Introduction
Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand (Booksellers) is a membership organisation for all types of booksellers in Aotearoa NZ. Our mission is to advocate for, support, represent, promote and celebrate booksellers, and our vision is to have the commercial, cultural and community importance of bookshops recognised by consumers, publishers, authors, the wider book trade, the government and the media.
Given the heightened political landscape and the polarised views of many in society, it can be challenging for membership organisations – which, by necessity, represent a multiplicity of types of businesses in membership – to deal with requests to comment or opine on current issues. The remit of Booksellers is very clear: we are here to support and celebrate bookselling in its entirety. We are not authorised, or always qualified, to comment on matters beyond our remit. These guidelines seek to clarify the situations in which we will and will not comment.
In short, we only comment on issues congruent with our wider mission. This allows us to focus our responses, to engage only where we are informed and can make a difference, and to protect our members’ freedom of expression.
- Scope
This policy document applies to comments, statements and information shared on communications channels and social media accounts owned by Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand. It does not apply to information that staff, volunteer officeholders (directors) or representatives share on personal accounts.
- Advocacy and Campaigning
We represent the collective interests of our members: we speak out publicly on issues that affect the rights and interests of bookshops and booksellers, where it is likely that there would be majority consensus from within our membership, and/or where a collective voice is required to gain political traction.
With nearly 100 corporate members, Booksellers includes booksellers from every background, working at every career stage, and who are driven by a full spectrum of experience and opinion. Booksellers must therefore tread a fine line when considering whether to comment. If issues arise over which our membership would be divided, we would be unlikely to comment publicly as we are mandated to represent the collective voice of our membership. We can make the most difference, and we are most informed, in our focused and prioritised areas of specialism.
- General Political Issues
We are sometimes invited to comment publicly, or to release statements, on issues of a more general political nature, not directly or primarily related to bookselling. Booksellers is a membership organisation for booksellers: we do not comment on party politics or geopolitical situations.
- Key Guidelines
When assessing any request to comment publicly, release a statement or share information, we consider a number of different factors including (but not limited to):
- Mission: how the issue or challenge fits with our mission of empowering booksellers and their bookshops.
- Knowledge and influence: whether we know enough to comment, and whether a comment or statement from us can influence the issue or challenge.
- Impact: what the impact or outcome of a public statement would be.
- Representation: whether our membership as a whole would be broadly in agreement on the issue or challenge, and with the wording of any statement.
- Opportunity: whether members would benefit from a statement raising awareness of an issue.
- Focus: whether it would be better to intervene privately and directly on behalf of a member.
- Remit: whether another organisation or individual is better placed to comment or if a statement might have greater impact if made in partnership with other organisations.
- Capacity: how much staff capacity we have and the extent to which work on the issue would take away from core work.
- Timing: whether we can respond in a meaningful timeframe.
- Risks: whether a statement or comment risks making the situation worse or provoke hate. We also need to consider any legal and reputational risks of releasing a statement or comment.
- Impact on members: whether our comment threatens our members’ rights to comment freely on any issue.
- Reputation or endorsement: whether a statement from Booksellers would unintentionally endorse an opinion, product or service.
- Precedent: whether releasing a seemingly uncontentious statement or comment in one case would create an expectation that we would comment on all such cases in the future.
We consider all requests thoughtfully and will always enter into private dialogue and provide a clear and reasoned explanation of our decision-making process and position to any member who asks us. We will not enter into public debate on our reasons for responding, or not, on any issue. We also acknowledge that there may be occasions where an issue transcends bookselling, but enough member consensus exists for us to legitimately express a collective view. We will never stand in the way of individual Booksellers members exercising their own freedom of expression.
- Booksellers Online Networks
In addition to the guidelines above on how and when Booksellers itself will comment on issues, a central value of Booksellers is community. In fostering and facilitating community, we encourage our members so be respectful of others and their differing views if they share their professional experiences, both positive and negative, and to broaden discussion, support each other, and network with fellow members in our private online spaces.
Community Guidelines – Terms of Reference
Our Online Networks (Facebook & WhatsApp) are spaces for booksellers who are members of the Booksellers Association to come together to share ideas, offer mutual support, provide professional development and networking opportunities, and feel part of the wider bookselling community.
They are groups for working booksellers. The only way we will know if someone has left bookselling is if that individual – or their employer – let us know so we can remove them from the group. If someone becomes a bookseller again in the future, they are very welcome to re-join the group.
Please kindly follow the group rules as stated below.
1. Be kind and courteous
We’re all in this together to create a welcoming environment. Let’s treat everyone with respect. Healthy debates are natural. We understand that at times we may not agree with one another but understand how and what we communicate might impact others positively but also negatively. Kindness is required.
2. No hate speech or bullying
Make sure that everyone feels safe. Bullying of any kind isn’t allowed, and degrading comments about things such as race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated.
3. Respect everyone’s privacy
Being part of this group requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make groups great but may also be sensitive and private. What’s shared in the group should stay in the group.
4. No inappropriate commercial activity
We recognise that occasionally you may want to promote something your business sells/offers. Please keep posts about this to a minimum – the group is not for selling to booksellers, but rather for sharing advice, encouragement and support between bookselling businesses.
5. Respect competition rules
As a trade association, we take competition compliance seriously. Whilst discussions can cover matters of interest to our industry, we cannot discuss or exchange sensitive commercial information in this group. If at any time you think discussions may be in breach of competition rules, please feel free to report the post/comment. We may have to remove any posts or comments that are in breach of competition rules.
ENDS