It was not so long ago that the Islington Tribune was considered to be an absolute must for anyone interested in what was happening in terms of politics in Islington. Sadly this is no longer the case.

The steady decline in the value of the publication over the last couple of years means that there is now a gap in the market. And it is one the IWCA is hoping to fill. The IWCA has relaunched its website, which will be updated on a weekly basis. By acting as a compliment to the Finsbury & Clerkenwell Independent newsletter, which is distributed to 7,000 homes in the area, we will help address the news vacuum in South Islington at least.

Although the Tribune was always classified as a ‘free paper’, it was well produced and initially packed with news, including a particularly lively letters page with much of the content of specific interest to the working class community in Finsbury. In 2006 during the campaign against the EC1 New Deal sponsored St Lukes project the Tribune was widely considered to be invaluable by many of local activists for its in depth coverage, breaking news and even analysis of events. Indeed at one meeting of the Finsbury Forum it was suggested that a valuable part of the campaign against both the Lib Dem Council and EC1 New Deal would be for volunteers ‘to distribute the papers door to door.’ As it was, the Tribune’s bin sites in prime spots like St John Street would be emptied within a day anyway. However even at the high point of its popularity there was a curious omission emerged in the paper’s coverage.

During the period between January-June 2006 the campaign against the St Lukes project was at its height. With more than £25 million at stake it was understandably more often than not the lead story in the Tribune. The IWCA it was widely recognised had played a critical role in organising the local community in opposition to Council/New Deal plans; chaired the initial meetings and distributed up to a half-a dozen different leaflets/newsletters, as well as collecting the crucial petition door to door which effectively demolished the New Deal claim that it had tacit public support. Yet in all that time the Tribune did not see fit to interview the IWCA any time. The IWCA was never quoted. Not even once. This led to much head scratching by campaigners at the time. A little later, when the Lib Dem council targeted IWCA members and those deemed sympathetic to the party’s position on the New Deal Board in a purge, the IWCA were not invited to comment then either. It was around the same time that it became apparent that IWCA letters and press releases were also being filed in the bin.

By coincidence this was when the paper began to take paid advertisements from Islington Council. And even when the IWCA national site broke the story about New Labour MP Emily Thornberry’s purchase of a former housing association flat in June 2007, and Gary O’Shea discussed the case at length with a Tribune reporter, they still ran the story without any reference whatsoever as to the real source. Now whatever the real reason behind the block out, it does rather make a mockery of the papers strap line: “Open to All, Coerced by None” Recently it has become painfully obvious that the IWCA are not the only ones to be blackballed in this fashion.

These days the letters pages is so packed with official spokespersons; vanity pieces by Emily Thornberry, councillors from both mainstream parties, and bodies like the Housing for Islington ordinary punters are increasingly squeezed out. However the pro-establishment nature of the coverage has not gone unnoticed by the readers. Whereas two years ago the bin in St John’s street would be emptied in a matter of hours, by the beginning of this year it was noticeably still crammed full the following Thursday. Recently in a striking admission of defeat the bin has been taken away altogether. This retreat is likely being reflected across the borough. In Finsbury at least the IWCA will be looking to step up to the plate.