Inside Trader added his thoughts on the issue of apparent bias by certain print media in this region towards WBW. We’ll just add that it would be interesting to know how many tens of thousands of dollars WBW spends advertising with APN and how this stacks up compared to similar advertising from the Fraser Coast Council or its former components.
Blind Bias 2
The WBW story in the ChronicllyIll on the 8th made for interesting reading. I wonder why this was the first story I have seen on the Chronic’s website that gave more than a few brief words? In fact I believe the whole story got posted on their website. WOW! Another first for the Chronicle. Surely the editor of the Chronicle would not be playing favourites? Again?
No, there must be another reason…….
Perhaps Nancy Bates could elaborate with a short note on this site?
An interesting misprint in that article, surely not intentional, was the quote “Ms Dickinson, executive director of the Californian Urban Water Conservation Council before setting up the federal body seven months ago, said she had been impressed by WBW’s annual report, showing a $4 million profit in selling its expertise.” $4MILLION PROFIT selling its expertise? Actually if we quote the annual report it says on page 7 “the Corporation’s proactive Business Development Division contributed $4 million of revenue”. That’s right, REVENUE!
School grade 9 students can tell you that revenue DOES NOT equal profit. In fact, WBW could have had $5million expenses associated with that revenue giving a net loss to the ratepayers of Hervey Bay. Of course, creative accounting could always be used to show a profit for that section of WBW, and there are many ways of loading costs to other sections of a business, but however it is done, $4million revenue can NEVER equal $4million profit.
This whole article reeked of the usual creative PR of WBW and the editor of the Chronicle. One wonders how many of the glowing words were really Ms Dickinson’s, how many were the Chronicle’s, and how many were courtesy of the WBW PR machine?
To be fair, one suggestion has it that prior to amalgamation WBW did a summary that did show a profit for that section of WBW, possibly as much as $500,000. How much of that was creative accounting is unknown but at least it is more believable than Net Profit = 100% Gross Revenue!
Blind Bias 1
An article from the Maryborough Herald (27/2/08), has belatedly
been brought to my attention. While some weeks old now, the
article by a Mr Alan Betteridge deserves, I believe, a response.
Titled “Election fever brings out the distorted truth”, having read
Alan’s comments, I feel he is right, he has distorted the truth.
His comments relate to an AECgroup report into Wide Bay
Water commissioned by the Hervey Bay City council. Their
charter was to review the financial implications of WBW for the
HBCC. The article suggests on more than one occasion that
the report has been discredited! I would have to ask when and
by whom? He goes on to question the report “the accuracy of
which has now been brought into doubt by the respected
financial analysts Pricewaterhouse-Coopers”! I am surprised,
as any one reading the financial reviews would know
Pricewaterhouse-Coopers have themselves of recent times,
been the subject of critical comments.
Mr Betteridge finishes his comments by quoting the following
“Beware of the person who will do anything to become a
councillor just because they want to be someone in the city
rather than do something for the city” and he is so right. That
is why someone obviously thought the report, after being
hidden from the public gaze for so long, it needed to see the
light of day.
I wonder if, prior to making his comments, Mr Betteridge had
read both reports? Because having done so, I believe they
were looking at two different sets of criteria. I suggest everyone
interested read them for themselves.
John A Neve
John, you are right on a couple of points. The AEC study was commisioned, accepted and paid for by the HBC council, the Price waterhouse Coopers reply had nothing to do with the same council, to my understanding.
We can then assume the AEC item is the only official and approved report acepted by this council.
So where is the credibility for the PwC report as reported in the Fraser Coast Chronicle? The report from the Chronicle itself or WBW?
With PwC credibilty in question (Enron, AWB as some examples) surely the AEC report is the only legitimate study that should have been available through our previous council.
Why this report was not made public to those of us who commissioned and paid for it needs addressing.
Or am I missing something?
Pancho, in answer to your question, “am I missing something”. YES, you are. The electorate is divided into three groups; those that don’t know (blame that on our Daily), those that don’t care (no comment), and the rest, who can’t get their message out. Oh for a open and quality Daily paper.
John,
I concede the point, but having fought the pathetic excuse of the local rag for many years I am despairing of a professional and unbiased printed media becoming a fact within our region.
The one small spot of hope is the recent H B Independent’s add for an editor. If it leads to an honest, fair dinkum daily newspaper in competition to Nancy’s personal propaganda sheet it will be most welcome.
While I applaude the Fraser Coast Free Clarion (Onya, BecT), and BBStrewth, most people do NOT have internet access, and your assesment of the three divisions who have indicates they probably won’t use it to keep in touch with real issues.
Another small comfort is the comment around my patch that the coverage given to candidates in our recent council elections by Nance and APN was so obviously biased that people had no idea of the credentials of most candidates, and that the FC Chronicle cannot now be believed as being impartial, truthful or informative.
Small comfort unless we can encourage an alternative.
Come on H B Independent, please fill the gap and restore people’s need for an honest, complete, warts and all daily reporting of what’s happening in the region, and bring back some integrity to local media!