Poor Jacques Harel, the organiser from ATTAC Rennes, got the predictable “Welcome to Jersey” when he phoned in to Radio Jersey’s Talk Back programme this Sunday 21st May, 2006. The BBC loves to parade what they believe is a balanced approach on political matters, but as any Irish Nationalist in Northern Ireland would tell you, the organisation is just an apologist for the status quo. BBC Radio Jersey performs the same function in this island. It however faces no criticism for its lack of impartiality.

There was an air of expectation as we waited for “Jacques from St Malo” to comment on the Emeraude Ferries fiasco. The BBC presenter Roger Barra immediately smelled a Gauchiste, when this Jacques, instead of trotting out the expected banalities, rounded on politicians in general for failing to defend the public interest and hiding behind the platitudes of their powerlessness in the face of economic realities. Barra quickly sought to identify Jacques as no ordinary froggy, but a member of that dangerous sect of anti-capitalists called ATTAC. Perhaps it was one of the invitees, either Deputy Power or Senator Le Main, who passed a note to Barra to identify Jacques Political associations, but more likely it was someone in the organisation itself, or indeed Barra himself. By seeking to identify Jacques as a partisan of the French political Left, he implicitly warned listeners to disregard the comments being made. Jacques was caught off guard and had to “admit” that yes he was indeed a member of ATTAC, which had that very weekend been organising a Social Forum in St Malo. BBC Radio Jersey would never seek to identify a caller as a member of the establishment or one with right wing views, yet a member of ATTAC France is so identified and ridiculed.

At least Jacques did not get the Hamish Marret-Crosby treatment when he rang, was allowed to make his point at some length and even got a rejoinder. Crosby, as anyone knows who has sought to phone in with a critical point of view, employs the following technique - disorientate the caller by immediately rubbishing the argument being made or take the discussion off at a tangent that fits more comfortably into the "acceptable" limits of debate. This is then followed by a quick cut-off to prevent any serious discussion. If an embarrassing point has been scored by the caller, then later in the programme, it is quite usual to have "an email from Joe in St Ouen", informing us that the questioner is associated with one or other pressure group and implicitly should not to be taken seriously. The email is presented as an impartial and valid comment from a fellow participant. In reality this in no even playing field; it’s a roulette wheel well wholly weighted in favour of the House. There is an enormous imbalance in power relations between presenter, quests and caller. The BBC deliberately and effectively stifles criticism. The presenters use their skills and experience to protect the quests (invariably establishment figures) from harsh comment. If one wants to say something on BBC Radio Jersey, the best technique is to take a deep breath, say concisely what one wanted to say, and await the inevitable guillotine of silence as the line is cut dead. To comment requires the mental preparedness of a Kamikaze – 25 seconds of glory – then death.

The BBC in Jersey, like the organisation in general, hates to be identified as anything other that white middle class Liberals. At least in the UK it is indeed populated with white middle class Liberals who worry and live trying to uphold the balanced approach. Jersey alas has lower standards. The absence of any form of investigative journalism is very apparent, especially when it comes to discussion of the dominant feature of the economy – the Finance Industry, and its innumerable scandals.

Jacques Harel’s treatment was just a microcosm of the problem democrats face in expressing oppositional and alternative opinion. As an aside, one does not expect the Jersey Evening Post to be anything other than partisan. It is the mouth piece of the establishment, of wealth, of privilege and of power. It is privately owned and its opinion firmly to the political Right. The BBC, by contrast is a public organisation, with established protocols and conventions. With Ministerial Government in full swing and an army of PR spin men, who will question public institutions and those in authority? Not BBC Radio Jersey it seems.

The function of this web site - unique in Channel Islands political scene, is to cut through the culture of conformity and deference towards everything said by those who hold power. It is a site designed to give hope to those who despair. The public lacks informed critical comment. There is no forum for debate. The JEP functions like the old Soviet Pravda newspaper, presenting all Government initiatives in the best possible fashion. The other media tag along, too lazy to do anything other than top and tail Government Press releases. The culture of conformity stems of course from the presence of the Finance Industry. Every Manager, every Trust Administrator and even the Bank Messenger know that secrecy and discretion are essential. If one serves on a pirate ship, it is not politic to criticise piracy as a profession. The prying journalist is an enemy.