[NYC-L] FW: Reply from The Editor, The Sunday Times Magazine

[Jeton Ademaj]

Below is a copy of the email i received twice from the The Sunday Times 
Magazine, probably for sending my own email to 2 seperate addresses. I 
assume anyone else who wrote them will have recieved the same 
response...from who exactly, I'm not sure. The email address reads 
"Charlotte Hunt-Grubbe" but the email is signed "Robin Morgan".

I'll be reading it this Sunday, and I'll be looking for some editor's note 
disclaiming the various morphological slanders peppered into the article for 
inflammatory effect. I want to see how they square the circle of "irreverant 
journalism" versus racist slander...

J


>From: "Hunt-Grubbe, Charlotte" <charlotte.hunt-grubbe at sunday-times.co.uk>
>To: "Jeton Ademaj" <jeton at hotmail.com>
>Subject: Reply from The Editor, The Sunday Times Magazine
>Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 17:16:32 +0100
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>
>Thank you for your correspondence in reply to AA Gill's article on his 
>visit to Albania, which appeared in The Sunday Times Magazine on 23 July. 
>Yours was not the only response and we will be publishing a representative 
>sample of readers' letters in the newspaper this Sunday. In the meantime 
>let me put the article in context.
>
>
>
>The author AA Gill is widely recognised for his brand of provocative 
>journalism and irreverent humour which he applies to a wide range of 
>subjects; as a critic and as a commentator. He writes fearlessly 
>impressionistic articles and although most readers recognise and are 
>entertained by his perspective it can and does cause occasional offence to 
>some who may not be familiar with his tone.
>
>
>
>I can assure you that Albanians are not alone. Recently he wrote scathingly 
>about the English: "I don't like the English; the lumpen and louty, coarse, 
>unsubtle, beady-eyed, beefy-bummed herd. I find England and the English 
>embarrassing." We published that too.
>
>
>
>It wasn't the worst - he went on to describe the English in much more 
>disparaging terms and you can imagine some people were not amused. But most 
>were. Our readers understand in the British, a trait for critical and 
>self-deprecating humour and enjoy it enormously. It is a part of the 
>British identity that Gill himself summed up as "Most people share a joke, 
>the English aim them. The English constantly use their humour as an 
>indiscriminate bludgeon. The English teeter on the edge of not being able 
>to take anything seriously; the ability to be solemn, appropriate, 
>reflective. I do it myself."
>
>
>
>It is in this spirit that Gill visited and wrote about Albania, as he has, 
>in the past written about Wales, Germany, Scotland and other countries. 
>What most of our readers regard as broad-brushstroke British wit some see 
>as offensive - it is not intended as offence or indictment. Our readers are 
>far too sensible to assume one man's view is either the truth or the 
>reality and the reaction of the large majority is to feel encouraged to 
>find out for themselves. It provokes awareness, investigation and 
>appreciation.
>
>
>
>Naturally, one cannot visit a country and write about it and not address 
>its image or stereotypes. And since you raised concerns about Gill's 
>references to Albania's image abroad let me put that in context too. 
>Albania's emerging democracy and economy requires tourism. Last year 16,000 
>British tourists visited Albania. More will do so this year with British 
>Airways launching scheduled flights from London and the hotel 
>infrastructure growing. Albania's government seeks to encourage this 
>growth.
>
>
>
>In writing about Albania it is impossible for any writer to ignore the 
>facts - and those facts, sadly, include many negatives of which Albania and 
>its citizens and nationals working abroad, must be too well aware and it is 
>not this newspaper's practise to ignore unpalatable truths. Albania is 
>"Europe's poorest country and faces a daunting range of challenges" says 
>the British Department for International Development which has distributed 
>over £35million in overseas aid to the country.
>
>
>
>Those challenges include corruption at all levels, crime, gun and drug 
>smuggling, the trafficking of immigrants, 'sex slaves' and children. None 
>of these are Gill's assumptions but the result of investigation and 
>research by internationally recognised bodies including concerned Albanian 
>citizens.
>
>
>
>Unicef says "trafficking, forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation 
>are daily perils...." Amnesty International reports that 40% of Albanian 
>women are subjected to domestic violence and no specific legislation exists 
>to protect them. The British Foreign Office advises against travel to many 
>areas of Albania because of widespread gun ownership and crime. The US 
>State Dept advises travellers to Albania "organised criminal gangs operate 
>in all regions and corruption is pervasive. In most cases police assistance 
>or protection is limited. It lists carjacking, gun crime, serious assault 
>as serious enough to advise travellers to exercise extreme caution.
>
>
>
>A senior Albanian academic who worked in government in Tirana has 
>researched and referenced "the political class in Albania is generally of 
>low quality and often involved in corruption and crime". The Centre For 
>European Migration and Ethnic Studies has reported "the Albanian Mafia is 
>considered the most powerful [criminal] organisation operating in Italy and 
>that Albanians were responsible for all heroin smuggling into Switzerland 
>and for drug trafficking into Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland and 
>Belgium.
>
>
>
>Even Mjaft, an Albanian organisation that seeks to promote and foster 
>international appreciation of the country, listed the following information 
>on its website; 9,000 Albanian children trafficked for prostitution (Save 
>The Children, 2001); 250,000 weapons in circulation (UN 2003).
>
>
>
>That Albania is working with the international community to change this 
>climate and the perceptions it enforces does not negate the very serious 
>issues that confront the country and those that would seek to use it as a 
>hub for international crime, money laundering, people smuggling.
>
>
>
>In this climate it is understandable that hard-working, educated, 
>God-fearing and responsible Albanians are acutely sensitive to any 
>criticism of their country and fear being stigmatised and stereotyped. I 
>can only apologise if you are one of those who felt that The Sunday Times 
>Magazine was attempting to discredit a nation. It was not.
>
>
>
>Perhaps attempting to contextualise and illustrate a country and the 
>challenges it faces while emerging from decades of oppression, by employing 
>a writer renowned for his acerbic wit and his observations, is a useful 
>step in increasing international appreciation of Albania's problems.
>
>
>
>
>
>Yours sincerely
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Robin Morgan
>
>Editor
>
>The Sunday Times Magazine
>
>The Newspaper Marketing Agency:  Opening Up Newspapers:
>
>www.nmauk.co.uk
>
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