Policies are boring, it's confrontation that sells

Fascinating exchange over at the Paperhouse blog where Sarah Ditum points out the rather pathetic coverage of the BNP by the local media.
The BNP has a core group in Corsham and is standing 12 candidates in the Wiltshire unitary council elections. These are the first elections for the new council which will have a budget of more than half a billion pounds, provide services for 400,000 people, has high number of military service personnel and bases with uncertain futures, delicate and world-renowned ecological and heritage sites, towns in need of regeneration as traditional industries die out etc etc.
You know, important stuff.
Coverage so far about this election?
That one family in Corsham has mum, dad and son as BNP candidates.
Sarah takes apart the coverage in the Bath Chronicle where, to his credit, editor Sam Holliday at least the gumption to defend the story.
Sarah also points out that this is nothing more than churnalism as the piece is simply a rewrite of an even more spineless article in the Western Daily Press. A similar item appeared in the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald (proving that just because there are different newspaper companies doesn't mean you get a plethora of views).
The lead BNP candidate acknowledges in his blog that "the press probably hate reporting anything about us and wish we would just disappear but realise the BNP sells papers for them. It is a mutual hate."
He's right, but only if newspapers play the game which gives them publicity.
If this lame reporting was part of a portfolio of coverage about the election then you could say it was just about trying to find an angle. But there has been nothing in the press.
Some candidates are putting out policy proposals and suggestions which deserve scrutiny. I've put out a press release asking why just 10% of council building have been given an energy efficiency rating (if the council wants to encourage us to be greener they can start by putting their own houses in order).
I don't know, but I imagine other candidates have put out their own issues - but I've seen nothing beyond some bland general pieces.
I have been asked by the Wiltshire Times, as a candidate, for a picture, name, age, address, occupation and a 25-word election message. It looks like the extent of the coverage is that all candidates get sod all except the family of hate.
At least our press hasn't carried any BNP ads although our posties have been delivering their leaflets unlike their colleagues in Bristol.

Update: I should, of course, have linked to this piece from the invaluable Evening Post Watch which considers how the Bristol Evening Post is handling the BNP.

Comments

[BristleKRS]

Didn't you used to be a fairly senior reporter at the Chronic? Can you find out by way of your contacts there exactly what the house policy re covering the BNP (and English Democrats etc) is at the moment?

Also, a commenter on EPW suggested that there is a prominent reporter on the Evening Post who self-identifies as a BNP supporter - again, perhaps you can rinse out your time at Temple Way to get the skinny on that.

PS

The Bristol postie story - the way you phrase it may reasonably be read that the action has resulted in no BNP election literature being delivered by RM posties. This is not the case. Some posties have exercised their right not to deliver such material. I live in St. Paul's(!), and I received a BNP leaflet with my daily post. (I've also received leaflets from UKIP, the Tories and the Greens.)

[Phil]

I'll ask about the first, am intrigued by the second and will have a delve and thanks for putting right my clumsy wording on the posties.

[Phil]

Still awaiting an answer to the first and, as for the second, all I know is that, yes an employee is suspended and it’s not anyone involved on the editorial side.