Spin, and selective reporting

Politicians are always being criticised for "spin", and newspapers with a particular agenda are often accused of selective reporting. Needless to say, religious lobby groups are masters at this too.

A couple of days ago, the latest council worker who thinks that the rules don't apply to them, because their god is on their side, announced he was taking his former employers to a tribunal.

Duke Amachree was sacked back in March following a complaint the council received in January, that he had subjected a terminally ill woman to a 30 minute barrage of proselytising, and told her that the reason she was ill was because she didn't believe in God. A spokesman for the council said "Mr Amachree told her that she shouldn't trust doctors and that only God could cure her. He also suggested that she watch a series of videos on miracles if she wanted to be cured."

This is back in the news again, because of the upcoming tribunal. Most "non-blog" (i.e. real) media seem to be covering this in a balanced way, giving both points of view. For example Personnel Today, which is interested purely from the employment point of view, The Evening Standard, and the local Wandsworth Guardian. However, according to those bastions of Christian dishonesty, The Christian Institute, the case is all about him being sacked for saying "God Bless" in the office. No mention whatsoever of the 30 minute barrage, or the proselytising. Not even a mention of the woman who made the complaint in the first place. Just a couple of "on message" quotes from a bishop and the Christian Legal Centre.