Allister Hits Out at Cullen's Control Freakery
13 March 2012
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“The confidential memo sent by DCAL to sporting and cultural groups telling them of tough new press protocols and warning them to consult with Minister Cullen’s department about any media approach suggests that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, not satisfied with its own extensive spin machine, now wants to control every utterance of its Arms Length Bodies. Media control is clearly an obsession for this Executive. Hence, the First Minister's outburst of a few weeks ago.
"The compulsion on Arms Length Bodies to report every media approach and agree lines of response (para 4.1 & 6.1) so as to 'minimise negativity', along with the pulling of rank in para 2.4, which makes it plain DCAL can override an ALB's media output, suggests the department is now run pretty much along the lines whereby the Minister's party, Sinn Fein, controls its media output.
"This is demeaning and diminishing of the ALBs, but indicative of the control freakery we see at Stormont.
“One cannot help wondering if similar instructions have been issued by Stormont’s other departments. This is something I will be probing Stormont’s departments about over the coming days by way of written questions.”
