Billboard Company Ban Operation Christian Vote Election Poster
"We are not prepared to run the ‘abortion’ copy without ASA guidance..." David Gumley, Maiden Outdoor Advertising Billboard Company Ban Operation Christian Vote Election Poster
As ‘backdoor censorship’ of Operation Christian Vote’s election campaign continues.
Operation Christian Vote will be drawing attention to what it is calling “backdoor censorship” in the Scottish Euro Elections in a peaceful gathering outside the Communication Worker’s Union offices in Brunswick Street, Edinburgh, at noon today(Saturday 6th June, 2005).
Operation Christian Vote will be unveiling a 20 foot billboard poster that outdoor media company Maiden Outdoor has refused to display, claiming that it is too “controversial”. The billboard poster that bears a picture of a pregnancy testing kit and the words, “Abortion? It may be a choice for the mother, but it’s murder for her baby!” will now travel around Edinburgh and Glasgow on a mobile advertising trailer.
In a telephone call, made just after 3 O’clock on Thursday, 3rd June, hours before the proposed launch of Operation Christian Vote’s election billboard campaign, Maiden Outdoor executive, David Gumley, informed Revd Hargreaves of the decision. After pressing Mr Gumley, it was revealed that Maiden Outdoor senior executives objected to the Operation Christian Vote’s pro-life poster, and as a result, Maiden Outdoor sought to pull out of the entire campaign.
Revd Hargreaves comments,
I pointed out to Maiden’s that it was ludicrous to scupper our entire campaign because of an objection to just one of three poster designs. I also pointed out that Operation Christian Vote has a legally binding contract with Maiden Outdoor and that their decision to pull our entire campaign had serious ethical and legal implications.
Revd Hargreaves added,
I cannot help wondering whether there is a wider political motive at play. Maiden’s initial stance seemed to suggest that because our party takes a pro-life position, none of our material on any other political subject, such as the EU constitution or parental, should be displayed on their billboards. Such a stance is political interference of the most blatant form. This backdoor censorship is totally unacceptable in our democratic country.
After protracted negotiations Maiden Outdoor has agreed to display an alternative poster which campaigns for more rights for parents.
In a letter to Revd Hargreaves, Maiden Outdoor made the following statement:
Maiden’s normal procedure is to request an advertiser to seek copy approval from the Advertising Standards Authority if their copy is likely to be deemed to be controversial. The visual relating to abortion we feel is controversial and we would have asked you to gain that approval, prior to accepting your booking, if it had been drawn to our attention.
Revd Hargreaves has responded by noting, “The same “visual relating to abortion” was approved by the BBC, STV and thepost office for airing on television and distribution as an election leaflet without any comment. Operation Christian Vote will be immediately seeking copy approval from the Advertising Standards Authority. We are confident that we will gain approval; once approved we will insist that Maiden Outdoor display our poster as originally planned.”
Operation Christian Vote Scottish European Election candidate and Tranent based pastor, Revd Richard Russell, said
It is interesting to note that the poster industry displays any amount of offensive images that we as Christian have had to bear for years, yet a picture of a pregnancy kit together with text is too much for them to bear!
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Go figure. They recoil at the sight of a picture containing a pregnancy kit along with a text to make a point is too much for a billboard company.
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