Mary’s got a short update posted at Baby Blue (timestamped 2:03, presumably Eastern?). Here’s an excerpt:
House of Bishops: News Update
One of the Network bishops just popped into the newsroom and a small group of us gathered around and he told us what has been going on inside the House of Bishops. They’ve spent the morning talking to Rowan Williams who is listening and taking notes as the American bishops speak. Gene Robinson is seated in the center of the room. Katharine Jefferts Schori and Ed Little are moderating the discussion. One of the major issues of contention by the American bishops was on the topic of “border crossing” which of course means they are complaining about the work of the Global South in providing refuge and pastoral care for the Episcopalian laity and clergy who are in crisis. Also learned that there are at least four different statements/resolutions and Schori has appointed a drafting committee that will meet over the weekend.The presence of this bishop in the news room, a sitting diocesan bishop, nearly caused the TEC staff to jump out of their skins. It was clear that the only “interviews” they want done are in the controlled area downstairs, not impromptu in the news room. The only briefings they want done are the one’s they put together. What’s not clear is how TEC can schedule a media briefing at 4:00 and then expect all the media in the 9th Ward by 4:30 p.m. for the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Do we want to go to a media briefing and learn what happened this morning in the sessions or do we want to watch the Archbishop of Canterbury do a walkabout?
“Gene Robinson is seated in the center of the room.”
How appropriate.
Thanks for this interesting update!
If the Network bishops continue to pop in for impromptu interviews, I’d opt for the walkabout 😉
I’ll take Walkabouts for $1000 Alec.
the snarkster
The Network bishops should establish a rota so that one of them is giving impromptu interviews in the newsroom at very regular intervals.
:cheese:
Excellent suggestion, Bill C. Let’s get outside the control circle erected by pecusa.
BB shows a photo of [i]Gene Robinson[/i] in the newsroom on her website. Obviously, his entrance didn’t rankle the TEC journalists, but that of a Network bishop did. I guess what we’re looking at is a media double standard, which doesn’t surprise me at all: TEC lefty bishop = OK; TEC righty bishop = Not OK. What proves my point is that even BB didn’t want to post a photo of (or otherwise identify) the brave Network bishop.
“Do we want to go to a media briefing and learn what happened this morning in the sessions or do we want to watch the Archbishop of Canterbury do a walkabout?”
I know what I’d do if I were a commercial TV reporter.
Hands down – walkabout. And as it has proved, the ones who went on walkabout are certain to have had the best of it. Unless they prefer, ahem, conversation.