Salford Youth Council - which aims to "empower young people in our city" - last night unanimously passed an emergency motion to condemn the decision by Salford City Council to ban community representatives from funding the Salford Star.
The Youth Council stated that the Star "has provided one of the only alternative sources of news and information to the people of Salford" and that the decision was made "on the grounds that the magazine is too controversial and critical of the council due to its grass roots campaigns around a wide range of issues from corrupt politicians to school closures and the lack of adequate social housing".
The Youth Council will now boycott Salford Council's Life In Salford magazine, and will no longer "provide content to them via the youth service run youth local forums".
The grounds given for their boycott was that Life is "Unfairly biased in favour of the city council's executive department and does not provide any form of representative outlet for local people to express their views on the services provided to them" and that the magazine is "Produced at an obscenely high cost – which is passed on to the public at the expense of other public services which are currently being cut by the city council – including Children's Services".
The motion called on Salford's youth to "Petition local councillors in our respective wards to overturn the decision" and "to support the continued work of the Salford Star by whatever means necessary".
Rachel Cavendish, Co-Chair of the Salford Youth Council committee, commented:
"The denial of such a minuscule sum of critical funding designated for independent community projects like the star has clearly been influenced by those who wish to censor freedom of speech. There are elected and unelected officials who represent the people of Salford who simply to do not wish the public to hear the truth about how the their local authority is failing them. It is crucial young people stand up to this type of censorship and are made aware of the actions of the city council. This is a disgrace."
The full motion reads…
SUPPORT THE SALFORD STAR
Membership calls on the Youth Council Committee to:
1. Condemn the decision by the Budget Sub-Group of the East Salford Community Committee to turn down the funding application made by the Salford Star.
2. Boycott the city council's "Life IN Salford" publication and no longer provide content to them via the youth service run youth local forums on the following grounds:
a. Unfairly biased in favour of the city council's executive department and does not provide any form of representative outlet for local people to express their views on the services provided to them.
b. Produced at an obscenely high cost – which is passed on to the public at the expense of other public services which are currently being cut by the city council – including Children's Services.
3. Petition local councillors in our respective wards to overturn the decision by the East Salford Community Committee.
4. Agree to support the continued work of the Salford Star by whatever means necessary.
Further details on Salford Youth Council website
A comment on that website from Kevin Hayes reads…
"I hope that funding can be restored to such a valued publication. Truth dies first when officials want to hide the facts that should be in the public domain. How can anyone vote not knowing the whole truth is beyond me, and it's no wonder the youth of the country don't bother getting their names onto the electoral register. Democracy is in danger, that's why a paper such as this is of the most important value in exposing all to public scrutiny."
More Reaction To Salford Star Wars...
Anger Grows Over Censorship of Salford Magazine - current.com
Salford Council Bans Funding For Salford Star - Campaign For Press and Broadcasting Freedom
Original Salford Star Story Here
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