'Most islanders' have NOT accepted same-sex marriage
DURING the debates regarding the legalisation of abortion in the 1990s, the Guernsey Press was accused of bias towards a pro-abortion position, despite the fact that the editor of the time claimed that it was not taking sides on the issue due to its controversiality. To anyone with a knack for picking up on the biased use of language, it was clear that the paper itself as an organisation was neutral on the matter, but that some of the journalistic staff who wrote news articles on the subject definitely were not. One of the contributors at the time of whom this could not be said was Mark Ogier, whose sensitivity to language was such that it was impossible to tell what his views were on the matter. For many years both before and after the abortion debate he has covered other difficult issues with the same professionalism – a mark that distinguishes a journalist from being a mere 'hack'. It has been a great loss – perhaps even a disservice – to the public that Mark has largely withdrawn (or been withdrawn) from reporting in favour of taking up a more technical role behind the scenes.
It was very disappointing therefore to read in the Guernsey Press of 27 February that at least in terms of one controversial issue, Mark has thrown his good practices out of the window. ('No civil partnerships, but same-sex marriage law gives equality')
He opens his article regarding civil partnerships and homosexual 'marriage' by stating that Guernsey has accepted the latter. It has not. The people of Guernsey and Guernsey's government are two different things. During our island's 'gay' debates many members of our government openly expressed their support for the far-left/anti-Christian principles of cultural Marxism – but through everyday conversation with a wide range of local people from all kinds of backgrounds, it is very clear that most islanders do not share their views.
No claims were ever made by the States that the results of their public survey on the subject of civil partnerships/homosexual 'marriage' were representative of the population as a whole. The results were clearly a consequence of an orchestrated effort by male and female homosexuals and their often even more fanatical supporters. It is a great shame that the current editor of the Guernsey Press allowed and indeed encouraged the results of the survey to be perceived as something that they were never claimed to be.
Unfortunately and inexplicably, this same editor made no attempt to lead the paper and his reporting staff in taking an impartial position on the controversial gay 'marriage' issue. Rather than taking a neutral stance, he dove straight in, meaning that it is now extremely difficult to distinguish between news and opinion pieces on the subject that the Guernsey Press now prints. Towards the end of 2015, the editor made the great mistake of plastering a rainbow all over the front page of the edition published the day after the first gay 'marriage' vote. In fact, only a small minority of the population celebrated this vote or sympathised with the imagery of the page and what it stood for. For the majority, it was a violent poke in the eye – and the abuse of position by an editor and organisation with an effective monopoly on the printed media.
As of today there is still no evidence that what passes for Guernsey's liberal political and media elite have realised that the success of Donald Trump in the USA and the vote for Brexit in the UK are indicators the vast majority of their populations are sick of such elites telling them what to think, and of being made to feel fearful that expressing their opinions will result in personal attacks and other repercussions. The people of Guernsey are no different, and it is about time the Guernsey Press acknowledged the fact and adjusted its reporting accordingly.
Despite Mark Ogier's glitch of bias, it would be difficult to identify anybody currently working at the paper who would be better to lead it in terms of promoting professional, impartial reporting standards.
Name and address withheld.
