The trouble with BBC bias lies not in finding it, but rather in avoiding it. Take the Today programme – please. I listened to it this morning for just twenty minutes from 7.05 t0 7.25 and was astounded by the series of propagandist items masquerading as news.
First up we had Islam, a BBC favourite. This time round we were treated to someone from the Muslim Council of Britain explaining how very important it was for government to fund a new board of Muslim thinkers, whilst not interfering with what they preach them in any way. But we can relax since these would be “moderate” Islamic preachers. Sure. No tough questions were asked of the MCB, as ever.
Next up we had the Government’s panic-driven decision to abandon its’ own already completely discredited fiscal rules served up to us as a necessary “relaxation” as we approach a new economic cycle. Gordon will have appreciated that one.
This was followed by an attack on the US exam marking company EDS. The BBC has been to the fore in the onslaught against this Aamerican organisation and its apparent failure to deliver results in a timely and accurate manner. At no point does the BBC see fit to examine the role of those in government who awarded the contract to EDS, how could it when it was so busy demonising the US outfit?
Next up, Nelson Mandela’s birthday. Yes, I thought we had got that one out of the way the other week when Saint Nelson moved amongst us but today is his official birthday and the BBC were keen to mark it. After this twenty minutes, I turned off.
Jon,
I’d like to register a complaint on behalf of farmers everywhere.
But it’s probably true….
The BBC called it a “Golden Rule” when it was introduced and a “Fiscal Rule” when it went tits up for Brown.
How come no mention of the term “Golden Rule” now?
Jon | 18.07.08 – 8:36 pm | #
“And the BBc can’t see why this is so silly.”
What are you basing that on – are you expecting them to right “this is really silly” in the article?
*write rather than right of course… (for the record, I’m not a farmer)
MisterMinit | 19.07.08 – 8:08 pm |
No I would expect them to state how trivial this is – and that an apology is all that was needed. Little incidents like this are taken all out of proportion. Smoking in a pub is now seen as a serious crime, and I call that ridiculous.
Jon – you’d seriously want the BBC to pass an opinion like that!?!
Wouldn’t come under the banner of reporting, would it?
So what actual changes would you make to the article then? What words would you add?
“Welsh Culture Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas has resigned after trivial claims he walked in to a pub holding a lit cigar.”
How about…
“Opposition leader and Welsh Conservative AM Nick Bourne said Mr Thomas’ resignation was “regrettable”. However what he should have said was that this is all trivial and only and apology is required“
MisterMinit | 20.07.08 – 12:58 pm
Point taken.
MisterMinit | 20.07.08 – 12:58 pm
A subtle way of making the point without directly editorializing would have been to juxtapose a fact box listing other recent resignations of connected to Welsh politics.
Something like:
Former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain – who resigned when the Police launched an investigation into the setting up of a bogus think tank seemingly designed to channel unreported campaign contributions….
Former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies – who resigned after lying to the Police about his alleged gay cruising activities on Clapham Common with a Rastafarian car thief.
That would have given the ‘context’ for this comparatively trivial offence.