Earlier today we were contacted by local wannabe click-bait operation Edinburgh Live with news they were planning to run another concocted hit-job, probably based on something they found on Twitter. For once they offered “right of reply”. (Resist clicks!) https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/complaint-after-transphobic-leaflets-found-18826901?fbclid=IwAR28SLoslvqOlM7s7uGD1x4poD9c0YynGwA-59YL65xeI3maLRzQoUIUmSA

The story that no doubt inspired the editor to yell “hold the front page” was the scandalous tale of how some “forewomen” [sic in email to ourselves] leaflets bearing the legend “Bin the Bill” were discovered in a Post Office in Portobello.

It’s nice to think these relics of the GRA campaign lay undisturbed in a PO for 6 months but strangely, considering their now nigh historic status, the focus of the latest from the Bernstein and Woodward of EH6 wasn’t the curio value.

Apparently the revelations included news that staff had binned “10 questions the Scottish Gov has not answered” at the behest of a traumatised customer. This, BTW, was never produced by us as a leaflet, so someone must have printed it - cheers!

This traumatised customer didn't want to be named for "fear of reprisals", says that violence only ever comes from "cis" men & disgracefully tries to equate women having rights with domestic violence.

They did take a nicely staged photo though.

So the story, essentially, seems to be that during a campaign concerning a consultation on proposals which affect women’s rights, women (damn their impudence) distributed leaflets. Since it’s of interest we sent 70,000 to wonderful volunteers.

Incidentally, on a day when Twitter is alight with the #IStandWithSashaWhite hashtag perhaps the @RoyalMail should consider that accepting at face values lies about women who care about UN sanctioned rights is not the knock-out position they seem to think!

We thought that, recently, @EdinburghLive_ had found their métier as diligent chroniclers of road flooding and best offers on “eat out to help out” (jolly useful, thanks). However, it seems that we reckoned without the zealotry of the editor.

FWS was blissfully unaware of the existence of Hilary until she burst gloriously into our view with her amusing take on Suffragette costumes and her tendency to froth when women said #ILoveJKRowling or wore T-shirts.

So now we get to the serious bit. For someone who seems to consider third-hand accounts on Twitter to be a reputable news source, Hilary is remarkably indiscrete with her own ruminations. No agenda here. At all.

No doubt, for example, she has evidence of the “death threats” she was sent by “GC Groups”. We are rather astonished that a woman who thinks “Leaflets left at Post Office” is a potential ticket to the Pulitzer wouldn’t have printed this explosive story.

It could be, of course, that even Hilary is aware that had she accused any group of this in her “news” site, her employers might have lacked funds to cover the ensuing libel case.

She also failed to report on the "lesbians attack NB child" story that she also made up.

Not, of course, that standards are always upheld. EL had to correct their story on the attack on @bindelj when they tried to cast doubt on her account (and leave out Brennan’s threats). As you can see in the earlier screenshot above, Hilary isn't exactly unbiased on Julie.

Many also felt they contravened Samaritans guidelines on reporting suicide in a piece on transgender people and Pride - including those who agreed with the article.

In the Lush sticker scoop, EL referred to our meeting. Naturally, as a local news outlet, they hadn’t bothered to turn up themselves, but someone on Twitter (possibly Mimmymum) who lives about 400 miles away told them there were only 10 people there.

Fortunately, an actual journalist from a real national paper (thank you @DalgetySusan of Scotsman) was there and was able to correct their silly misapprehension. (Please buy real papers or subscribe lest we be left with the “trawl twitter for gossip” approach)

Our meetings seem to be something of a sore point. Unlike many members of the press (not all of whom are naturally inclined to support us), Hilary of Edinburgh Live doesn’t see the need to send reporters before traducing us (or possibly relying on word of a TRA in Albuquerque)

Funnily, this tweet dates from June 19 and comes after several meetings attended by hundreds of people, some MSPs, and journalists from major new outlets. There's an easily Googled Guardian article on the Jan one, for example. Odd a journalist doesn't know how to check!

Hilary doesn’t claim in her bio to be a feminist (she does claim to being a “trans ally”). At least she is honest as no feminist would ever use the sort of misogynistic language she indulges in. We imagine many trans people would shudder to have this allyship also.

She's also happy to join in slagging off women with some incredibly nasty men. The sort who, inevitably, turn out to use *actual* transphobic language. She doesn't seem too bothered when it's pointed out. Odd ally. https://twitter.com/ladyduckpojok/status/1290931933199949825?s=20

We sent a comment. We could have said that as they have demonstrated they are incapable of basic fact-checking, they seem to be unregulated, & as their editor is pursuing a personal vendetta, we have no interest in assisting with a non-story.

We didn’t, however. We said that as the leaflets were old we thought it was perfectly reasonable they, like the now indefinitely postponed Bill, were binned.

Won’t that just set the Thames alight for the Press Awards?

We're amused that EL have so far tweeted it twice. No likes on either so far and rather more likes and RTs on flooded cars and covid.

'Tis rather tragic.