Odd Letters

[Rob]

We had an odd email in today complaining about a letter ‘in the paper’. Wrexham.com gets a few wrong numbers, or thinking we are something/someone else.

This one was a little bit different as it seems a letter was published without the attributed name being aware of it.

We did some digging and it seems it is possible some charities are sending out letters on behalf of members to various media – who are printing them.

One example of such a letter duplication is:

We must stop banks funding fossil fuels

To tackle climate change, we need to take action in our own lives and communities to reduce carbon emissions. But that’s only part of the solution.

The global fossil fuel industry is the biggest driver of climate change, and it receives billions of pounds every year from the UK finance sector. In other words, banks and pension funds are spending ordinary people’s money on making sure more and more coal, oil and gas are extracted from the earth, when what we really need is to switch urgently to renewable energy.

For people who happen to live in places where coal or oil is found, the problems caused by fossil fuels are even more urgent. In many countries people are being evicted from their land to make way for dirty energy.

Banks won’t quit fossil fuels on their own. We need to demand that the government brings in regulation to prevent the banks fuelling climate change.

Anna Jasinska, Edina Street, Edinburgh source here.

& here :

TO TACKLE climate change, we need to take local action in our own lives and in our communities to reduce carbon emissions.

But that’s only part of the solution.

The global fossil fuel industry is the biggest driver of climate change, and it receives billions of pounds every year from the UK finance sector.

In other words, banks and pension funds are spending ordinary people’s money on making sure more and more coal, oil and gas are extracted from the earth, when what we really need is to switch urgently to renewable energy.

For people who happen to live in places where coal or oil is found, the problems caused by fossil fuels are even more urgent.

In many countries people are being evicted from their land to make way for dirty energy.

Banks won’t quit fossil fuels on their own.

We need to demand that the Government brings in regulation to prevent the banks fueling climate change.

Alison Yates Union Street Bolton

We are still not entirely sure if its an astroturf style push, where people are soft opted into being used to get things ‘viral’ or to raise awareness or if it is something more dodgy.

Either way just a heads up to when you tick boxes or submit info out there to be aware of any clause that says they can send letters on your behalf!!

Cheers
Rob

[Welsh Dresser]

Thanks for the warning. I wasn’t aware of these type of letters but now I know I can make sure I stay out of them.

[Y Ffin]

Campaigners from single issue pressure groups realised some time ago that it’s far easier to get something published on the letters page than as editorial. Moreover there is the added bonus that editors don’t check letters for factual accuracy. Sometimes they are from unknown individuals, sometimes famous. They have two things in common: generally they aren’t written by the people whose names are at the bottom and secondly they are normally really dull. It’s happening online as well, so there’s no room for complacency!!

[Rob]

@Y Ffin 8520 wrote:

It’s happening online as well, so there’s no room for complacency!!

Very good point!

Hopefully we will do our best to keep things spam / astroturf / troll free however its not entirely a straightforward or foolproof process!

As with most things several eyes are better than one (well, three) so hopefully the community can help look out for itself as well :)

[Author]

Posts