The BBC reports that Ofcom has censured George Galloway over five shows broadcast on Talksport during the Gaza conflict. Ofcom says he crossed the line from legitimate and provocative debate to one “calling listeners to action,” but “did not break the rules on offering opposing views.”
Was that the same kind of ‘not breaking the rules’ as in the ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’ kind of ‘not breaking the rules?’
Or in the sense that fading out counter arguments on a radio debate is somehow within the rules of ’offering opposing views’ (Well, Galloway did offer them, it’s just that he happened to make them inaudible.)
Because that is what happened to Oliver Kamm who appeared on one of his programmes, and he didn’t seem to like it very much.
When Jeremy Bowen was censured for breaching impartiality rules Oliver Kamm supported him, rather bizarrely according to many people.
Kamm said he believed that scrupulous impartiality was not necessary from Bowen, citing other notable journalistic precedents.
Though he disagreed with some of Bowen’s views, he concluded:
“Objective reporting means that, while being aware of your partial information, you describe the world as you see it. This is the responsibility that Bowen has, and it’s one that he has discharged.”
Furthermore he doesn’t seem to think Bowen is the sharpest knife in the box.
“I watched the BBC programme this evening, and I have to acknowledge that its presenter, Jeremy Bowen, whose greatest admirers would be hard put to identify in him the sharpest of inquiring minds, didn’t do a bad job.”
But he’s the BBC Middle East Editor! Of course he has more of a responsibility than just describing the world as he, the Palestinians and Hamas, see it.
So Bowen is Biased AND thick, but Galloway is beyond the pale. The fact that the BBC lets him get away with so much speaks volumes; it’s time he was faded out altogether.
I maybe being obtuse, but I can't see where the BBC has 'censured' anyone.
Ofcom, yes, but the BBC? Was that a typo, perhaps?
Yes you're right, I should have said the BBC reports that Ofcom has …..I've amended it now, sorry.
Well spotted.
The BBC censuring itself? That'll be the day
I envy you the editing facility, Sue.
If I had it, I would change my 'maybe' to 'may be'.
Bowen and other BBC news staff have no incentive to be good at their jobs. So they aren't.
Guaranteeing the corporation billions of cash per year is not the way to get professional, diligent staff dedicated to giving customers a good service. It's a surefire way to get a sloppy, self-indulgent service from arrogant people who think that we are lucky to have them providing us with news.
Well Talksport is a scummy little radio station. Of course as most know it's run by an ex vile left wing Radio 5 live beeboid.
He happily got rid of James Whale over a minor slip yet keeps Gallowanker on even though this jock tosser clearly breaks Ofcom rules week in and week out.
I guess though as I don't have to pay for Talksport nor do I buy ANY products advertised on that station I don't care.
Classic Newsnight. Steve Richards and that arsehole Mann. Two lefties talking about expenses. Yet again a Tory free zone.
"Furthermore he doesn’t seem to think Bowen is the sharpest knife in the box."
Not true
I cut right to the heart of the debate, which is Israel's persistent settlements which are deemed illegal under international law and furthermore that Israel outrageously demands that Palestine be disarmed and blah blah Arafat blah blah Internetanyahu blah blah Iceberg Goldberg Greenberg blah blah 2 tins of beans blah blah blah etc
"Your posting has been removed"
Sent you an e, Sue.
Dunno if you know, but the BBC lost years on comments from people to the Have Your say site. Almost certainly been hacked into. Was a guy on Justin Web's blog bragging about his ability to hack into sites and proving it by such devices as turning everyone's text bold as they commented on the blog.
This ain't got much to do with Jeremy Bowen, you'll note. Just thought I'd let peope know. Could be that the e-mail addresses of everyone who registered on the Have Your Say site (and probably other BBC blogs as well) are now public property. The BBC has been typically head in the sand over it, made a feeble excuse on The Editors blog, ignored hundreds of comments, many of them very pertinient indeed, and then carried on as usual.
Of course, this is not 100% certain -they could have simply made a mistake and lost information but still it's probably not a good idea to contribute to the BBC unless you have very good security and can shelter behind firewalls and things.
God, I love the BBC.
I don’t have to pay for talksport
But we do for the BBC (in licence fee AND in hearing regurgitated
BBC-informed opinions from all and sundry.)
The BBC gives plenty of air time to Mr. G, even though some of it involves adversarial interviews. Hardtalk in 2007, Q.T. (as recently as Jan 2009,) and Newsnight. They may set out to give him a grilling, but George often gets the better of them. The one with Paxo after the defeat of Oona King that begins with Paxo’s “Mr. Galloway are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in parliament?” Paxo starts off confidently but Galloway soon wrong-foots Paxo, putting him in defensive mode. Apparently Galloway hadn’t heard of colleague Nick Raynsford M.P. so Paxo blundered into asking the somewhat unanswerable question “What else haven’t you heard of Mr. Galloway?”
http://www.videodust.com/v/06/08/11/george-galloway-vs-jeremy-paxman.html
The BBC reports that Ofcom has censured George Galloway over five shows broadcast on Talksport during the Gaza conflict. Ofcom says he crossed the line from legitimate and provocative debate to one “calling listeners to action,” but “did not break the rules on offering opposing views.”
Yet oddly enough — TalkCrap didn't fire him.
Unlike the preemptive firing of the mildly conservative Jon Gaunt after he called a Tory councillor a "nazi" and immediately apologized on air, to the man.
Has the rabid racist Galloway EVER apologized for his vile Jew hatred. Err, no.
There's Gaunty's mistake. He should have called the guy a Jew/Zionist Nazi.
TalkCrap likes that.
I don't always agree with it, but Talksport is fine when it does that – talks sport. Some controversy. But it doesn't affect governments or ordinary lives. It is entertainment.
When talksport tries to talk non sport, like politics it swiftly becomes abysmal.
But then most of the talksport listeners turn off as soon as the sport goes off, just look into their listening figures.
Either way it matters little, if I don't like talksport I just turn it off, it has cost me nothing, I have no criminal record, no jail time, no compulsion to pay.
Don't like the BBC? Turned it off? You still have to pay. An extortionate amount. On pain of a possible criminal record and eventually loss of liberty.
A tax funded state broadcaster must go.