Sainsbury's 'Pikey' Insult |
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Supermarket Debate
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Written by John Eager
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Thursday, 29 March 2012 13:22 |
Editor's note: This article has been changed.
BBC Hereford and Worcestershire reported ten years ago that the grocers Sainsbury's executive Lisa Collins described Sainsbury's shoppers at the Hereford branch as 'pikeys'.
BBC: "Councillor Terry James, leader of Herefordshire Council, said Ms Collins' outburst was ignorant and offensive."
The BBC reported that executive Collins made the insult at a conference organised by the Institute of Grocery Distributors on 13 March, 2003. [date corrected]
Editor's note:
At the time of writing the author believed that this was present news. It has since come to the author's attention that this is incorrect. The article was not meant to deliberately mislead any Ledbury Portal readers.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 08 April 2012 12:18 |
'The Reporter's 'news' (17th March 2012) was on a vote taken last year by netmums. It's good to know Bills-Geddes and the rest of the hacks there are on the ball and up to date (not) - doing a sterling job reporting last year's news as current.'
I feel one year late is poor journalism, but nine years is diabolical and incredibly hypocritical. Especially as I presume it has been used due to the authors stance on the superstore. 'Old News & Unsafe Reporting' indeed!
We all simply failed to spot the date, which happened to be the correct day but nine years ago. It's an example of what often happens in these days of rapid response and information overload. I'll wager most of us have done this or something like it at one time or another.
Don't get paranoid about it.
It is rather amusing that this is being brought up when LOTS members accused anyone who was in favour of the supermarket of being "empty vessels" "in-bred" etc etc.
It seems to be a common misconception of those who have no idea about Herefordshire and its people!
Whether this was said last year or ten years ago it hardly matters - it reveals a state of mind - the arrogance of the corporate mind over the consuming masses. Or as Claire put it - racism.
I'm actually a bit embarrassed by this mistake, as it was easily avoided with a bit of journalistic common sense, and I have done what I accused the Ledbury Reporter of doing recently - publishing old news. Well, it was new to me, and obviously a lot of other people too.
The strange thing about the Internet, unlike yesterday's chip papers, is that news, comments, racism, slander, lies and mistakes made by organisations and individuals stay there - either floating on the surface of the everyday web, or hidden beneath in the dark depths of the web.
But it's all there, warts and all.