The English edition of the new Charlie Hebdo hits the shelves this morning. Here are the places where you might be able to pick up a copy, if you get there before it sells out.
The French Bookshop – 28 Bute Street, South Kensington
JL News kiosk – Golders Green, next to the tube station
Good News – 23 Berwick Street, Soho
Forge Newsagents – 2 Church St, Cheltenham
St Pancreas Eurostar Terminal – If you can’t find it at the station, it’s only two and a half hours to Paris
Only 2000 copies are coming to the UK, you better be quick…
Just about every media publication in the country ran the seemingly irresistible story this morning that people on “prophet-eering” on the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo. According to the Independent, Mail, Telegraph, Express and the BBC sellers are flogging copies of the satirical magazine for insane prices on eBay. Unsurprisingly a cursory glance at the online auction site reveals things aren’t quite what they seem: half of the highest bids are from buyers with zero feedback, while others buyers are the top bidder on multiple identical items, strongly indicating that the bids and inflated prices are not genuine.
As with every other “topical item selling for a crazy amount on eBay” story, something smells fishy about this one. Indeed, most of the sellers admit they don’t yet even have the magazine themselves. Even TechnoGuido’s mum knows not to trust an eBay seller with zero feedback…
This image is a screengrab from last night’s News at Ten. The BBC web page explaining their editorial guidelines on the issue has mysteriously disappeared today. A very big Mo-ment for free speech…
It seems Dimbleby was still reading from the now ancient text on Question Time after the image went out last night:
“The prophet Mohammed must not be represented in any shape or form.”
Guido has contacted the BBC press office to see if they have had any complaints or threats…
UPDATE: BBC confirms the change in policy:
“This guidance is old, out of date and does not reflect the BBC’s long-standing position that programme makers have freedom to exercise their editorial judgement with the Editorial Policy team available to provide advice around sensitive issues on a case by case basis. The guidance is currently being revised.”
They had no complaints.