on our earlier coverage of Newsnight, (here, here, here and here, for example) Peter Barron’s mention of Biased BBC can also be seen online in How green should we be? on the BBC Editors blog. Further to the excerpt quoted by Natalie, Mr. Barron goes on to say:
But if Newsnight stands for anything it should certainly stand against group-think, so while the broad thrust of our coverage accepts the orthodox view, we are also open to dissenting opinions. Indeed, Justin Rowlatt’s latest film looks at how the production of food may be doing more damage to the environment than burning fossil fuels.
In this I tend to agree with him – Newsnight is indeed better than most BBC News programmes at covering current affairs from different viewpoints, in contrast to the strict dumbed-down political correctness of the main BBC News bulletins and BBC News 24. That is not to say that Newsnight is anywhere near perfect (see below!), but it’s certainly one of my favourite BBC News programmes. For those who missed it, it’s worth catching Friday’s show online for Justin Rowlatt’s film on food production – most thought provoking.
Whilst I’m handing out praise, I must also commend Andrew Neil and his teams on the Daily Politics and This Week as highlights of BBC current affairs coverage. Both are well worth viewing for Mr. Neil’s well-briefed no-nonsense approach to political interrogation (although I could do with a bit less of Diane Abbot and Michael Portillo on This Week).
P.S. Peter Barron has replied to my follow-up questions re. the Newsnight ‘cripple’ email “misjudgement” linked above. More on this later.
“But if Newsnight stands for anything it should certainly stand against group-think”
Where have you guys been? I welcome your conversion but Newsnight cannot yet claim to be standing against BBC group-think.
Bloggers and the internet have ripped huge chunks out of the Indentured Authoritarian Socialists at the BBC and NOW they claim to be against group-think.
Laughable and self-serving to the last.
Andrew writes:
“In this I tend to agree with him – Newsnight is indeed better than most BBC News programmes at covering current affairs from different viewpoints, in contrast to the strict dumbed-down political correctness of the main BBC News bulletins and BBC News 24.”
I find that one of the more remarkable statements to have appeared on this blog.
The programme that brings us ‘Ethical Man’? The right-on ramblings of Susan Watts (whose role in the Kelly affair surely deserves closer scrutiny)? The programme that regularly and repeatedly bangs the big “Green” drum with barely a missed beat?
Rowlatt’s essay, let’s not be fooled, wasn’t suggesting that the socialist driving principles behind “Green” ideas shouldn’t be applied to energy use – it was advocating their expansion to food production.
Why else did some twerp suggest (echoing the comments of Stern) that ‘Ethical Man’ should try turning vegan?
While I agree with you about Andrew Neill (and also about the juvenile twitterings of Portillo and Abbot), I think you are wholly wrong about Newsnight. In so far as it is ever heterodox, it is only so from an Indie groupthink direction.
Have to agree with GCooper here. Look at what Barron says in the quote you highlight.
“the broad thrust of our coverage accepts the orthodox view” ie man is destroying the planet via CO2 emissions
“we are also open to dissenting opinions” ie man is destroying the planet by growing food.
Yes, the whole gamete of opinions from A to B.
DHYS aficionados will know that what the BBC regards as its “main” DHYS appears at the top of the DHYS page in big type, and also has a direct link to it from the News front page.
A particularly important DHYS might hope to occupy this coveted slot for a whole day. But this last week one DHYS has been in this slot for the whole week ! It went up and straight into that slot on Monday, and here we are on Sunday and it’s still there. No prizes for guessing, of course. It’s “Climate Change – to act or not ?”
But the impartial BBC would never push a specific agenda, would it?
Would it?
Well Bryan
The BBC “abandoned the pretence of impartiality long ago”
I just get a BIT pissed off by Brillo ALWAYS going to portaloo first. BUt it is my one essential late night. Wish it was repeated.
Andrew Neill? You’re kidding. He who sneers about “British trailer trash”? He’s just another bigoted [deleted].
I never see ‘Daily Politics’ but find ‘This Week’ horribly fascinating, a sort of ‘Big Brother’s Big Mouth’ for those who think they’re high-minded. “Let’s see who’s up, and who’s down after another stormy week in the BB house…I mean Westminster, where Tony Blair has been forced to apologise to Shilpa Shetty (cont pg 94)”
The smug metro cosiness of Abbott & Portillo helps show how London-centric the show is, and how little really divides the parties.
‘Question Time’ is crap too
I think Andrew Neil is pretty good, feisty and usually does not take himself too seriously. Diane Abbott is a bit of a pain in the ass and Portillo’s smirk gets on the nerves, however.
Neil’s demolition of Ed Balls on the government’s inflation record the other week was superb. I wish more journalists did stuff like this. It is hardly difficult.
Frankly, the decision of the BBC to use Andrew Neil shows they have a bit of sense. We have not had a first class interrogator since Brian Walden stepped down from Weekend World many years ago.
I like This Week but do tend to feel it is somewhat staged. Andrew (is he gay) Neil always seems to let Diane (I’m a Blairite really) Abbott off the hook to easily and Michael (I once had a homosexual experience) Portillo all to easily allows it.