article in the age, page-11

re: spin spin - agenda - agenda Katherine Teh was a former journo, with minimal mining experience.

I doubt very much she has been to either the Congo or Peru-or that many mine sites for that matter.

Think the article is very much in the self promote category-pick a supposedly controversial issue and write something deep and meaningful about it.

As to the substance of her article-are you trying to tell me AVM was better off historically dealing with NGOs in the Congo?

First question, are there any relevent NGOs in the Congo?

Second lot of questions, Four Corners did the beat up inconjunction with a few fellow travellers. Why not the same with BHP? Not enough fellow travellers to juice up a story in the first instance? Is AVM just too small to justify a team of spin doctors for damage control? Shouldn't the media have presented a balance view in the first place?

Third lot of questions, what would have happened in the reverse case,ie BHP had a significant mine in the Congo?
Would BHP refuse use of its equipment and thereby put at risk their own staff?How would the media have covered that one?Or would close relationships with non existent/relevent NGOs saved them?

Fourth question,isn't this an article by a wanna be spin doctor to justify the use of spin docors?

An article that had potential and failed to deliver,sorry.

Cheers,TAS