‘Call me biased and I’ll sue’?
I posted the other day about DB’s attempts to comment on Justin Webb’s blog. If you remember, Webb mentioned his comment in a post last Saturday, but it had been referred to the moderators, which made it a bit tricky for readers to know what he was on about. Anyway, as a further demonstration of their ineptitude, it seems the blog moderators have now reinstated the comment (it’s number 6), but only after emailing DB to inform him it was removed for being “defamatory”. This is, well… interesting from a legal perspective, but more so in the context of the Beeb’s accountability (which they’re dead keen on). Don’t forget the Beeb says one of the benefits of its blogs is that they help boost accountability to the audience. But not, it seems, if you want to take them to task for failing to meet their Charter commitments regarding impartiality – or in fact even if you want to remind them to do so.
The BBC doesn’t give a toss about its ‘Charter’. All it cares about is arse licking leftists and the fat politicians that feed it tax payers money.
This is astonishing.
There is nothing defamatory in DB’s post at all. Nothing that even comes close to being defamatory of Webb or the BBC.
You don’t think they thought it might have been defamatory of Barack Obama, do you?
If so, welcome to the new world of media self-censorship.
This is scary.
I’ve had posts removed by the BBC for similar things. The BBC is just full of shit. They just find an excuse to delete posts they don’t like.
That’s why boards like this are the only ones where you can talk about the BBC free from their snotty 9 year olds that do their “monitoring”.
AS I say, the BBC is just full of twats.
A long time ago I did TWO posts to the 5 live messageboards. One attacking George Bush for being an “American moron” and one for calling some Muslim hate preacher the same thing.
Guess which one the BBC rejected and which one they left up?
No prizes.
Hugh:
Makes me wonder who the moderators are? Probably work experience kids, secretaries, volunteers: the same kind of people who answer callers on phone-ins.
In an organisation like the BBC, everyone watches their butts. Hence they make decisions they think their bosses would make – I guess, that’s why, after consultation with the higher-ups, the comment has been reinstated.
However, Webb and co. don’t like criticism. When they’ve risen up the greasy pole, they get cocky and believe their own publicity. No one within the BBC ever – ever – tells them they’re wrong. Most fawn.
What they forget is that we, the people, are not subject to their whims. We are outside their power. We are the kid in the crowd who shouts “the emperors got no clothes”.
But when the arrogance of Webb, Frei, Paxman, Humphries (and in his time Robin Day) sets in, they overstretch and result is something like the recent Jonathan Ross affair.
In the BBC, when you are “in” you are ‘in” – but your star can fall fast. William Rees-Mogg described it best when he said “The BBC runs on despotism tempered by dismissal.”
Webb should remember there’s not always a pot of gold at the end of the road.
Webb and Frei should remember Russell Brand 🙂
I had a post removed a couple of days ago from Nick Robinson’s blog, purely because I suggested that on the day before Brown’s fiscal rules were about to be broken up, the day after the pound fell by a gigantic amount, and the day of yet another gigantic Asian stock market fall, he had more important things to blog about than the Tories and Europe.
The only biases I have been seeing are those of the mainstream media. They are showing their bias for the liberal illuminati on an hourly basis, and everyone allows it.
The BBC doesn’t give a toss about its ‘Charter’. All it cares about is arse licking leftists and the fat politicians that feed it tax payers money.
And Moslems. The more terrorist, the better.
Martin, you called a Muslim hate preacher an American moron? 😉
Put an intelligent comment about the financial crisis of the world, or a different analysis about Global Warming, or a new insight into the Presidential elections = Deleted.
Foul language and unfunny harrasment of elderly = broadcast.
More to the point, truly defamatory comments about Palin and her son – published; criticism of the beeb’s reporting – deleted as defamatory
Just wondering – does anyone think that Mr Webb et al BELIEVE they are neutral, and that the only true left-wingers are mass-murdering communists?
Or is it a big conspiracy of lefties sat around on soya beanbags worshiping effigies of Osama bin Laden, whilst thinking up how to rob the rich and give to the poor unwashed (but not giving up their own wealth, obviously)?
Paul Mason on his blog the other week suggested he was firmly centre-left, but it was okay because that happily coincided with the public’s position.
Hugh,
I made the point the other day that its ok to defame Palin but its not ok to question the BBC as a trustworthy source of information on the American election.
Once I removed that line of reasoning, my post was allowed through!
Devils Advocate,
Actually, as proof of Webbs “impartiality” he posted a link to a pajama media article on the election. Only problem was, it was an article giving 10 reasons why McCain will lose the election! hahahaha 🙂 He tried to pass this off as an example of how widely read he is (as it was his first blog posting for yonks where he didnt link back to Huffpo!).
The ironic thing is, Webb linked to a website that actually allows both sides of an discussion to be aired. Maybe if Al Beeb took a leaf out of their book we wouldnt cry like babies about being taxed….as much as we do now! 🙂
Regards
Mailman
Opps, here is the article Webb links to;
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/ten-reasons-why-mccain-doesnt-have-a-prayer/
FUnnily enough, here’s something you will NEVER see on Al Beeb, an article in favour of McCain;
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/ten-reasons-why-mccain-could-still-win/
(ht – its a link on the first link I put in above).
Mailman
Demanding accountability about our money, which crooks are misusing, is hardly ‘crying like babies’. Of course, a true leftie will never understand the concept of democracy, liberty and accountability to mere voters and tax-payers.
The BBC’s political bias in favour of Obama should be seen in the context of the overall political bias of the Anerican media in favour of Obama, as pointed out here by Bill O’REILLY:
“Bill O’Reilly ‘Why McCain runs behind Obama: Talking Points 10/30”
http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/index.html
Congratulations for getting under ol’ Justin’s skin, and even goading him into saying something totally idiotic and self-contradictory: blaming the Republicans for not letting Sarah Palin “be herself”.
This is really ludicrous because ever since the nomination (not counting her debut speech), Webb has been criticizing – in fact, insulting – Sarah Palin being exactly that: herself. It’s his and the BBC’s and the Left’s prejudice at work, making him go nuts. He openly engages in religious bigotry, class bigotry, and sexism, all based on his emotional reaction to her demeanor and personal background, without regard to facts or pragmatism.
Effin’ Justin even said on his blog, at the end of his coverage of her debate with Sen. Biden, that her voice “cuts glass”. That’s nothing to do with any lack of Republican confidence in her. It’s sheer mendacity on Webb’s part.
The man can’t even defend himself properly any more.