TUST Updates

[Southampton Gull]

I've already suggested they give the option to pay more enabling them to easily increase their finances. I believe they're looking into it.

[Teigngull]

Now a TUST member, joined tonight.

[lucy6lucy]

I've already suggested they give the option to pay more enabling them to easily increase their finances. I believe they're looking into it.

That's positive news. I believe the TUST set the financial contribution too low when it could have made an impact 15 months ago. Either way it is how it is.

[MellowYellow]

When tv programmes do interviews like this they usually record for quite a few minutes then edit down ...

Anybody asked questions by print or tv media has to be careful in case anything said could be deemed as libellous. Also words can be twisted or taken out of context.

Absolutley right Chunkygull. The Chairman of TUST could well have talked in front of the camera for 30mins but will have had no say in the final edit for TV,

Britain's libel law the most draconian in the western world, establish the limits within which public discussion can take place where only the poor and the powerless can be fearlessly exposed (However poor the defendants might be, they are not entitled to legal aid). The rich and powerful must, by law, be handled with the utmost circumspection. The libel laws are as effective a barrier to free speech in Britain as government intervention is in North Korea. It's partly because of the libel laws that investigative journalism is all but dead in Britain. Granada TV, World In Action documentary was sued so many times a decade ago it effectively ended investigative journalism on TV to be replaced by tame current affairs programmes.

Perhaps an indication as to why the HE want to tell you about the pre-match meal or Gilbert the Gull being branded a "security risk" and nothing about a wrecking ball company with a history of razing stadiums on the promise of building replacements that never materialise.

[Yorkieandy]

So effectively it's a waste of time then. If the TUST chairman DID do a long interview and it was cut into some meaningless media friendly soundbite which it looks like to me then the TV company can **** off and i suggest using other methods to get the message across. Methods where the TUST control what they want to say and what goes out there.

Tv editors. Load of shit.

[MellowYellow]

How to circumvent libel law. Well there is more than one way of peeling an orange. A good example of how to possess direction and a magnitude is the grassroots campaigning network 'Momentum'. Though I am not a supporter you have respect and admire a movement of ordinary people who are successfully mobilising the mass campaigning movement to get Labour into government. No media TV or papers required to get the message out there, just building energy and enthusiasm of dedicated members to spread the word. There are many lessons to be learnt here on the art of campaigning.

[MellowYellow]

I've already suggested they give the option to pay more enabling them to easily increase their finances. I believe they're looking into it.

Cut out the old bureaucracy- Memberships forms/direct debits/ set fees/ long winded letters etc. Let the fans pay a subscription amount of their choice in exchange for exclusive weekly live video/podcast link for Q/A sessions, arranging campaign events & behind-the-scenes content etc. How? Use a membership platform that provides the tools for the TUST to run a subscription content service e.g. Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/

[Midlandgull]

Joined. What happens next?

[Jerry]

I've been a TUST member for over 3 years, I live in Wigan which is more insane. I personally feel embarrassed paying £2 a month. I would happily pay more, so with that respect those on this forum that comment and regularly make posts that aren't a member of TUST, I can only say shame on you.

Nothing stopping anyone paying as much as they like. When GI took over I cancelled my monthly contribution to the players fund and now pay that to the trust's Forever Yellow fund each month instead.

[merse btpir]

A good example of how to possess direction and a magnitude is the grassroots campaigning network 'Momentum'. Though I am not a supporter you have respect and admire a movement of ordinary people who are successfully mobilising the mass campaigning movement to get Labour into government. No media TV or papers required to get the message out there, just building energy and enthusiasm of dedicated members to spread the word. There are many lessons to be learnt here on the art of campaigning.

The very best of examples indeed. Overcoming the right wing media led rubbishing of the party leader (who carries an overwhelming mandate of support from the membership) that has been libellous in itself. It is called people power and it is not libellous to either join in with it, support it or report on it.

What is libel anyway? It is "public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonour, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead.".

I don't see telling the truth and asking perfectly legal questions amongst that definition. Never be afraid of telling it as it is; never be afraid of asking questions......you'll invite all sorts of vitriol and invective when you do; but you won't be sued for libel ~ or at least not successfully so!

[MellowYellow]

With the onset of the internet libel laws can be best described as a person is defamed if statements in a publication expose him to hatred or ridicule, cause him to be shunned, lower him in the estimation in the minds of "right-thinking" members of society or disparage him in his work.

What is certain is that the legal costs of defending a libel action will be considerable, often running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. The loser has to pay the costs of the winner, In effect, fighting libel cases is an expensive game of chicken, which newspapers like the Herald Express are often reluctant to enter into, even when they believe they have a strong case.

But your right there are defences in law for libel. The publisher could prove the statement to be true, it could be fair comment - so long as the opinion is based on true facts. The problem here is libel law is very much open to interpretation, different courts will have different views on what exactly influences a 'right-thinking' man.

Whereas forums and online chats have introduced a new genre of writing, that in effect provides a written record of raw, impulsive conversations where most participants have paid scant consideration to any legal implications. The internet is seen as a place where people can express themselves anonymously, You therefore end up with the issue with online articles as to whether the publisher is the person who runs the website, or the ISP which hosts it. So to date, fewer libel cases with anonymous individual publications.

[Southampton Gull]

Nothing stopping anyone paying as much as they like. When GI took over I cancelled my monthly contribution to the players fund and now pay that to the trust's Forever Yellow fund each month instead.

No there's not BUT people are lazy and it's already been suggested by many that the demographic of Torbay is less computer literate than a lot of areas so a simple option would in my opinion be easier to do during the joining process and gives TUST a better way of predicting finances. How many will have the willpower to keep revisiting to donate compared to those that would commit to a higher contribution while joining. If I was happy to commit to say £20 a month that's a 1000% increase. I'm sure plenty of others would do similar. If we're serious about being an alternative and work towards community ownership surely it's worth the effort of trying?

[MellowYellow]

Not sure it's people being lazy rather technology has given people more choice and the winners are those that can provide to their needs instantly at a touch of a button e.g. IPhone, first quarter of 2017, 50 percent penetration in British households. We are now a push button living-room society, so in that respect you are right in as much as people are lazy to pen-push application forms or attend meetings on cold January nights, when all can be achieved on-line in the comfort of their own space. Just saying.

[chunkygull]

]Good to see some people distributing leaflets on the way to the ground today. How many roughly were taken up?

Still there are many fans who dont get it, dont know about Osborne or dont feel how much in the shit TUFC are. They certainly dont understand about TUST.

After reading the leaflet may I say the TUST could be missing a chance to put their case across for supporters to join. The leaflet advertises a meeting to supporters but only if you join the TUST beforehand. My Father who has supported and watched TUFC since 1955 is one of those people who are not online, I have been trying to explain the whole saga to him, from GI, Osborne, freeholds, no new stadiums, clubs without a home, Harrop, TUST, everything. He partially gets it but it hasnt been in the Herald or on tv so it hasnt quite made an impact. My Dad sums up 75% of the typical TUFC support.

When Dad started to read the leaflet he was open to the idea of going to the meeting it advertised but then when he saw you had to join before you could attend, even though he doesnt know much about it, well then he wasnt interested. The leaflet did come across a bit like it'll be for our ears only, our little club.

Even if its just this once, may I suggest if TUST wish to recruit more members they hold a meeting which welcomes ALL TUFC SUPPORTERS then more of them can hear it properly for themselves, rather than just rely on word of mouth or online. If you throw this meeting open to all then I am very sure you would get a generous boost to your membership numbers.

[Rjc70]

I understand where you’re coming from, chunkygull. I think what they particularly want is for everyone there to be able to vote on trust priorities and direction going forward. That has to come from its membership, where every vote counts the same. It’s a tricky one as I’m pretty certain they would want as many fans there as possible.