vengeance on the club and/or its supporters.

Edited January 29, 2016 by RANGERRAB

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Warms my heart.

[Bearman 9]

Warms my heart.

 

Same here gs...I feel a sense euphoria.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Sort of!

 

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://www.nuj.org.uk/news/herald-condemned-for-axing-of-columnist/

 

Herald condemned for axing of columnist

 

29 January 2016

 

The NUJ has robustly defended a journalist at the Sunday Herald, whose column has been terminated because of pressure by Rangers football club.

 

The union has written to the editor condemning the pulling of columns of Angela Haggerty and Graham Spiers following intervention by the football club.

 

Dominic Bascombe, assistant organiser NUJ Scotland, said:

 

"The NUJ has already defended Angela over the bullying and harassment she has suffered for doing her job. The axing of her column sends a message that The Herald is unwilling to stand up for its contributors and is willing to sacrifice journalists when commercial interests are involved. This is totally unacceptable."

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said:

 

"It is outrageous that commercial meddling has led the Herald to sack a respected columnist. This pandering to the mob does the freedom of journalism and the reputation of the Herald no favours. We call on the editor to reinstate these columnists at once."

Unions will stand up for anyone.

[Bearman 9]

Hopefully what comes out of all of this is no newspaper 'journalist' ever again ignores the things that go on at that rotten cesspit over the other side of the River Clyde.