Hannah Bayman, a BBC journalist, well known to longstanding BBBC readers, has her own blog at bayman.blogspot.com. Hannah’s posts are usually quite banal, but yesterday’s post, reproduced here in full, offers an interesting glimpse into the thoughts and objectivity of a doubtless up and coming BBC journalist:
Only hours to go before the Land of the Free starts to vote and I already have butterflies in my stomach.
My mother emigrated from the US to Britain in 1966 when she was 21, after falling in love with Harold Wilson and The Beatles. My brother and I are both joint passport holders and the three of us registered to vote for the first time especially for this election.
I registered at my uncle’s house in Philadelphia, PA, and have since found out that Pennyslvania is one of the key three swing states, with Ohio and Florida.
But who knows if the vote I posted for Kerry and Edwards last week will even be counted.
Another close family member has voted for Nader. With most polls I’ve seen so far putting Bush 49%, Kerry 48% and Nader at 1%, I’m struggling to see this as anything but a vote for Bush.
Yeah, yeah, Kerry and Bush are both baddies if you’re a left-wing purist, but they are the only two horses in the race.
There is only one question in this election: do you want Bush in or out of the White House?
Let’s hope the US chooses a candidate who stands for international relationships, abortion rights, medical research, secular values and taxes on the richest…
…instead of a warmongering, oil-grubbing, vote-rigging, drink-driving – haven’t you seen Fahrenheit 9/11? – weapons-of-mass-destruction-buying, Kyoto-smashing, bible-bashing, chimp.
Fingers crossed polling is fair as possible. If, as predicted, there is not enough time for everyone to vote in some precincts, or many find themselves wrongly barred from voting lists, there could be serious unrest.
So who are you rooting for? Or if you have a vote, which way is it going?
I wonder how typical Hannah’s opinion of George Bush (“a warmongering, oil-grubbing, vote-rigging, drink-driving – haven’t you seen Fahrenheit 9/11? – weapons-of-mass-destruction-buying, Kyoto-smashing, bible-bashing, chimp”) is among BBC journalists? And given Hannah’s opinion of Bush, is it appropriate for her (or anyone with similar views) to report on anything to do with Bush or matters relating to the US or US policy without at least declaring their opinion up front? Can one hold such strong views and yet remain impartial and objective?
Moreover, given that Hannah was born (if I recall correctly from her past comments here), brought up and educated in Britain and continues to live and pay taxes here, it surprises me that she feels it appropriate to cast a vote in the US election, even if it is legal for her to do so under US law (if the situation were reversed I don’t think she could legally vote in the UK) – and I doubt very much that Hannah will desist from voting in the next UK general election either.
Remember, to paraphrase Rageh Omaar, it’s not your BBC, it’s their BBC!
Update: A couple of excerpts from Hannah’s follow-up posts, first, this charming effort:
So it is all about Ohio, the third of the swing states. NBC and Fox have already called Ohio for the chimp, but I think I will wait for my colleagues at BBC News Online (remember Fahrenheit 9/11).
Ah yes, better to wait for a reliable news outlet Hannah. And the tear-jerking:
I was woken first thing by two pessimistic texts from a colleague working the early shift at BBC Telly Centre, saying it would take a miracle for a Kerry victory
Oh to have a fly-on-the-wall webcam inside the BBC’s Newsrooms this morning!
P.S. While we’re on the subject of leftie journalists, if you will indulge me a little, congratulations must go to The Guardian for their splendid Operation Clark County – in 2000, according to The Grauniad, the good people of Clark County voted for Al Gore by a margin of 1% (~324 votes). Following the combined letter-writing efforts of Guardian readers I’m pleased to report that Clark County voted for Bush this time, by a margin of 2.4% (1,622 votes, by my reckoning). To paraphrase another newspaper in another election, it was The Guardian wot won it!
“I do think that it might interest Bush-supporters in the USA to know that every single BBC reporter looks like they have just swallowed a wasp.”
That man is a genius.
Andrew, Just paid a visit to poor Hannah, thought she might need a bit of cheering up, apparently she’s suffering from a severe case of chimpotitis. Funny to see your post just as i was coming from there., 🙂
Mid-morning and 5 Live has switched from the election to a discussion on fireworks.
“Election? What election? Move along now, nothing to see here …”
“Election? What election? Move along now, nothing to see here …” I feel like that to be honest. I’m sure Ohio will drag this whole thing out for days on end just like Florida did last time. Zzzz…
The fireworks have gone and now 5 Live is onto Arsenal and their record in Europe. For the Love of God, I’m an Arsenal season ticket holder, was at the Panathinaikos game last night not even I want to listen to that!
Election? What election?
Wow. I didn’t think anyone was reading my bloggette apart from mates and overseas relatives, so this is exciting stuff.
In answer to your question, as a US citizen I am entitled to vote, living overseas or not… especially as the US President seems to be deciding British foreign policy… 😉
On another note, it is good to see the electoral college vote is likely to be the same as the popular vote this time. That has got to be good for democracy.
P.S. And alas my views on Bush are not terribly strong. I think you’ll find most of the world was hoping he didn’t win.
Ms Bayman
You ought to check the summary of dave Kopel’s classic 59 Deceits in Fahrenheit 911.
Click to access 59Deceits.pdf
Journalists ought to try to be objective. [Next sentence deleted]
I hope the election result chokes you. Bush has won the Presidency again, plus control in both chambers on The Hill – plus the biggest popular vote ever and a clear public majority. Seethe and whine, seethe and whine.
Edited By Siteowner
Well hello and welcome, Hannah. Just a couple of points:
No problem at all with me regarding your vote. All anyone can ask is that you play by the rules. You have.
Unfortuntely, ‘the rest of the world’ doesn’t count. Only your views and those of your fellows citizens are relevent. Would you and your employer have highlighted the supposed ‘fact’ that ‘the rest of the world’ wanted a Bush win, if indeed that was the case? I don’t await your answer.
Finally, you’ve been outed as a partisan. And a rude one at that. Repeated referrals to POTUS as a ‘chimp’ isn’t all that dignified from a BBC reporter/journalist/whatever. Can we expect your resignation from this ‘impartial’ organisation?
While you’re at it, do let Matt Frei know that he is without credibility and should also resign.
Must go now, I have a BUSHWON4MOREYEARS!!! party to arrange.
You’re right, the views of the rest of the world don’t count. And as I said, it is a good thing for democracy that the man who won the popular vote will also win the White House. That’s Bush.
On another note… surely it is okay for overseas citizens to vote in the US elections as long as it is okay for non-license-fee-paying Americans to moan and rant about the Beeb…? 😉
peace
And another thang… it wasn’t me who branded Bush a chimp. It was out there on a million websites.
My views on the Pres are the norm rather than the exception, I’m afraid.
Ms Bayman
Your views on the president are NOT “the norm” in America. Just look at the election results – in spite of an overwhelmingly liberal mainstream media.
And I bet you don’t check out the 59 Michael Moore Deceits. It wouldn’t suit your brand of bigotry. Even Kerry recommends a touch of nuance.
off topic
have your say
US presidential election: Your views
http://news.
bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3974095.stm
mourning place for kerry supporter.
Did I just see “liberal mainstream media” and “America” in the same sentence? Let’s keep this discussion grounded in some semblance of reality please…
I don’t get it – I’m a bigot for supporting Kerry not Bush?
And I meant the norm among Kerry supporters/British people/the world…
Hannah
As I said, if you play by the voting rules then fair enough. And you did.
surely it is okay for overseas citizens to vote in the US elections as long as it is okay for non-license-fee-paying Americans to moan and rant about the Beeb…? 😉
What about non-licence-fee-paying Britons ? 😉
“My views on the Pres are the norm rather than the exception, I’m afraid.”
If that’s true, how much of it is because of the distorted coverage provided by journalists who share your opinion?
I almost forgot – so what if others first started calling POTUS a chimp? You have kept it up. That’s fine normally but you report for the BBC. Does this non-licence-fee-paying Briton I have to point out that extortion-funded BBC employees really shouldn’t insult him in public?
[sentence deleted]
Edited By Siteowner
Hannah,
While we don’t directly pay the BBC license fee, we do pay for cable which supports C-SPAN and many of us donate to PBS (yes, donate…quite a concept, eh?) which carry BBC programming. I have no doubt that they directly pay for Beeb programming.
I’m old enough to recall a time when the Beeb was impartial and had world respect because of that. These days it has a severe political slant.
I’m enjoy “Are You Being Served” but I don’t feel well served by BBC “news” programs.
Pete: So journalists aren’t entitled to have any opinions away from their work? What tosh.
redken:
Who said that? Hannah and redken – stop putting words into my mouth. In private Hannah is entitled to her views as much as anyone. The point is she has gone public on them. Now can I get back to planning my BUSH VICTORIOUS party? Needless to say, you’re both invited. I’ll order in some cyanide shots for you.
So let me just check with everyone here… because I write local BBC News Online and Ceefax pages (including the inshore waters forecast for Portland and the Isle of Wight), I am now barred from:
a) blogging
b) voting
b) telling people how I have voted.
I just need to get it straight. Thanks guys.
Now, haven’t you just won an election? Haven’t you got some champagne to pop and ladies to dance with instead of moaning at me all morning?
“Needless to say, you’re both invited. I’ll order in some cyanide shots for you.” Are you going to polish your jackboots especially?
Hannah
It is better to be thought an idiot and stay silent than speak up and remove all doubt — Mark Twain
If I’m an idiot for voting Kerry not Bush, then so are almost 50% of Americans.
Who care’s about Hannah, the BBC can die soon enough. We’ve won an important battle and the war on coercion funded media is going our way.
Celebrate the Bush win! Commiserate the lack of political diversity within the BBC. Anyway BBCs loss, our win!
The more I hear from Ming Campbell, the more his smarmy claptrap gets on my pip. He was just on Radio 5 live saying that Bush would do better saying the things that Kerry was saying. Oh dear Ming, the American people begged to differ!
Ms Bayman
You have also reported on political issues. Tha’s the beef. Don’t make out you are just some kind of local court reporter.
But your bias is just more openly expressed.
Poor Ming Cambell, he must have had a rough night. I just saw him on ITN – his poppy looked in a dreadful state as well.
Hannah,
Now that you have publicly declared your political allegiances, will your blog remain listed as an Independent in the Political Blog Directory?
http://tinyurl.com/42jpo
redken – typical comment in keeping with you and your kind. Because I demand that the self-proclaimed ‘impartial’ BBC actually becomes impartial, I must be a knuckle-scraping, jackboot-wearing Nazi.
Just why do you hang around here, by the way?
Hannah, truce called from me. Even I can dish out stick to a lone target for only so long. I do hope even 1% of what has come your way today has sunk in. Out there beyond the borders of the sophisticated, nuanced, elite land of liberals there are people who *shock* don’t agree with you or your extortion-funded employer.
cont’d …
I’ll just end it with a note to others to check out the list of links on your website:
Indymedia
Al Jazeera
Michael Moore
Antiwar.com
And thanks for the tip that you compile for local BBC News Online 😉
And when I read on Ceefax that Portland and the Isle of Wight are submerged beneath the seas and that its all BUSHITLER’S fault, I’ll know who to credit;)
Hannah –
I think your posts betray just the sort of arrogance and blinkered, insular view of the world, that makes so many here distrustful of the BBC.
First of all, it is completely wrong to say that if the electoral college vote matches the popular vote that is “good for democracy”. As far as I know, the only country in the world that has a completely nationwide PR system is Israel – not your favourite example I expect. Democracies generally decide on constitutional arrangements that allow for a divergence between constituency votes and the popular votes. The reason usually is they don’t want a particular part of country to dominate thorugh weight of population.
(…continued)
David
Second – it is a sad reflection on you that you – a journalist – refer to the leader of the second largest democracy in the world as a chimp.
Third the “rest of the world” is made up chiefly of Chinese (1.2 billion) and Indians (1 billion)not Guardian reading lefties. Do we really know how they would vote if exposed to the Kerry/Bush debates?
David
Pete: “typical comment in keeping with you and your kind.”
What is my kind, being that you don’t know who I am, what political persuasion I have, or indeed anything about me?
“Because I demand that the self-proclaimed ‘impartial’ BBC actually becomes impartial, I must be a knuckle-scraping, jackboot-wearing Nazi.”
No, it’s because you offered me a “cyanide shot” and you think that anyone who doesn’t share your rather strange ‘world view’ is either a commie or a BBC employee!
“Just why do you hang around here, by the way?”
Because I can, it’s called the public domain, my friend.
Some men you just can’t reach. theghostofREDKEN, your consistent left-wing views are a clue as to what you are about politically.
I offered you a cyanide shot (is humour lost on each and every one of you?) as you are no doubt feeling down that Bush has won.
Link to one, just one comment of mine referring to you or anyone else here as a commie. If you manage that I will go out this very day and buy a tv licence.
cont’d …
Is this a public domain? I’m not so sure. Its my understanding that websites are usually private property. This allows the owner to ban visitors or moderate comments. If natalie Solent is around she may be able to give us the low down. At least you can have your say though, unlike a certain site paid for via extortion!
I simply asked why you come here as you seem out of place. This place is for those who wish to change the BBC (in my case abolish it). You seem to want to keep the status quo and take an enjoyment out of trolling to this effect.
Of course I’m not telling you to sod off. As a libertarian I absolutely defend your right to be here and have your say (and to turn down my offer of a cyanide shot). I am just honestly curious what the pleasure is.
Now we have Malcolm Rifkind on the radio whining about the next four years. Why do the BBC wheel him out so often? Could it be because he opposed the Iraq war so strongly?
I don’t mind the BBC having some ‘foaming at the mouth lefties’ working for them. My problem is that they ALL seem to be FATMLs.
I thought that the BBC was supposed to espouse diversity. So why have we been served up a boring liberal talking points monologue throughout the campaign?
Is it any wonder that most Britons are vehemently anti-Bush when almost 100% of their media diet is anti-Bush? (you are what you eat).
Left wing journalism , left wing documentries (power of nightmares + almost every political program on BBC4), left wing ‘satire’ (like Rich Halls elecion special) and left wing cultural programming are all OK – but I’d quite like to hear the other side every now and then, otherwise you kinda get the feeling that they’re trying to brainwash their audience.
Blimmin’ heck. The view of Bush as a daft chimp is prevalent even among right-wing Brits… The last UK opinion poll that asked people to say their preferred president went something like K 60 / B 15 / dunno or they’re both ghastly 25.
I’m not totally comfortable likening a politician to a monkey, chiefly because it’s the kind of language vile rightwingers use to demonise minority groups. But suggesting that BBC workers shouldn’t join the rest of the country (and indeed, the rest of the world outside the central and southern bits of the USA) in lamenting GWB’s victory is sheer lunacy.
With no apologies to Roger Miller:
Guardian swing like a pendulum do
Springfield, New Carlisle
vote against you
Bethel, South Charleston,
and old South Vien’–
The rosy red cheeks
of the old Guardian.
Well, if nobody wants to stick up for Hannah, I’m prepared to. Her summary of Bush was just about right, except she left out LYING. I’ve absolutely never heard of her, but I’m sure she’s lovely.
Erm…
As much as I resent bias in the Beeb’s news coverage, Hannah’s blog has no official sanction from the BBC. It seems to me that anyone can keep a personal blog and expresses a personal opinion, especially if the license fee isn’t paying for it, as it appears not to be.
Who cares how she makes her money. Would you like your employer to fire you because of your personal beliefs? Should an employer be able to do so (whether you, personally, believe in the same things or not)?
Although it could be a good indicator of personal tastes among BBC reporters, her uncharitable remarks about Bush have nothing to do with how our license fee pays her salary.
As for the Beeb ever having been unbiased…I know a few Iranians who blame the World Service for making the Islamic Revolution possible. So how long ago was the Beeb ever impartial?
James: What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. Why does Kilroy-Silk not have a job with the BBC [deleted]? K-S was just expressing his “private views” when he ran afoul of the Beeb’s thought police.
“All are equal, but some are more equal than others” seems to be the BBC’s guiding motto.
Edited By Siteowner
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks; gracious writing from BBC online:-
“This election has been bitter and divisive.
Many Democrats are horrified by the idea of a second Bush term. This wasn’t the victory they had hoped for.
But many here are still determined not to accept defeat.”
Was I alone in noticing that John Humphrys’ doom laden delivery of the headlines at 7 am on TODAY contained the phrase that “.. it is feared that John Kerry would be unable to carry enough swing states..”. The choice of words indicated at least a subliminal view that a Bush victory was undesirable. Fair enough point of view but not from a state funded broadcaster.
Susan,
I understand where you are coming from, but I don’t think it is quite the same (although I think Kilroy-Silk’s firing was wrong). Can’t quite put my finger on it, but it feels different to me.
Justin,
I thought the exact same thing when I heard Humphrys. He sounded like someone had stolen the front tire to his bicycle.
Funereal tones on Radio 5 live as we hear that Kerry is about now phoning Bush to concede defeat. Poor old presenters, it just didn’t go their way.
Matt Frei surfaces in the studio on BBC News 24. I’m afraid its my duty to report he can barely lift his chin from the desk. What joy.
Wasn’t the institutional hostility of the Beeb to GWB noted at the 2000 election – I think it was Stephen Sackur who referred to Bush as “a hollow man” resulting in a refusal by Bush to speak to them on occasions. Plus ca change.
“I offered you a cyanide shot (is humour lost on each and every one of you?) as you are no doubt feeling down that Bush has won.”
Have I joined a cult? I wasn’t aware that that I had lost my autonomy and joined some group without realising. I’m not down about Bush winning as both candidates were uniquely terrible in their own way.
“Link to one, just one comment of mine referring to you or anyone else here as a commie. If you manage that I will go out this very day and buy a tv licence.”
I can’t really be bothered, and don’t buy a TV licence if you don’t want to, go to court instead. I’m sure any reasonably minded judge will be swayed by your notions of Islamofacists, evil Lefties and impending doom • all caused by the beeb!