Leveson Report – Bishop of Norwich calls for an end to current self-regulation; Wales -Bishop calls for Community Response to Floods; Media review
Leveson Report – Bishop of Norwich calls for an end to current self-regulation
The Bishop of Norwich has called for an end to the current self-regulation in light of the publication of the Leveson Report. The Rt Revd Graham James, who sits as a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications and is the Church of England’s lead spokesman on media and communications policy, today commented on the need for a genuinely independent body which “must have as one of its primary tasks the protection of citizens from unfair and damaging portrayal in the press and give them a proper chance of redress. When members of the general public are unfairly traduced in a major press story, it is not a necessary consequence of press freedom but an abuse of it.”
In an article on the Leveson Report to be published in the Church Times next week, Bishop Graham says: “The Leveson Report must surely bring the era of self-regulation to an end. We do need a genuinely independent body able to investigate the practices of the press without the trigger of a complaint bringing it into action. It must be properly resourced by the industry itself but that doesn’t mean it needs to build a large bureaucracy.”
Reflecting on the wider issues in the Report, Bishop Graham will also call in the Church Times article for a deeper examination of the moral and theological themes raised in the Leveson Inquiry: “The public release of photographs of Prince Harry in Las Vegas merited public disapproval while there were almost one hundred million Google searches in the UK for those same photographs within 24 hours. Law and sin, regulation and grace, freedom and our capacity to abuse it: these are the theological themes of the report.”
Wales: Bishop calls for Community Response to Floods
The community spirit of the people of St Asaph will help the city cope with floods which have forced 500 people from their homes, the Bishop of St Asaph said yesterday.
Bishop Gregory Cameron called for a community response to the disaster in the months of clearing up ahead. He also issued an appeal via Facebook for people to pray for St Asaph.
He said:
“The city is in this together and we need to respond together and galvanise the best of human nature.
“What has amazed me so far is the resilience of folk and the number of volunteers who have rallied around – members of my own clergy, first aiders and the Red Cross.
“There has been a real spirit of co-operation and it is that spirit which will carry us through the next few months. People are being cheerful and determined to get on with things.”
The Dean of St Asaph Cathedral the Very Reverend Nigel Williams and the Vicar of St Asaph the Reverend Val Rowlands are attending an emergency meeting of community leaders in St Asaph on Wednesday to plan a way ahead, including possibly setting up a flood appeal.
Church transforms wasteland to community garden
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/3/church.transforms.wasteland.to.community.garden/31159.htm
Report that free schools will be compelled to teach evolution in science lessons
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/nov/30/free-schools-teach-evolution-ministers
Abp of Westminster has described proper funding of care for the elderly as “a fundamental test of civilized society”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/elderhealth/9709508/Politicians-face-test-of-civilisation-over-elderly-care-says-Archbishop.html
Reports that the new chairman of the Charity Commission has warned charities to “stay out of politics and wean themselves off reliance on taxpayers money”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9711825/Charities-warned-to-stop-interfering-in-politics-by-new-watchdog-chief.html
Report that plans to build Britain’s “biggest place of worship” – a mosque in East London – are set to be rejected despite 25,000 letters in favour.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/protesters-scent-victory-in-fight-to-halt-newham-megamosque-8367634.html
Report of ‘anger’ as Gov’t releases phone app ‘to ease the path for couples wanting to separate’.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2240090/Anger-Coalition-releases-app-make-divorce-easier-crisis-family-break-grows.html