Monthly Archives: March 2009

NO DIFFERENCE?

By | |
32 Comments

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which….”

I am advised that Mark Popescu, former Editor of Daytime News at the BBC, is joining the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as Head of News at the end of this month. “I am really excited by the challenge of joining Defra and will be working with the news team to develop the department’s communications strategy across all platforms.” Mark replaces Mark Devane, who is joining the BBC Trust as Head of Communications at the start of April.” Impossible to say which was which….

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

General BBC-related comment thread.

By | |
Comments Off on General BBC-related comment thread.

Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

MISSING IN ACTION.

By | | ,
8 Comments

HI folks. If I seem quiet at the moment it is because recent events in Northern Ireland have resulted in a massive surge of traffic to my Tangled Web blog and it is taking up a lot of my time managing all of this. With the Daily Telegraph and – gasp – the BBC! – linking to my site, life is very busy. Please bear with me – I have not abandoned you!

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

“the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas”

By | |
Comments Off on “the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas”

Karl Marx’s dictum sprang to mind as I listened to tonight’s opening episode of Radio Four’s “Call Yourself A Feminist”, the first of ‘three discussions tracing the development of feminist ideas from the 1960s onwards‘.

Those ideas have over the last forty years made enormous differences to the way of life – and death – in the western world, and as such are well worth examination.

The programme, however, was not an examination, but a celebration.

Next week, Linda Bellos and Bea Campbell on feminism in the Thatcher years. I can’t imagine what that’ll be like – can you ?

More of the received view of history – William Gazy reviews the BBC News reporting of the miners strike, 25 years on.

“It was presented rather in the manner Soviet TV must have recalled the 1917 revolution – bloody, glorious, necessary and united against the forces of reaction.”

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

Gorgeous?

By | | ,
110 Comments
Something the BBC forgot to mention in its report on G. Galloway’s triumphant arrival in Gaza.

Quite fond of getting onto all fours…
“Mr. Galloway kissed the ground after crossing into Gaza.”
“I have entered Palestine many times but the most emotional of these is after the 22-day genocidal aggression against the Palestinian people,” he told reporters, referring to the Israeli offensive which ended on 18 January which Israeli said was launched in response to rocket fire from Gaza.”

Making sure they mention the genocidal aggression etc. etc., they forgot to add that Gorgeous was donating direct to Ismail Haniya, leader of Hamas

 

“We are giving you now 100 vehicles and all of their contents, and we make no apology for what I am about to say. We are giving them to the elected government of Palestine,” Galloway said at a press conference in Gaza City.

Galloway said he personally would be donating three cars and 25,000 pounds to Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya as he dared the West to try to prosecute him for aiding what it considers a terror group.

“I say now to the British and European governments, if you want to take me to court, I promise you there is no jury in all of Britain who will convict me. They will convict you.”

Galloway made the announcement at an outdoor conference in the presence of several senior Hamas officials, and his words were greeted by shouts of “Allahu Akbar!” (God is Great).

 

Aid for Gaza =Aid for Hamas.

 

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

WORLD CLASS HYPOCRISY

By | |
Comments Off on WORLD CLASS HYPOCRISY

Along with the notion that the NHS is “world-class“, the BBC likes to peddle the fantasy that our education system is also cutting edge. Anyone coming up against it will know just how dire it really is – riddled with third rate teachers who cannot be sacked. So when the government comes up with the idea that it might fast-track those being made redundant from the Finance sector into teaching roles, the BBC provides Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, with the opportunity to come on and explain just how precious, how very sacred, the current route to teaching really is. She talked self-protectionist drivel and yet not once was her argument subjected to any real scrutiny. There is a cosy consensus between Government and the BBC and the Trade Unions (all the same really) that teaching excellence is a national treasure we must not challenge, nor must we disrupt the Union controlled route to the “profession.”

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

HUNTING SABOEUTEURS

By | |
51 Comments

The BBC report is very prim. ” Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a hunt supporter died when he was hit by a gyrocopter at an airfield.” But why so coy? Oh, NOW I understand, it appears the alleged killers were hunt saboeuteurs. Well, if you go hunting, you deserve all you get, right? Good old Auntie – can’t wait for Red Nose Day.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

PEACE, PERFECT PEACE.

By | | ,
28 Comments

I am sorry if my coverage of issues here has suddenly become Northern Ireland-centric but the brutal murder of a Police Officer last night took place just a few miles from where I live and in an area I know well. I listened to an interview on Today this morning with the local IRA/Sinn Fein represent, and Herman Munster look-a-like John O’Dowd. You can catch it here. To be fair to John Humphyrs, he did kick back a little at the sickening arrogance of O’Dowd but here again I must question the ability of the BBC to ask searching question. Permit me to explain.

In 1997, two RUC officers were shot in the the back of the head by IRA assassins. The local community from which Mr O’Dowd hails, did not give the killers up. So when he now says that the local community should pass on any intelligence to the police concerning last night’s murder, the question is why did the same community keep quiet about similar murders back then? Would he like to see the guilty apprehended? IRA/Sinn Fein talk in code – the job of the media is to cut through this and let ordinary people understand what is really being said. However the BBC has invested massively in supporting the political process which has rewarded the IRA, refusing to give people such as me a voice because we point out inconvenient truths. In that regard, the BBC is part of the problem, it is institutionally biased in favour of a given political dispensation and I fail to see why we must fund this. Do you?

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

Little Things Mean a Lot

By | |
56 Comments

Honest Reporting has noticed how the BBC slants headlines to demonise Israel and excuse Palestinians.

Trivial things, some might say, but all part of the drip drip.

Antisemitism. My favourite subject, you’ll say. The Sunday programme, radio 4, reports that it’s rearing its ugly head on campus.

Two Jewish students describe the serious intimidation they are subjected to at student rallies and ‘Gaza protests.’ Other students, adamantly deny ‘any trace’ of antisemitism, but are not confronted with those allegations. None of these students acknowledge that their behaviour is antisemitic, and are deeply offended that anyone should think it is. Roger Bolton did tackle the subject, I admit, but was much too easily satisfied with leaving the subject hugely unresolved.

What has inflamed the students and exploited their youthful sense of injustice to the point where they choose to side with Islamic ideology, and concentrate their energies into condemning Israel? Could it be anything to do with incessant outpourings from the BBC and the rest of the media? An intelligent sounding girl said “There are currently people DYING out there – children – and not only that – they’re also having their homes taken away from them!”
Tony Benn has said the same thing on air often enough, (so it must be true.) Does that fully explain why intelligent students are supporting an Islamist outfit like Hamas and maligning and blaming Israel? Have keffiah-clad lecturers put paid to independent thought altogether? Has the BBC over many years achieved an enormous conjuring trick, that of turning reason on its head?
It would seem so.

 

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

ST GERRY OF ASSISI

By | |
44 Comments

You have to hand it to the BBC, they are great at grovelling to terrorists. On Today this morning, in the lead up to the big interview with IRA leader Gerry Adam, there was a helpful contribution in the “Thought for the Day” slot from the Rev Joel Edwards suggesting that the Northern Ireland peace process is Biblical in tradition. ( Blessed are the bombers…?) Leaving aside that little theological aside, Naughtie was granted a few minutes in the august presence of Grisly Adams. True to form, his “interview” was pathetic, allowing Adams the chance to blacken the reputation of the British Army whilst piously expressing his formulaic regret at what has happened. Naughtie COULD have asked Adams is it ever right to kill British soldiers – but he didn’t since Adams would have to qualify that answer. (Right for the IRA to do so, not right for others) Naughtie came across as a useless sycophant, afraid to put any hard questions to Adams and in that regard, on this issue, the BBC stands indicted.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.