Indy boss gives MediaGuardian a kicking

Simon Kelner, managing director and former editor of The Independent, gives MediaGuardian a kicking in the latest issue of the New Statesman, claiming it is deliberately damaging his paper.
Kelner claims: "The Guardian as an organisation proclaims the highest ethical values, but it is quite clear that they have used their media website purposely to damage their biggest commercial rival.
"Nothing could be further from the avowed aims of the Scott Trust, and I am compiling evidence of unsourced, biased and irresponsible journalism on the website to supply to the trust.
"Those who work in newspapers are aware that MediaGuardian is contaminated by the commercial values of GMG. The problem is that the wider media industry, particularly the advertising community, regard it as an objective and authoritative site when, of course, it is anything but."
Kelner makes his comment in an article (not online) by London Evening Standard business and media correspondent Gideon Spanier headlined: "Who Guards the Guardian" which contains complaints from a number of media executives against MediaGuardian.
Guardian News and Media's head of media and technology Steve Busfield responds in the NS article: "If the site is rubbing executives up the wrong way, then we are probably doing a good job."
Independent staff expressed their anger in postings to MediaGuardian last month after it carried an article about the paper's financial troubles headlined "How Long Can The Independent Newspaper Last?" to lead its Monday media print section.