A reporter on the Press and Journal newspaper hit the headlines in her own newspaper today after being involved in ‘an incident’ yesterday with activists opposing controversial £750 million plans by US tycoon, Donald Trump, to build a golf course, hotel and houses at Balmedie, near Aberdeen.
Reporter, Rebecca Buchan, was covering a story at local, Robert Gordon University yesterday, where its former principal, David Kennedy, handed back the honorary degree he received 11 years ago – as a protest against RGU awarding a similar accolade to Trump.
As well as a front-page story on Kennedy’s protest, the P&J carried a news story and two pictures on page 7 of the ‘incident’ involving their own staff reporter – claiming that activist, Fiona Hardie, targeted Buchan.
The intro to the story read: “This is the moment a Tripping up Trump activist was forced to hand back a mobile phone taken from a Press and Journal reporter’s pocket.”
The story continued: “As Miss Buchan took notes, her phone was removed from her jacket – but when she confronted Ms Hardie, she denied any involvement.
“The campaigner threatened to call the police when the journalist demanded it back and even claimed she was being harassed. When Miss Buchan dialled her number from a colleague’s phone, the handset rang inside Ms Hardie’s jacket. She then threatened to throw it, before handing it back.
“Ms Hardie apologised last night for what she described as ‘probably far more than a misunderstanding’.”
