Yes, it’s true. From the launch of Kinglake Ranges News in June 2017, one so-called ‘newspaper man’ continues to use others’ work unabated.
Today we received a registered letter from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) completely rejecting Local Media’s claim that Kinglake Ranges News was falsifying statistics.
The registered letter confirms what Ash Long published in the article claiming Kinglake Ranges News had fabricated statistical data is nothing but a fabrication, usually called ‘lying’.
“We were never informed, nor was any complaint ever officially lodged with us,” Kinglake Ranges News said.
“This is well outside our area of investigation,” the ACCC stated in the letter.
“The statement that you have had an official complaint filed against you is a fabrication,” states the registered letter.
“You have no case to answer Mr Geelan,” the letter stated.
Even the ACCC agree that Long is “full of …. .”
If you think Ash Long cares about the community and not his (large) bottom line (see $$$) then you’re delusional.
The Deputy Chief Editor (later Editor-In-Chief) of both Long (1980) and Geelan (1994) at Leader Newspapers’ Northcote office stated:
“He’s [Long] a two-faced arsehole … isn’t he still just doing ads, he’s not interested in journalism, never has been,” the former Leader Newspaper editor told Kinglake Ranges News at the Summerhill Hotel, Kingsbury, last Wednesday, 16 January at 12.26pm.
Long also recently copied – following our announcement of full multimedia coverage – our idea for a television/online visual news bulletin. We’re not fussed.
When we launched Kinglake Ranges News, other media outlets simply wished the editor all the best with his [my] endevour and thanked editor, Ashley Geelan, for his contributions over many years (for free). They said ‘thank you’ and moved on.
Ad sales rep Long decided – rather than thank a contributor for years of (free) service – to go the full attack, even allegedly copying the Kinglake Ranges News platform and coding.
We have – on several occassions – offered Long a right of reply but he continually refuses to respond, instead writing it off as ‘harrasment’.
No other local media outlet (Alexandra Standard, Yea Chronicle, Mountain Views Mail, Mountain Monthly, Whittlesea Review, North Central Review and The Border Mail) the editor of Kinglake Ranges News once supplied articles and photographs for have ever complained – or launched pesonal attacks – since we went ‘on our own’. They just wished us ‘good luck’ and ‘all the best’.
Co-operation is usually how the media works as witnessed first-hand as the first reporter on the scene at last weeks’ tragic event in Bundoora.
Kinglake Ranges News helped the major media (2, 7, 9, 10, Sky, 3AW, ABC Radio, HWT and Fairfax) with early photographs and video Kinglake Ranges News had obtained. (These images were supplied to police to assist with their investigation – and can’t be published)
I wouldn’t publish most of them anyway. Yes, I had to be fingerprinted and offered detectives a hair sample for DNA testing as one of the first people on scene as police needed to eliminate myself from their investigation.
From the editor of Kinglake Ranges News, Ashley Geelan I ask you – the reader – to consider why there are no articles published about any other media outlets that I, Ashley Geelan, supplied work for, some for over 18 years now.
The answer?
Other local media outlets are fair, reasonable and have integrity. Ash Long does not have such. Never has. Never will.
Everyone in the media industry says so (the list keeps growing). I was even warned to ‘walk away’ by some of Australia’s leading journalists before I “ruined my reputation as a credible reporter.”
But if it sells ads, who gives a …
We hereby offer Ash Long a right of reply. He continually refuses to respond.
We also request Long to publish a copy of the orginal (apparently non-existent) complaint made to the ACCC, which we will publish in full.
