The Wardman Wire

Introduction

[I have put comments on full moderation for these posts.]

In my opinion Dave Walker’s posts have been a careful reporting of the developing situation at SPCK, where he has been restrained and taken care to avoid stepping over the line of objectivity.

Having followed the story for over a year, my opinion is that his reporting on Cartoon Church has been temperate and thoughtful; I have observed him repeatedly advise commentors to have cool heads, and I have regularly seen comments edited or removed when he thought they went too close to the line of controversy.

In order to help place the true facts - in my opinion - of this case where they can be sensibly debated, I am republishing some posts that were the subject of the complaint by Mark Brewer.

Perhaps you would care to reach your own opinions on the matter. You need to review the full set of 75 posts to reach an overall decision; I am sure that someone will give you that opportunity in due course.

Why Republish Dave Walker’s Articles?

Here’s why - because comment and news reporting should not be able to be censored by mere allegations made without proof on the back of legal sabre-rattlings; freedom of debate matters.

Let’s remember first that these values have exceedingly widespread support:

“Thank goodness that we have this one, last bastion of free speech – the Internet. The internet, in particular, is the only truly free “press” we still have.”

(Mark Brewer Campaign Site 2000)

[Ed: I'll go along with that.]

Having followed the story for over a year, my opinion is that his reporting on Cartoon Church has been temperate and thoughtful; I have observed him repeatedly advise commentors to have cool heads, and I have regularly seen comments edited or removed when he thought they went too close to the line of controversy.

The Dave Walker Reposts - Numbers 1, 2 and 3

October 11 2007 - Staff Resign at SPCK Exeter

October 11th, 2007

The staff of SPCK Exeter resign

From the Express and Echo in Exeter:

One of Exeter’s oldest shops is facing upheaval after all its staff resigned in a row over new contracts. All seven employees with the SPCK bookshop, in Catherine Street, handed in their notice and are due to work their last day on Saturday.

Of course this won’t be news to you if you have been following the comments thread from my last SPCK post where Neil posted the same thing yesterday. I don’t know whether other shops are facing a similar situation.

Other SPCK news:

* In Christian Marketplace an article ‘Concern rising over SPCK bookshops‘ which quotes the Church Times article ‘SPCK shop staff voice concerns about their future‘.
* The Truro shop is apparently closing ‘next week’ according to a commenter, but I only have second hand knowledge about this.
* Sadly it is not proving possible to order items from certain well-known Christian publishers in certain SPCK branches. I’ve no idea how widespread this problem is.

The future looks uncertain. In the meantime the best we can do is heed the advice of Richard, a former SPCK bookshop manager who posted in the last comments thread:

Please pray for my former colleagues, especially those still working in the bookshops, and please support them any way you can - cream cakes are always welcome.

Update: Western Morning News - Shop staff resign in contracts row

November 17 2007 - SSG / SPCK Latest

[Ed: The paragraph that I have highlighted in bold demonstrates Dave's care in reporting this saga in action.]

SSG / SPCK Latest

The shops saga has made a mainstream paper, albeit in a limited sort of a way. From the Guardian:

There’s an unholy row in Christian bookselling, with an exodus of staff from the leading chain SPCK (the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge). Apologies for the religious puns, but they are hard to avoid when the company’s president compares his shops to “the talents the Lord spoke of in the parable”. To recap, a year ago a charitable trust took control of SPCK, whose 23 cathedral shops were struggling. But new owners St Stephen the Great (SSG) ran into trouble when they tried to impose a more orthodox stocking policy and ban promotion of the Qur’an. Staff in some branches such as Exeter resigned en masse. Now SSG wants to drop the 200-year-old SPCK name because the books released by SPCK’s publishing arm are too liberal.

Also:

* An article I haven’t linked to: Leicester SPCK goes independent - The Bookseller
* All is blank on the ‘SSG Bookshops formerly owned and operated by SPCK‘ webpage
* Here’s the blog of a former SPCK manager who has opened a new shop in Lincoln: Unicorn Tree Books Blog

One more thing whilst I’m on the subject. I’m having to edit or not post a reasonable number of SPCK / SSG related comments. This isn’t necessarily because I don’t agree with the sentiments expressed, as I often do. The problem is that some comments could be straying into legally dubious areas or they contain allegations that I can’t substantiate. In neither case can I afford to take a risk on this as it will be me who carries the can should there be a can to be carried. I really don’t like to have to do this, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

I’m aware that my comment policy isn’t very clearly stated, something that I plan to rectify shortly. In the meantime if you feel that a comment that hasn’t been posted deserves to be read there is nothing to stop you posting it on your own blog, or even starting one if you don’t have one. Try the link I posted in the previous post about getting started on Wordpress.com if that whole area is a mystery. It is possible, by the way, to stay up to date with what blogs are saying by keeping an eye on searches such as this one.

Posted by Dave at 10:09 am on November 17, 2007 and filed under Save the SPCK, Religion.

November 8th 2007 - SPCK Bookshops: The Forbidden Music

Posted by Dave at 7:55 pm on November 8, 2007 and filed under Anglican goings-on,

SPCK bookshops: The forbidden music

[Ed: Graphic image of contract not included here]

[Ed: Update: Now included below]

The staff at the SSG (formerly SPCK) bookshops are forbidden from using a wide range of music at ‘events’, as this short segment from the new contract shows.

I think the musicians in our midst would be doing a service to the bookshop community if they were to come up with some music suitable for use at SSG bookshop events. These are my guidelines for such a composition:

* Singing looks as if it is OK, as long as it is done in a non-secular manner. The minute you stray into secularism you’re in trouble.
* No rapping, but perhaps we could have some spoken words here and there like on old country and western records. You know the kind of thing.
* Drumming or percussion is out, unless it uses a piano. An odd but welcome exclusion clause. This loophole could I think form the basis of our composition - we could have a whole troupe of people drumming on pianos. I can see the video now.
* I’ve tried to find out what ‘a-tonal’ music is but failed. Beware of a-tonalism is all I can say. You think you can dabble in it, but it’ll get you in the end.
* And you people who are thinking of using a ‘boom box’ whilst doing some dancing and singing operatically. No no no!

There may be a short break in transmission whilst some of us head off to the recording studio.

Posted by Dave at 12:32 am on November 8, 2007 and filed under Save the SPCK, Religion.

41 Comments

Wrapping Up

OK. So is this stuff defamatory or not?

The question answers itself. Careful and restrained reporting by a careful reporter.

More on “Cease and Desist” notices later today - if I have time.