Thinking Anglicans

Observer responds to complaint

Updated Monday afternoon

Recently the Observer Sunday newspaper published some editorial comment.

The Stand Firm website took exception to it.

Today, Stephen Pritchard, the Reader’s Editor of the Observer responds at length. See The Readers’ Editor on… what did the Nigerian bishop really say about gay men?

A journalist’s retraction of quotes he attributed to the Rt Rev Isaac Orama has done nothing to clarify a confused situation…

Update

This does not satisfy the author of the original complaint (who also does not understand that The Observer is a separate newspaper title from The Guardian).

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Bill Dilworth
Bill Dilworth
14 years ago

The Nigerian reporter’s retraction/recantation certainly sounds odd. I’d be willing to bet that what happened is that he reported something that the good bishop thought was off the record.

Counterlight
14 years ago

I’m waiting for the Bishop to repudiate the violent homophobia in the reported remarks. I have not seen that yet.

It seems to me that there is no shortage of similar statements by other African bishops, including many by ++Akinola himself.

Merseymike
Merseymike
14 years ago

In other words, he said it, and now those who reported it more widely are being leant on. Typical of Nigeria and its corrupt and bigoted ‘church’

Jim Naughton
14 years ago

I think this is pretty hazy stuff, but it is very unusual for a retraction to come from an individual reporter rather than from the news agency. That, to me, is why some doubt lingers here.

Bill Dilworth
Bill Dilworth
14 years ago

“I think this is pretty hazy stuff, but it is very unusual for a retraction to come from an individual reporter rather than from the news agency. That, to me, is why some doubt lingers here.” Not only that, but the fervent declaration that his work as a journalist is not informing the public of the truth, but “the evangelisation of the gospel through this medium.” And, of course, the complete lack of explanation of where the quote attributed to the bishop came from. It appears that the original report was deemed not conducive to the Church of Nigeria’s “gospel”… Read more »

JPM
JPM
14 years ago

The good bishop probably thought that his words would only be reported in Nigeria, where calling for the murders of gays and lesbians is apparently not considered a bad thing.

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