Fair Play

The HORIZON system supplied by Fujitsu caused immeasurable harm, destroying the lives and families of Post Office employees and contractors from 1999 to today. The lack of humanity at the heart of the system is unforgivable. Our sense of fair play has been affronted. We expect steps to right these wrongs.

I recently came across a striking sculpture in Deptford Market Yard. The sculpture, Alphabet Spaghetti, caught my eye, and after sharing it on Twitter and asking for the artist’s name, I discovered that it was created by Alex Chinneck. Alex’s piece perfectly encapsulates the need for more humanity and care in our world.

Thank you, Alex Chinneck, for “Alphabet Spaghetti“. Your work is remarkable and thought-provoking.

The Post Office Scandal

The TV series Mr Bates versus The Post Office sparked significant outrage due to its well-crafted storytelling, top-notch performances, and high production quality. It shed light on a compelling narrative previously brought to attention by outlets like Computer Weekly in 2008 and subsequently explored in much greater detail by Private Eye in 2009. Other news outlets weakly followed suit across succeeding years.

It’s clear the talent pool within TV and film benefits greatly from the nurturing environment fostered by fringe theatre companies and venues. The gradual rise of future superstars through years of hard work and experiential learning often happens in those spaces. These are the spaces where people learn and hone their craft.

Yet, the fact that this TV drama has evoked such a strong public response prompts us to question why numerous news reports since 2008 didn’t garner similar reactions.

One plausible theory is the influence of the ‘culture war’, particularly within journalism and the tabloids especially.

Over the past two decades, there has been a palpable increase in negative and accusatory editorials targeting revered institutions such as the National Trust, NHS, RNLI, Teachers, and Academics. This trend has been accompanied by the propagation of dubious and often fabricated news reports, fuelling intense public and legislative reactions. Social media has also fuelled the flames. This has undeniably contributed to the generation of advertising revenue from sensational clickbait, as the battleground between print media and the Internet led to an uneasy truce.

With some perspective and time we can see through this situation.

The crux of the Post Office scandal lies in the concept of fair play. The absence of fairness in the ‘culture war’ has eroded our trust in journalism. A powerful story presented as a dramatic TV series cut through the clutter. Media proprietors and editors have shot themselves in the foot. Our trust has gone. Instead, we’ve revived our faith in the power of storytelling.