Council 'paper' tries to blag its way into Royal visit

12.37.05am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 15th May 2009

East End Life, the 'free' council newspaper (paid for by Council taxpayers) was caught pretending to be a real newspaper when it tried to blag a pass to cover the visit of Prince William to the Whitechapel gallery. One of the 'paper's' reporters wrongly claimed to represent a publication published by the Trinity Mirror Southern media group in order to gain a press pass to the event.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Council group, Councillor Stephanie Eaton said "East End Life is constantly trying to pretend it is more than just a mouthpiece for the Labour party in Tower Hamlets. This deception takes the 'paper's' actions to a new low level. The Council should apologise to the East London Advertiser and its team of journalists for trying to cover local news by blagging their way into the visit of Prince William. Let no-one be confused by the expensive glossy style of this publication, East End Life portrays a very selective view of life in Tower Hamlets, where the Council makes the sun shine and all is sweetness and light. They should leave journalism to the professionals at our local paper"

East End Life, Tower Hamlets Council's 'free' publication is printed weekly and competes with The East London Advertiser for advertising revenue.

The story was covered in the Guardian and can be read here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2009/may/14/freesheets-local-newspapers