?
Well, as we approach year end, I thought it might be fun to review 2008 in terms of the worst example of BBC bias that springs to mind! I was looking back over events and I suppose the BBC’s utterly disgraceful one-sided coverage of the US Presidential election campaign stands out – with Justin Webb in particular provoking widespread criticism from this site and its readership. (He has, predictably, been promoted by the BBC as a result of his bias) Then again, we had the “Save Gordon” campaign with the BBC choosing to present our lamentable freak of a Prime Minister as if he were the saviour of the Universe. Funniest moment for me was Gordon confirming in the Commons that he had saved the world! Along the way there has been so much unbalanced left-wing bias from the BBC that it is a veritable target rich environment. So what stands out for YOU, dear reader?
That 10 oclock news moment showing Brown transformed into Superman must come as one of my favourite moments.
The BBC complete lack of comprehension about how small businesses work is another ongoing complaint.
Bit confused by the anti-Justin Webb comment. I for one celebrated when he was promoted. His pro-McCain coverage early on in the campaign made a pleasant change from the Beeb’s sickening Obama love-in.
Anyway, my stand-out moment was the pro-Russian coverage of the invasion of South Ossetia. Can’t think of any specifics, but the overall anti-Georgian tones of the reporting made me wretch. Clearly still a few commies knocking around the BBC.
Has to be the day McCain picked Sarah Palin. Within 30 minutes Justin Webb had read the vile hate site ‘The Huffington Post’ and spouted all the lies there as fact.
The day the BBC really hit rock bottom.
For me it was the decision to go after George Osborne and not Peter Mandelson over the Russian boat affair.
That showed that the BBC no longer feels it is necessary even to make a pretence of impartiality. And I think it opened a few people’s eyes.
A few? Hell, if you were to go into the canteen at Broadcasting House and start humming The Internationale, 75% of the diners would stand up, bow their heads and cry.
I would highlight their website during the Labour conference when it showed a ratio of something like 99.5% pro-Labour/anti-Tory articles to pro-Tory/anti-Labour ones.
Yet the by the time of the following Conservative party conference, their website had rediscovered a (temporary) need to balance out the number of Tory to Labour articles.
The bias was so obvious!
billybob,
Justin’s alleged “pro-McCain” coverage lasted until the Dem’s had picked their man.
I nominate the moment that started 00:00:01 on 1/1/08 and finishes 23:59:59 on 31/12/08
David,
Hmm, yes I have heard that. However, I was still chuffed that he ignored the hype over Clinton/Obama and claimed that McCain would win the election this year. He may be in the minority at the BBC, but kudos to him for claiming a Republican would win (I bet his colleagues could barely look at him without a sense of lefty disdain).
What are the chance of the next US correspondent calling the 2012 election for a Republican? None I would venture. They’ll be too in love with Obama to notice.
Huffington Post “vile hate site”.
Justin Webb indeed show his bias by using material from it but “vile hate site”? It is simply a slightly hysterical left wing polemic site whose comment contributers talk shit. Much as this site is a slightly hysterical right wing polemic site whose comment contributers talk an equal measure of excrement (yes I do include me in that group!!)
Hmm perhaps the psychotics in gaza firing rockets described as ‘rocketeers’
Also the producer of ‘don’t panic I’m Islamic’ not reporting one of those cuddly terrorists.
Hufpo IS a vile left wing hate and smear site.
Well it might well be David and I’m sure you have plenty of examples but I’ve got the feeling that by your definition ANY site that leans to the left would be “Vile” and “Hate” filled by virtue of it not leaning to the right.
(and yes this is trolling – nothing better to do before Christmas)
“Bit confused by the anti-Justin Webb comment. I for one celebrated when he was promoted.”
“Celebrated”,a very Nu Labour word for a BillyBob.Did you “celebrate” with a double latte instead of shooting up the saloon?
Melanie_filups: Bollocks!!!! It was the Huffington Post that ran the story claiming that Palin’s daughter was the mother of her youngest disabled child.
It’s a fucking hate site.
“(and yes this is trolling – nothing better to do before Christmas)”
What a poor, sad, friendless bastard
Martin | 23.12.08 – 3:41 pm |
It was the Huffington Post that ran the story claiming that Palin’s daughter was the mother of her youngest disabled child.
I thought it was the Daily Kos.
billybob 12:54
Certainly agree with you about the BBC’s coverage of the Russia / Georgia war and their lack of reporting of the “ethnic cleansing”.
One wonders just what Putin would have to do to incur the wrath of the BBC ?
May I also suggest lack of coverage of Chechnyna ?
Given a choice between their Muslim friends and their Russian friends, the Beeb will always chose the Russians. Marxists to the end !
“What a poor, sad, friendless bastard”
OHH Garden Trash you sexy bastard!! You’re turning me on now!! Say something else while I’m wanking over the Guardian Editorial and fantising about giving Gordon one up the shitter!
Fantising? I meant wallowing in ecstasy!
“…I’ve got the feeling that by your definition ANY site that leans to the left would be “Vile” and “Hate” filled by virtue of it not leaning to the right.”
That is your feeling. That does not make it the feeling of the people you are actually quoting. Some of the material posted on HuffPo was vile, and filled with irrational hatred. Contrast that with, for example, Harry’s Place which is undeniably left-wing but accepts that right-wing views do not place a person beyoind the pale.
Compare Huffington Post and DailyKos with Right wing US sites. They are far worse than The Wide Awakes, at least as bad as Moonbattery. Yet these are two of the most popular left-wing sites, not obscure backwaters like those two right-wing sites.
“Downturn” ?!
“Harry’s Place which is undeniably left-wing but accepts that right-wing views do not place a person beyond the pale.”
Good point – I like Harry’s place.
The BBC mullahs ruling that we must ignore Lord Monckton’s facts on global warming.
If you don’t agree with the “consensus,” you are condemned as a heretic, ignored or misrepresented.
This is typical of the BBC’s closed mind as well as it’s bias (same thing?) – never ever opening up to the possibility of other viewpoints.
Their overall disposition is to destroy AGW skeptics like David Bellamy or make them look silly.
Utterly ruthless.
Haha, looks like Melanie caught a few trolls from the bridge she/he/it was fishing from 🙂
Come on guys…you know you can find that funny bone at least once a year!
Mailman
ps. I with Chuffer for his moment (new years to new years eve!).
David Vance and all the contributors on this website, may I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and keep up the good work. Even you, Martin, despite being an Anglo-Saxon Twat !
This was a standout year for the BBC. For me, in no particular order (except I’ll save the best for last):
Matt Frei running up to Hillary Clinton during the Iowa caucus, sticking a microphone into her face, and getting the reply, “You’ve been very faithful to my campaign.”
Justin Webb’s overt religious bigotry re: Sarah Palin, along with the commentary of so many other Beeboids degenerating into personal insults without any discussion of actual facts. The religious bigotry on display would never have been tolerated if it was about a Muslim.
The chorus from the BBC that the US is probably too racist to elect a black man, and saying there was only one way to redeem the country in the eyes of the world. All forgotten now, of course.
The way they keep sweeping all that snow under the fake AGW rug.
All the China Love in the run-up to the Olympics, especially the hand-wringing over when the Chinese blocked the BBC website. Do they do their jobs and report the truth about China to the license fee payers, or censor themselves and consider the money they can make off the Chinese market?
The pimping for their favorite feudal lord, the Dalai Llama (except for those couple of weeks when it conflicted with their desire for Chinese cash, of course).
The BBC’s open advocacy – both domestically and on the World Service – of the political position on Mugabe that he was an African problem that may be solved only with an African solution, specifically led by South Africa, and that it was wrong for any white nation to suggest regime change.
The World Service segment trying to explain how Afghanistan is analogous to Northern Ireland, and basically all of the BBC’s efforts to get British troops out of there.
The BBC’s continued denial of any positive developments in Iraq, and condoning of any guest who comes on to say it’s an illegal war.
Stephen Nolan telling a caller complaining about BBC bias that the BBC can’t be considered biased because they let people call in to complain on air.
Katty Kay telling then-candidate Mike Huckabee – not asking or positing, but telling him – that US voters really want a candidate who is pro-abortion, wants gun control, and is pro-gay marriage, then saying, “It sounds like Rudy Giuliani.”
The BBC Narrative of the Israeli “Siege” of Gaza, nearly always covering up the fact that Egypt controls their own border, and has serious problems with it of their own. On one or two occasions, reality forced the BBC to admit it, but more than 90% of stories speak of the “Israeli blockade”, and blame all of it on Israel. No mention ever of where all that International aid cash went to, either.
The worst one, clearly, though, has to be Robert Peston. He (and by extension, the BBC) has become a second PR wing for No. 10 for a few months now, and was finally outed by Nick Robinson just a couple of weeks ago. There’s no longer any question that Peston and the BBC have become tools of the ruling Party. That’s the most dangerous of all.
“Most biased moment of the year?”
Like picking a needle from a stack of needles!
Huw Edwards’ faux seriousness, when commentating on Rememberance Sunday, with that sneering, quizzical tone of voice , peculiar to Beeboids. And talking over some of my favourite pieces of music.
‘Yachtgate’ for me. The idea that Osborne having tea on a yacht because a friend asked him to join in being more important than the EU trade minister staying with a Russian businessman…
Nah, no chance in hell that wasn’t all about the politics and nothing else.
For me it was their last letter to my address announcing they are going to ignore the law and trespass on my property because they dont beleive I cannot be a customer of theirs.
Next year might be better if I see them in court.
David Preisler 4:43
Really, you have said it all ! Spot on !
I’ve just heard it!!!
Radio Solent, today, 23/12, 3 pm news. A minute or so covering the news that the animal rights terrorists – sorry, activists, have been convicted. Then Solent gives 30 seconds to their spokesperson to justify their actions!
Yes, the relentless focus on Osborne in the coverage of the Deripaska affair was such blatant bias…..
Webb’s sustained mendacity over Sarah Palin’s ‘creationism’……
The airbrushing of inconvenient facts about Peter Hain’s campaign finances…
The airbrushing of Rezko, Ayers and any other inconvenient aspect of Obama’s past…….
The assumption, throughout the Damian Green episode, that a crime had been committed when no crime had…..
Then there are all the lies they tell about the no longer existent ‘consensus’ among scientists about agw, leading them to report a freak warm spell in Moscow, but to suppress all mention or a record chill in Siberia…..
It’s so hard to choose.
But, in the end, it has to be the total failure of the BBC’s editors across the board to recognize the nature of the global menace of Islamist ideology.
This vitiates their coverage of events from Afghanistan and Iraq to Israel to Dewsbury and the Edgware road, taking in France, the Netherlands and all points in between.
It means they simply don’t understand what the war on terror is about and have not bothered to get beyond PC reflexes in understanding the nature of Islam in the contemporary world.
This is a massive dereliction of journalistic duty and a betrayal of the licence payer.
We should depute George R to go stand outside the BBC news office with a placard bearing that Ibn Warraq quote:
What part of “Kill the Infidels” do you not understand?
Listen again to Radio Solent (if you dare), 1:57:40 in:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p001rz10/Charlie_Crocker_23_12_2008/
Not exactly bias, but my pick for worst BBC behaviour of the year would be when researcher Nasreen Suleaman found out that her contact in “Don’t Panic I’m Islamic”, Mohammed Hamid, had himself had contacts with the 21/7/2005 bombers. Her BBC bosses felt no obligation to contact the police. Hamid was later convicted of soliciting murder and other terrorism offences. David Vance’s post about the matter was here, other posts followed later.
I forgot about Greg Palast’s fraudulent report about voter fraud on Newsnight.
I put up a post about my radio namesakes, Chuffer.
Okay, so it doesn’t quite qualify beacuse it happened in December 2007, but the stink still lingers:
I nominate Newsnight’s decision to raise pettyfogging queries about some irregularities with the receipts provided by some Muslim researchers rather than pay serious heed to Policy Exchange’s investigation into extremist Islamic literature being on sale in supposedly ‘moderate’ Islamic centres.
Here’s how Private Eye summarized the issue:
Newsnight’s killer claim was that its hacks had organised forensic tests which proved that receipts Policy Exchange said it had collected from the Muslim Education Centre in High Wycombe were dubious. When Policy Exhange said that the centre was selling such titles as Women Who Deserve to go to Hell…it couldn’t be believed. The BBC stuck by the accusation even though the Muslim Education Centre cheerily told reporters that the books were indeed on sale.
Similarly Newsnight said receipts from thr Al-Muntada Al-Islami Trust in west London were suspicious. The implication was that Policy Exchange was lying when it said that the works of Sayyed Qutb, the intellectual father of al-Qaeda and every other supporter of mass murder by suicide bombings, were on sale. Policy Exchange also quoted from a guide for Muslims living in the west which recommended “jihad against the unbelievers and the hypocrites…”. A second guide said that Muslims in the west couldn’t “stand up to honour a national flag, or a national anthem”.
…At the time the Eye was going to press, the al-Muntada online bookshop was offering both guidebooks • while Sayyed Qutb was at number four in its bestseller list!
Good call David, I forgot about that. Palast really is a despicable oaf isn’t he?
Melanie,
You don’t have to be explicit,we know what you do.But perhaps you should try the Guardian Jobs pages,something in outreach should suit you.
But what is the matter with you,it’s Christmas,you should be out catching an STD.
“Come on guys…you know you can find that funny bone at least once a year!
Mailman”
I’m taking the Festive piss old chap.
billybob | 23.12.08 – 6:08 pm |
Good call David, I forgot about that. Palast really is a despicable oaf isn’t he?
Why do you say that? On what do you base your opinion?
Don’t know about billybob, but I did a post about the way Palast exulted over Ronald Reagan’s death. A search for “Palast” in this blog will give you an impression of his style.
On the plus side, Palast did out Derek Draper in the cash for access scandal.
So not all bad.
Tom: Huffington Post had it first if I remember. Wasn’t it the Kos that first ran the Troopergate lie? I remember Webb reading that out almost word for word.
Fact is the Daily Kos and Huffington Post are both vile hate sites as is moveon.org.
Natalie,
I’m well aware of Palast’s history, and current projects. Many comments about him in these pages are from me. I was asking a question directly to “billybob” about the name-calling, and what reasons he may personally have for doing so.
2008:
1. BBC Roger Harrabin being found out caving in to eco-activist pressure email.
2. Quick-thinking Tory filming stasi-police entering Damien Green’s parliamentary office.”Turn that camera off!” Why, plod?
3. Adulatory interview with Taliban by respectfully headscarved white BBC female reporter. (“Oh you’re so strong Mr Taliban, its so big, do it again…”)
4. Every word uttered by worthless Frei and Webb in the US election coverage
5. The reported 200 plus BBC staff required to cover the Glastonbury Festival. (Err man, err, like, its in the public interest…”)
6. Peking duck.
At random, any time any BBC ‘reporter’ said anything at all about Sarah Palin.
The examples described so far make for grim reading.
When such large numbers of people care deeply and BBC directors don’t, then what’s needed is a powerful counteractive force…
The BBC Trust? Little more than tail-wagging puppy dogs, not exactly renowned for their allegiance to the fee-paying public. They should either give up or go back to the drawing-board.
In my view, the only way this sorry situation will improve would be if sufficiently large numbers withhold their licence fee every time the BBC directors appear to tolerate odious behaviour in the form of bias, Ross’s offensive mouth etc.