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Open thread – for comments of general Biased BBC interest
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Have you noticed how the BBC News website, when covering the murder of two prostitutes in Ipswich, sometimes (not always) prefers the phrase “sex worker”? For example, “[the latest murder]has highlighted the dangers faced by sex workers.” This is pure Guardian non-judgmental pc-speak.
Robin Hood last night, religion of peace brought the peace to the barbaric Englsh.
pounce for Prime Minister I say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6166135.stm
Ah look, the BBC painting the Syrian/Hezbollah rally in Beirut as a march against the ‘Corruption of the government’…
And they even have a HYS about it, just so that people can have a excuse to attack Israel and Americ
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=4933&&edition=1&ttl=20061210171220
new life peer
Lord Pounce of common sense
Beirut: Hezbollah today. Compare
these two reports. Which is Hezbollah friendly, Fox News or al Beeb? No prizes.
“Thousands of Hezbollah Target Lebanese Government”
http://www.foxnews.com (10 Dec.).
“In pictures: Beirut mass rally”
http://news.bbc.co.uk (10 Dec.).
‘Lone Parent’ used by ‘ordinary member of the public’ (without being preceded by it’s use by the reporter of the piece).A Mrs.Molloy.You read it here first.
Watching BBC1 news now. Had a big section where they said at least 5 times that Pinochet removed the DEMOCRATICALLY elected government.
We then went on the a report from Lebanon where the demonstrators were described as being against the PRO-WESTERN government.
The BBC, biased spin, it’s what we do.
PS how do I use bold/italics here?
To bold something, put <b> and </b> around the text. For italics, change to i instead of b.
Funny how they showed the Christian Dhimmi Hezbollah supporter and used it to give the impression Hezbollah are tolerant of non-Islamic faiths. Anyone who has read up on Hezbollah’s ideology knows their agenda extends beyond Lebanon and Israel.
The latest al Beeb ‘Have Your Say’,
no doubt organised by al Beeb’s
Islamic activists, is: ‘Are You Attending the rally or are you in Beirut? Send your photos to: yourpics@
bbc.co.uk.
Of course, al Beeb does not ask for information from the large Christian
minority in Lebanon. And if you were from this minority, would you trust
al beeb’s staff with your details?
This is how al Beeb spends our licence-payers’ money: subsidising
Hezbollah, anti-Lebanese Government
activists.
Pinochet death: Your comments
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=4954&start=0&&&edition=1&ttl=20061210192322
Add your comments, merely (as opposed to tributes, or whatever) – and exactly as predicted in various threads on this site in preceding months.
BBC predictability – it’s what they do!
Andy, Alan.
If the Beeb thought their (D)HYS would enable anti-US anti-Israel comments on their blog, then it’s misfiring.
Check out the Readers Recommended page
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&threadID=4933&edition=1&ttl=20061210201610&#paginator
You can’t fool all the people all of the time.
I expect ‘technical problems’ on the BBC’s comments page on Lebanon. I note that one of the commentators mentioned that Beirut used to be referred to as ‘the Paris of the East’. Paris is now the Beirut of the West, and don’t they just deserve that accolade – useless bunch of cowardly bast*rds right in our midst.
The death of ex-President Pinochet (“former dictator” as quoted from the BBC) who handed over power to democratic government 18 years ago (repeat, who handed over power….) will provide an indicative contrast to the lauding of Fidel Castro – the CURRENT dictator of Cuba.
The epithet ‘right-wing’ is over-used by the BBC’s incompetent, ignorant reporters but, in Pinochet’s case, it is merited. Pinochet privatised utilities, ensured that pension funds were funded, stabilised the Chilean economy and sent it on its wealthy way: then he handed over power.
Now Castro, he ……. and Cuba is now and has been for over 40 years, a totalitarian basket-case.
More pass-the-sick-bag coverage from the Beeb as Kojo’s dad moves off the UN stage…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6162695.stm
http://www.alfayed.com is based at the following address:
Harrods Ltd.
Brompton Road
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7XL
United Kingdom
On pinochet: Is he a bad man redeemed by actions that left Chile better off in the long-run, or a good man who made what could euphemistically be termed “mistakes” during his dictatorship?
I think I lean toward the former…
Zevilyn | 10.12.06 – 7:02 pm,
Yes, on the World Service the BBC triumphantly plucked that Christian Lebanese demonstrator out of thin air, it seems. I wonder why they didn’t give us a Hezbollah supporter. They also barely mentioned Hezbollah in their coverage of the demonstration.
Now why do I think that the BBC is trying to push the line that the demonstrators represent some kind of wonderful, peaceful, tolerant democratic alternative to the Lebanese government?
I must be imagining things.
MI5 recently stated that Al Quada and/or Islamic Terrorist had tried to infiltrate their organisation.
Does anyone think that they have succeced in infiltrating the BBC?
I do, and I am fairly well connected with both.
archonix
On pinochet: Is he a bad man redeemed by actions that left Chile better off in the long-run …
Ridding the world of commies makes you a good man, a very good man.
…or a good man who made what could euphemistically be termed “mistakes” during his dictatorship?
Nope, getting rid of commies is always good.
britons living abroad
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6210358.stm
note the graphic. a casual reader would come away from that thinking that the UAE had the highest about of ex-pats.
but there are 1.3 MILLION living in Australia.
you have to click through to here to find out
ttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/brits_abroad/html/default.stm
sorry messed up the link.
here it is..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/brits_abroad/html/default.stm
Do you think the boy king will get the message?
“A former aide to ex-Conservative leader William Hague has defected to the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
Toby Horton said his “tipping point” had been a recent suggestion that the modernised party should look to Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee.
Mr Hague’s former constituency chairman said: “I didn’t leave the Conservative party; the Conservative Party left me.””
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6161355.stm
Its still there!!
In depth: Muslims in Europe
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/default.stm
This seems to have been on the BBC “Europe News” page for a long time – does anyone know how long?
But do you see this anywhere?
In depth: Christians in the Middle East/b>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/default.stm
Tip: Don’t bother looking
Interesting contrast on beeb news in the reporting of the hezbollox attempted coup d’etat and the successful Pinochet one.
The current Lebanon government was democratically elected and there have been no reports that I have seen that mark it as corrupt. The demonstrators have no real grievances, simply the threat of violence in pursuit of unelected power. These are salient points not mentioned by the beeb who clearly support hez.
Allende’s Chilean government had already been outlawed by both the Chilean Parliament and the Supreme Court following its well documented constitutional crimes. 400,000 demonstrators had clear reasons for grievances. It could be argued that Pinochet took over for the sake of national peace. None of these points were made by the beeb who clearly support the marxist, criminal allende government.
In the beeb’s order of priorities, even a murdering marxist government is preferable to a benign and successful capitalist government, especially one run by a man who had had the temerity to sanitise a marxist gang.
Jion @1:13 am (11.12.06)
Sadly the answer to your question will be “no”
The beeb wants it both ways in its support of hezbollox.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6162083.stm
Sheikh Nasrallah told supporters camped in central Beirut that Lebanon needed a new government, one free from foreign influence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6166135.stm
Led by Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies, the rally is possibly the largest demonstration Beirut has seen.
My emphasis added in both quotes.
We know that the beeb “journalists” dont do research but now it appears they dont care about internal contradictions as long as they are able to support their favoured victim groups.
Gordon Bennett
The BBC is not partial towards Hizbollah and nor is it trying to have anything both ways.
In the first article the BBC reports Nasrallah’s ‘free of foreign influence’ remark – because that’s what he said.
Straight afterwards the BBC adds the factual context that Hizb itself is:
backed by Iran and Syria
That’s honest, impartial reporting.
You seem to be suggesting either that the BBC should not report what politicians say if it is lying/innaccurate/wrong (in which case there’d be precious little political news) or you have succumbed to pounce disease and are no longer able to distinguish between what a reporter is saying himself and what is attributed to others.
John Reith,
Refer to this post of mine (and the posts of others along the same lines if you care to look):
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/patrickcrozier/116561585021593760/#321255:
If you really can’t see that the BBC is putting its considerable weight squarely behind Hezbollah then you know nothing about the BBC’s creeping dhimmitude and its extraordinary submission to the will of radical Islam.
Open your eyes.
Jon | 11.12.06 – 1:30 am | #
“In depth: Christians in the Middle East”
As you said, no sign of ANYTHING. That’s why the BBC can only be regarded as biased and useless as an accurate and COMPLETE source of information on ANY MATTER.
If you want this type of info you have to go to sites like this –
http://www.aina.org/news/2006120894427.htm
Some relevant quotes –
“Palestinian Christians have a higher rate of emigration compared to Palestinian Muslims and the Christian population of the West Bank and Gaza has plunged from about 20 percent after World War II to less than 1.7 percent now.”
“In sharp contrast, Israel’s Christian community has prospered and grown by at least 270 percent since the founding of the state.”
“ Every one of the more than twenty Muslim states in the Middle East has a declining Christian population. In fact, Israel is the only state in the region in which the Christian Arab population has grown in real terms — from approximately 34,000 in 1948 to nearly 130,000 in 2005.”
Anyone who relies solely upon the BBC as a source of accurate information to help them make those important decisions is being very foolish indeed.
What’s the difference between Pinochet and Castro?
Beeboids reflexly hate one whilst reflexly lauding the other.
Today programme
The evidence shows that children brought up by a married couple will do better in many aspects of life.
It is a sign of the times that the bien pensants of the BBC are made to feel uncomfortable by this bleedin’ obvious finding.
Today
And how did a discussion of the dreadful murders of prostitutes in Suffolk turn into a critique of state benefits?
Everyone who supported Pinochet – except for the execrable Pete London, who loves killing for its own sake – should remember that the man was personally responsible for thousands of murder and “disappearances” and that he used the worst dregs of Fascist murder (anyone here ever heard of Stefano Delle Chiaie?) to hound his opponents even in exile. He “resigned” from power when his handlers in Washington DC, having realized that the time of military dictators had run out all over Latin America, twisted his arm so hard he squealed; and even so, he remained at the head of Chile’s unnecessary army (no Latin American country needs an army; their only purpose is internal) in a position to threaten any elected government. He knew he had to, because by the time he was forced out, every democratic politician in Chile, beginning with the Christian Democrats, was radically against him, and only his personal ownership of the Army’s murder apparatus supported him. He also enriched himself immensely from his position as torturer-in-chief (the secret police reported to him personally, bypassing both cabinet and army command), and it was his illegal enrichment which eventually allowed the Chilean authorities to bypass the immunity laws he had designed to cover his arse, and indict him. A murderer, a thief, a tyrant until his foreign masters forced him out, grossly corrupt, a stinking hypocrite to the end; no, there is nothing good to be said for the late torturer-in-chief of Chile, unless, as with Pete London, your definition of good includes murdering your enemies. As far as I am concerned, Fascists and military tyrants are as bad as communists. That said, it goes without saying that the BBC will not treat Communist monsters such as Castro and Kim Jong-Il as they are now (deservedly) treating General Pinocchio the Murderous Liar.
NO, if you want to commemorate an old man who recently passed away, why not go for a genuine hero? http://fpb.livejournal.com/221391.html
Fabio
You can be so hurtful.
To be fair Italians have recentish experience of facism and dictatorship hence it’s probably harder for them to be blasé about political killings than if the most totalitarian thing any government has done to you is to not quite ban fox hunting and not quite be a bit socialist.
Anyone who relies solely upon the BBC as a source of accurate information to help them make those important decisions is being very foolish indeed.
DennisTheMenace | 11.12.06 – 8:27 am,
When I turn my attention away from the BBC to some source of real, factual information, like the bit you’ve just provided, it’s like a breath of fresh air.
Reith and his crowd really expect us to believe that there no conscious, concerted, Hitlerian effort by Muslims in the Middle East to kill, expel or subjugate anyone who fits their definition of “infidel”, i.e. Christians, Jews, devotees of other faiths, agnostics, atheists, gays….
They also expect us to believe that the BBC is not propagandising for Muslims in the Middle East (and everywhere else).
Fortunately, we ain’t that stoopid.
Italians have obviously got no sense of humour either.
In fact I know them well. I lived in Rome for a couple of years and I can tell you the average Roman doesn’t care who’s in charge as long as he’s getting a slice fo the cake himself.
We’ve had plenty of our own fights with dictatorships, Italian ones as well as others, so no-one can tell us about it. But if the 20th Century taught us one thing, it’s that commies of all stripes deserve to be 6 feet under.
Bryan
Yes I read your pathetically childish comment in which you objected to the BBC interviewing a Christian demonstrator.
If you had bothered to take a look at the demonstration maybe you’d have noticed how much orange there was.
This reflected the fact that one of the main groups behind the event was General Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement.
The General himself made the last big speech.
Aoun has no need to prove his anti_syrian credentials to the likes of you • he’s spent nearly all his political life fighting to get the Syrians out of his country. His party represents the Maronite heartland of Mount Lebanon and would probably represent a good deal more if it weren’t for the 2000 electoral law • the chief bone of contention between him and the March 14 lot.
You appear to see everything in simplistic, black and white, Manichean terms. No-wonder you’re stumped when it comes to the subtleties of Lebanese politics and imagine these events are a straight Hezbollah vs. Government affair. The BBC has a duty to examine the story in all its complexity and it does so.
GB quoted the BBC as saying
“Led by Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies, the rally is possibly the largest demonstration Beirut has seen.”
Actually GB that quote came from this terrorist group 2 i/c;
“Hizbullah’s deputy secretary-general, Naim Qassem, said during his speech at the anti-government rally in Beirut, “This is the largest crowd ever to attend a demonstration in Lebanon.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3338217,00.html
At this time of year it’s always good to look back and reflect upon the past year.
By my reckoning this has been a pretty good year for BBC bias spotters.
We’ve had the new Randall and Marr quotes added to the sidebar. The BBC have also established the Editors page as they’ve sought to explain their editorial decisions.
Look at this Technorati graph of blog pages citing BBC bias. There’s around 20 posts a day with large peaks of activity in May, August and October.
http://www.technorati.com/chart/bbc%20bias?chartdays=360&language=n&authority=n
I still think that this Harry’s place post has been one of the definitive examples of BBC Bias, though it dates from 2005.
http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2005/11/14/israelipalestinian_impartiality_review.php
While I suppose the big event this year was the Guerin case where she found utter destruction in Jerusalem. For me, it’s the routine everyday biases and their accumulation that are more of note than any big event, nonethess in a spirit of goodwill:
What’s been your favourite example of BBC Bias in 2006?
Richy | 11.12.06 – 11:18 am
“By my reckoning this has been a pretty good year for BBC bias spotters.
We’ve had the new Randall and Marr quotes added to the sidebar. The BBC have also established the Editors page as they’ve sought to explain their editorial decisions.”
Yep. I reckon that just about sums up this blogs ‘achievements’ over the past twelve months.
Onward and upward, eh? Who know, next year you might discover just one genuine example of bias.
…..actually, on reflection…..the editors’ blog had nothing to do with you.
So that leaves……..er……what exactly?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6167835.stm
“Gunmen in Gaza City have shot dead the three sons of an intelligence chief linked to the Palestinian party Fatah.
One adult was also killed in the attack which took place in a street crowded with children on their way to school.
The boys’ father was named as Baha Balousheh, who led a crackdown on the now-ruling Hamas movement 10 years ago.
The BBC’s Alan Johnston in Gaza says the motive is unclear…”
Does anyone else find this funny? Alan Johnson should read the paragrpah above where his name is mentioned and the motive would be staring him in the face.
JR,
Nonetheless, I’d be interested in whether you think this has been a good year for the standards of BBC journalism. If you do, I’d be interested in “why” and what you’d count as a legitimate counterfactual.
On the 11th day of Christmas the BBC gave to me;
11 Jews a killing♪
10 ♫Muslims weeping
9 Hijab wearing ladies dancing
8 Holy cities♫
7 protesters ♪protesting
6 soldiers arrested
F-ive Alive…♫
♪4 Russians killed
3 French♪ riots
2 Racist white♫ thugs
And a Misbah with her family.
No Bias at the BBC Mr Reith. Yer having a giraffe….
John Reith:
Found any BBC staff yet who would be willing to earn £1,000 for charity by witnessing a day-long demonstation of evidence showing that The Guardian helped bring down a democratic government with a bogus story of political corruption and then covered-up to escape redress?
J B-H
I held fire for a bit so you could prove your capacity for continence.
Fat chance.