Pleased to read that BBC DG Mark Thompson shares our view that the BBC is biased towards the left. Read what he says here. Of course he is quick to point out that this confirmed BIAS was in the past, not the present and the BBC now proudly has an “honourable tradition of journalists from the right” working for the corporation. How fascinating, who are they? He confesses to that bastion of the Left the New Statesman! Wonder does Mark “do” irony?
WAS, NOT IS?
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From the right? I think he means Brillo and that’s it. One hack (OK Brillo is good) that is right of centre compated to thousands of leftist scum.
By the “right “, Thompson means anyone who is not an out and out Marxist.
You’re right of course. Others ask what journalists are “of the right” but when you’re sat well left of centre then many leftie luvvies and left of centre probably seem “of the right”. The BBC has positioned itself 30 years ago and now thinks it is in the centre, it is not.
As others have pointed out the BBC will ‘claim’ it held the last Government to account, well it did attack the last Government, but always from the LEFT.
I would take issue with even Brillo being of the “right”. He gives politicians of all persuasions a good grilling, sparing nobody, Labour / Libdem or Conservative alike.
I think it is a mistake to label him as right-wing just because he gave the likes of Dianne Abbott a hard time, when in reality he is merely doing what is paid to do what any BBC hack worth his salt is supposed to do: grill them ALL mercilessly.
Not interested in cars myself but I guess Clarkson is not a Leftie!
Ian,
On the few occasions lefties post here they use Clarkson and Brillo as evidence that the BBC is not biased !
Thanks for putting that post up, David. I was scouting around for a place to post this:
I find this bit fascinating:
Mr Thompson told the New Statesman: “In the BBC I joined 30 years ago, there was, in much of current affairs, in terms of people’s personal politics, which were quite vocal, a massive bias to the left.
“The organisation did struggle then with impartiality. And journalistically, staff were quite mystified by the early years of Thatcher.
“Now it is a completely different generation. There is much less overt tribalism among the young journalists who work for the BBC.”
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/09/lecture-thompson-bbc-interview
Coupla points: I’m impressed by Thompson’s frankness. He’s popped the bubble of all those who scorned suggestions of the BBC’s lefty stance over the years. But I’m baffled as to why he imagines that’s all way back in the past. Today’s political journalists at the BBC are as blindly left as they always were.
The following is quite extraordinary:
“Now it is a completely different generation. There is much less overt tribalism among the young journalists who work for the BBC. It is like the New Statesman, which used to be various shades of soft and hard left and is now more technocratic. We’re like that, too. We have an honourable tradition of journalists from the right [working for us]. It is a broader church. The BBC is not a campaigning organisation and can’t be, and actually the truth is that sometimes our dispassionate flavour of broadcasting frustrates people who have got very, very strong views, because they want more red meat. Often that plays as bias….”
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/09/lecture-thompson-bbc-interview
The BBC has journalists from the right? Amazing how that doesn’t translate into the finished product. Well, I guess most of it is in the editing. If there are in fact one or two lonely right wing journalists there who have somehow passed the screening process at the interview stage, no doubt they were soon brought into line by the editors and made to understand what would and would not be published at the BBC.
Accusations of left-wing bias persist, however.
As they should, need I say.
The BBC’s controller of drama commissioning, Ben Stephenson, drew criticism last year when he said that the corporation should foster “left-of-centre thinking”. Jeremy Hunt, then shadow culture secretary, said his remark was a “clear breach of the BBC’s impartiality obligations” and wrote to Mr Thompson demanding an apology.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvand….k-Thompson.html
I wonder if he received one.
That’s the same BS we get from defenders of the indefensible. “Red meat” translates as “you just want us to be slanted towards your point of view instead.” Which means he doesn’t get it.
Could this overpaid prat give us a list of right-wing journalists working for the BBC ? He is nuts !
“Thompson added that the BBC has in past decades had a “massive bias to the left”, “struggled with impartiality” and was “mystified” by Thatcherism.”
Well yes you would be struggling with impartially if you had a massive bias to the left. Like a cheating/violent spouse he’s essentially saying it won’t happen again, everything has changed, to trust them. Empty words. So are the BBC going to give back decades of the licence fee?
Here is another link to the Telegraph article posted by TooTrue :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7976318/BBC-was-biased-against-Thatcher-admits-Mark-Thompson.html
Just who are thse “right wing” journalists? The illshaven one is bonkers. It is in the recuiting process that the rot begins. Correct thinking gets you the job.
I only wish that his ugly mug hadn’t been posted. It quite put me off to see an unshaven scruff at the top of the blog. Would someone please take that man off to the barber for a good scrub, shave and polish?
No matter that he says it was in the past (he would say that, wouldn’t he?), it is still an extraordinary admission of catastrophic failure for a national broadcaster with a charter for impartiality and mission to inform etc to say that it had a massive bias to the left and was mystified by Thatcher’s early years.
If that was the case then, what was done to eradicate bias, reform the organisation and monitor its performance for balance?
We don’t know anything of that and clearly we continue to see and hear the same sort of bias daily from morning till night.
Maybe Thompson can’t charge a razor to expenses ?
<img src=”file:///C:\DOCUME~1\SJWORK~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image002.jpg”/>
Excellent article at Autonomous Mind.
Check out the logo!
Clicked on the link Autonomous Mind and it took me straight back to this thread.
Try this one. Link
Good blogpost there, thanks for the link, Thompson has indeed “picked his words very carefully”
Sorry. Thanks Marky.
Excellent points made by Douglas Carswell – http://www.talkcarswell.com/show.aspx?id=1558
Love the ending of the first comment.
God I must be in a good mood today!
Douglas Carswell: “The BBC does not tilt to the left in a partisan sense. It’s coverage of political parties tends to be pretty fair and balanced.”
It appears Mr Carswell has not been listening to the TODAY programme or watching Newsnight for the last 20 years. Strewth, when I was on the left 35 years ago I thought the only partisanship at the BBC was towards the left. It’s Mr Carswell’s opinion of course, but I can’t help but wonder if he holds back for fear of the destruction the BBC’s propaganda power might wreak on his life.
Well done Grant. I see you have a couple of comments on Carswell’s post telling him about Biased BBC.
Thanks, David Jones, still too many “Davids” on this website 😉
I hope Carswell clicks in to here .
So the fact that the “BBC” spent every news bulletin pouring over Blair’s new book isn’t bias, as well as blatant advertising. But then the amount of advertising is unbelievable, newspapers, books and so on. funny really, as the “Royal Charter” specifically forbids advertising.
Its interesting how he doesn’t see the current generation of journalists as being left wing. Either this is because admitting they are would cause him problems or because they aren’t card carrying members of the Labour party or SWP he doesn’t see them as “real” lefties. The fact that they have the same attitudes and world view as the old guard (which they had to have to get the job) doesn’t seem to enter his mind.
1327
“his mind ” ? That is a big assumption !
Not bad for a mulit-billion £, finger on pulse, multi-tens of thousand newsgathering organisation, and employer:
PrivateEyeNews The BBC’s 15-year pensions “holiday” that staff (and trustee Helen Boaden) didn’t seem to know about: see p10 of the latest Eye, out now.
Sadly, I will need to pop out to the newsagents before ‘reporting’ further.
Beeboids on the right?????? Huh?! Who???!
More self-serving lies from the Liar-in-Chief.
“There is now [my emphasis] an honourable tradition of journalists from the right”. Give the man a kewpy doll for weasal-speak.
The BBC may have journalists from the right, but if they do they dont show the outrageous bias that the post-60’s dishonourable tradition of biased journalists from the left. I dont care what a BBC journalist’s private politics are, so long as they dont let them intrude unduly in their reporting. We know that Andrew Neill is ‘from the right’, but he is not a biased journalist from the right on the BBC, he does his job impartially and doesn’t draw complaints.
I agree about Andrew Neil – he goes at both sides, no fear or favour.
That’s right: he’s a tough, challenging, probing questioner and puts the questions that should be put, whether it is to a right or lefty politician. In other words, he does the job most of them don’t.
But this is more proof that Thompson doesn’t get it. Having more reporters “from the right” (not in the USA, that’s for damn sure, seeing as how they hired an Obamessiah campaign worker and a JournoList groupie, for a start) is not the answer we’re looking for. There should be no ideological bias, if at all possible. There should not be an equal balance of biased reporters, or whatever he meant by that. Unbelievable.
He does not seem to understand bias – having reporters “from the right” or “from the left” equals bias. The reporters like the civil service (in theory) should be neither from the right or left the council tax payers should be served equally regardless of their political views.
News should be a simple matter of reading out in a few short sentances the events of the day – simple. The bias comes when people like Bowen or Harrabin who are activists in their respected fields “comment” on the event. If there must be comment it should be from the people who are related to the news event.
I do not want “journalists” at the BBC slanting the news to favour their political views (from whichever persuation). To think that the DG thinks having “right wing” journalists on the payroll is aceptable just proves that he is totally oblivious to the BBC own charter commitments.
“The Agreement accompanying the BBC’s Charter requires us to produce comprehensive, authoritative and impartial coverage of news and current affairs in the UK and throughout the world to support fair and informed debate.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/edguide/impariality/
We have just had an admision from the DG that this agreement has been broken. Regardless of when it occured it has been broken and the BBC should be prosecuted for this breach.
And the undue prominence being given to the William Hague business, and the mealy-mouthed coverage (eg lead item for Radio 4) is not a sign of bias ?
Good spot John, the BBC normally give homosexuality and politicians a free pass, for example we all know the rumours about Blair and Brown to name but two who have had allegations of homosexuality laid against them, but I don’t ever remember the BBC picking up on them.
Perhaps it’s because Hague is a Minister? Well so was Prescott with his slapper shagging, but the BBC played THAT one right down, in fact when was the last time anyone at the BBC brought up Prescott’s slapper bonking?
He was on Newsnight last night, why didn’t Essler ask him then what it’s like to suddenly have the attention of the media? Oh hang on the BBC never did.
Funny that if I hear Edwina Curry or John Major’s name mentioned on the BBC, their shagging on the side (snigger) gets brought up.
In fact Curry was on Radio 5 a few weeks ago and the other guests quiet enjoyed wheeling out the old jokes (does Major like a hot curry, snigger snigger) but they’d NEVER try that on with fatty Prescott on the BBC.
Of course who can EVER remember the BBC giving Mark Oaten’s rather perverted sex life a big headline?
‘He was on Newsnight last night, why didn’t Essler ask him’
If it was the one I just saw in iPlayer, with the intelligent, informed and moderate FoI journalist, it was probably because anyone in the same solar system can’t get a word in edgewise past the black hole that is the broadcast-only orifice bang centre of this oafish dinosaur, for some reason invited on at the drop of a previous regime comment.
As the lady did manage to point out in lieu of the so-called moderator, sending Lord Jabba of Creosote into a fit of apoplexy, which he seems to think is what counts as and sways debate.
If I’d been her, I would have snapped the stump he kept jabbing her with in half.
Having admitted the BBC was biased, he should be asked for evidence that it has mended its ways. How do they monitor bias? What are the results of that monitoring?
If he can’t, or won’t produce the evidence then his claim that it isn’t now a problem is seen to be just hot air.
It is hot air.
WE know that, but the general public doesn’t – at least not in large enough numbers. Now that Mark Thompson has raised the subject, it’s a great opportunity to press him on exactly HOW he can be sure it still isn’t.
It’s interesting that Mr Thompson can now openly acknowledge that the BBC was once massively biased to the left.
It would have been far more interesting if he had given an account as to how the BBC had reached such a position, and the measures that have subsequently been taken to ensure that such a travesty has not, and cannot, happen again.
After all, there are real management issues here: charged with impartiality, previous managements failed, Thompson acknowledges. What mechanisms turned round this failure?
If, indeed, any did.
Ah the New Statesman. and it’s political editor Mehdi Hasan educating us that: “Non Muslims Live Like Animals”
Right down the street of any self righteous, British loathing Beeboid, including it seems, ComradeThompson himself.
Allah Akbar!!!
Simple question: name half a dozen right of centre comedians who regularly appear on the BBC – advocating said views.
Thought not.
Switch it to left of centre and we can name hundred. Hundreds.
How about naming extreme left ‘comedians’, especially those on the Nazi left. Always a welcome home for the likes of Jeremy Hardy and Jo Brand.
this is a good example as to why all Beeboids should be drug tested.
if DG AL Beeb thinks his propaganda television and radio broadcasts’ “massive Left-wing bias is in the past”, then he’s obviously tripping
After giving over ‘World at One’, ‘PM’ and ‘Newsnight’ to blanket coverage by Labour supporters/politicians only, re-Blair’s book this week, BBC-NUJ branch now brings in the Conservatives for the first time this week, so as to examine the ‘private’ life of William Hague!
Hmm, the BBC 6PM News does a piece on William Hague, but the BBC just HAS to bring in Alistair Campbell and a quote from another Liebour politician.
Yet all yesterday over the Tony Bliar thing we didn’t get a single quote or interview from a Tory.
Some folk are convinced the BBC has a rightwing bias:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1343386
It’s refreshing to see an admission that the BBC contains at least some degree of institutional bias, albeit way back when!
This is of no surprise to anyone since the interpretation and presentation of news is always subjective. Since the BBC undoubtedly has a political slant, it is unfair that those who oppose its political views are forced to pay the licence fee.
Whilst Thompson claims that the new generation are less ‘tribal’, that doesn’t mean that they are capable of giving objective news. To me this is further incontrovertible proof that the entire concept of nationalised media is wrong, and that the BBC should be privatised.
Hello darlings – have had to come out of retirement for this one. It’s a choice admission I must admit.
His comment is just a reflection of how young people are IMO When I started at uni, students were clearly a bunch of lefties and trots and anyone like me with a soft spot for Her Thatchership kept schtum.
Now they don’t take sides but have opinions on issues. Young beeboids seem pretty much the same, and those opinions tend to be of an small l liberal ‘anything goes’ kind. I actually think they are quite a libertarian bunch, and have some hope.
There are a few lefty dinosaurs knocking around of course (as ive pointed out before) and I cant speak for the generation older than me, who run the place, and as they climb the greasy pole they get more protective – and I guess ‘statist’, if they weren’t there already.
Left/Right – it’s an old way of thinking – we are all coalescing libero-wets now 🙂
I think an easy way to improve it, would be to ban anyone from working there for 5 consecutive years, we’d let them go back, but they would have to go off and survive in the cutthroat free market of UK independent production for at least 24 months. This would stop them getting institutionalised, which would be good for everyone, I believe.
Thank you for the insight, Sarah Jane. My only objection to your comment is that, even if the rest of the corporation is sound, the new contingent of recent hires to cover the US scene cannot be described as anything other than institutionally biased Left. I assume Mark Mardell falls under the “dinosaur” category.
Katie Connolly, if not a JournoLista herself, certainly has been very closely connected to them, and links almost excluslively to them even now. As for the recent hires, it seems that the BBC is now hiring people who are already dedicated partisans. If you have a moment, please check out DB’s post with all the details.
Why not just go out and survive in the cutthroat free market? That’s what most people have to do.
Above is Sarah Jane
“Is the ‘biased’ BBC now try to cosy up to the Coalition? Corporation boss lets slip notes for meeting at No 10”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308561/Is-biased-BBC-try-cosy-Coalition-Corporation-boss-lets-slip-notes-meeting-No-10.html
“A Government source said: ‘Coverage of spending cuts always seems to take the most negative slant possible and never sets out the context of why they are necessary or of how the mess we have been left to clear up is not of our making.”
“It revealed she had met Mr Cameron’s press chief Andy Coulson for lunch, at which he had expressed ‘concern’ about the impartiality of a forthcoming BBC ‘season’ on the spending review.”
Looks like the pressure maybe mounting on the BBC to shape up? Personally I’d rather the BBC was scrapped and end all this ‘impartial’ bullshit. Just let people pay for thier own biases.
DG Thompson, in denial about the the BBC-NUJ branch’s heavy, continuing political bias for:
Labour Party
Islam
Mass Immigration
European Union
Has the BBC boss fallen for the old long lens trick?
‘The Sun’:
“Boss of ‘biased’ BBC gets No10 rap”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3123355/Boss-of-biased-BBC-gets-No10-rap.html
“The BBC worldview: opponents of papal visit are decent human rights activists, opponents of New York mosque are racists and loonies”
(Ed West).
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100052099/the-bbc-worldview-opponents-of-papal-visit-are-decent-human-rights-activists-opponents-of-new-york-mosque-are-racists-and-loonies/
BBC defends Mark Thompson’s Downing Street visit
“Mr Thompson has been pictured walking into Downing Street holding a memo from the BBC’s head of news, describing its new season of programmes about the government’s spending review.
Mr Miliband said that Mr Thompson had “a list of programme ideas which appeared to showcase Tory economic policies of savage, indiscriminate cuts”.
After yesterday’s admission by Mr Thompson, does anyone else smell a particularly fragrant rat here? He just happened to have this memo in full view of the cameras just after saying the BBC was biased to the left? “Look, we’re not biased to the left now!”
“BBC defends Mark Thompson’s Downing Street visit”
Labour said this, Labour said that, Mr Thompson said impartiality and independence of the BBC were paramount. Yes Roland I smell a rat as well.
DG Thompson is a weak, deceitful blusterer, but Deputy DG Byforfd may be worse.
Byford is shadowy, but very rich, on our licence fee:
“BBC Deputy DG Mark Byford ‘in line for £400,000 pension'”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7897113/BBC-Deputy-DG-Mark-Byford-in-line-for-400000-pension.html
Byford is in charge of BBC-NUJ programming, including all its daily political bias.
A BBC-NUJ report:
“Deputy director general Mark Byford, who is responsible for all the corporation’s journalism, wrote in a blog on 2 September about the planned coverage that the BBC ‘has an important role to play to clarify the issues for our audiences – to help them make sense of different ideas and points of view’.
“‘Our aim is to provide insightful, objective programmes and expert analysis to help people understand the context and the potential options,’ Mr Byford added.” [-i.e. BBC-NUJ political bias.]
“BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said the director general was quoted on Thursday as saying that 30 years ago, in much of BBC current affairs, there was a ‘massive bias to the left’ in terms of people’s personal politics.” [-And today, BBC-NUJ are pleased to concedal that this ‘massive bias to the left’ has increased considerably.]
The misleading language of Byford:
[Extract, 2nd paragraph]:
“During critical times such as now, for the United Kingdom, the BBC has an important role to play to clarify the issues for our audiences – to help them make sense of different ideas and points of view.”
Translation of the above:
‘During critical times such as now, for the United Kingdom, the BBC has an important role to play to prejudice the issues for our audiences – to prevent them making sense of different ideas and points of view.’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/2010/09/the-spending-review-making-it.shtml