I’m on the Jon Gaunt radio show tomorrow morning at 11.20am discussing the Jasmine Lawrence debacle. A quick reminder..
Jasmine Lawrence, a channel editor at BBC News, has been removed from playing any part in the corporation’s coverage of the European and local council elections after tweeting a derogatory comment about Ukip. Lawrence, who has now shut her Twitter account, posted a tweet on Wednesday that said: “#WhyImVotingUkip – to stand up for white, middle class, middle aged men w sexist/racist views, totally under represented in politics today.” The tweet was posted the day before the local and European elections, which the BBC is covering for the first time from studios at its Hertfordshire home in Elstree, following moving out of Television Centre in West London. Lawrence subsequently deleted her account but the corporation has taken the incident seriously and launched an investigation.
Lawrence was plainly showing her bias and for that reason alone she should be SACKED, not just taken off news coverage whilst this is a hot potato for the BBC. And it cuts to the chase of the entire issue of the BBC. I can FULLY understand why she has a viewpoint and she has a right to express it. However, and this is the kicker, in doing so she betrays the visceral bias that lies at the heart of SO MANY within the BBC and therey validates our call for the BBC to be stripped of its right to take our cash through the license tax to fund this bias. My view is she should be allowed to say what she wants BUT not at my expense. So the BBC either enforces total neutrality or accepts it is institutionally biased and allows the free market to take a view on this via a subscription fee or suchlike? Your thoughts?
As you say a perfect example of the deeply entrenched bias within the BBC. The pro liberal left bias is now in the ‘ DNA’ of the BBC. So much so that I believe the BBC to be beyond reform. There is simply no need in the 21st century for a state funded broadcaster of any sort, let alone one which is so totally dominant. In any field such domination of an industry would lead to a reduction in the % share of the dominant player. Why not the BBC? The BBC should be got rid of and our democracy will be stronger without it.
‘So the BBC either enforces total neutrality or accepts it is institutionally biased’
Given who is still running the show, guessing either may struggle still…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2010/09/impartiality_is_in_our_genes.html
‘Anyone who thinks differently doesn’t really understand how the organisation works and how seriously we take issues around balance and impartiality.’
Four years ago. Revisiting some comments raised a few smiles.
She’s also the respected, inspirational leaderette who was part of the team pleading with staff not to tweet silly stuff, which I think is where the nickname ‘Hugs’ was first inspired…
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to go armed with some juicy morsels from the “In Their Own Tweets” section.
I’m nervous about calling for sackings of people I don’t agree with, as it’s too similar to the howls for sackings of those who send “sexist” emails. However as a news producer she should know better, particularly so close to an election, than to betray her bias so publicly so I’d go for suspension from her position.
Alternatively, perhaps they should all be given free reign to pontificate on their private Twitter accounts. It would make proof of bias and groupthink pretty incontrovertible.
You might like to point out that back in January Lawrence was reminded of BBC social media impartiality guidelines but arrogantly ignored the advice:
She works in an environment where most people have similar left-leaning views and therefore thought nothing of trashing UKIP on Twitter. Likewise Mantej Deol could see nothing wrong in tweeting insults about Conservative MP Esther McVey last week. This is daily office banter at the smug untouchable BBC.
And then there’s the contrast with how the BBC handles charges of bias in certain other areas.
All it took was an evidence-free rant about supposed racial bias for Lenny Henry to get a meeting with the Director General. Meanwhile, leftist BBC employees consistently produce stuff that sounds like something out of the ‘Two Minute Hate’ but we’re supposed to believe there’s no bias in hiring or treatment of conservatives.
The BBC cannot enforce strict neutrality and has for years employed too many like-minded lefty types. The BBC is not an unbiased news reporting organisation, it’s a campaigning organisation with too many links to the Labour Party to be independent.
BTW able to read and post on biased-bbc for first time on Android… Thanks
we have to thank in a way jasmine lawrence for one thing here,she has exposed in that tweet she posted and was forced to delete by her stalinist bbc bosses this shared ideology and mindset amongst bbc employees and there journalists and this rampant left wing bias and in fact hatred of not only politacal partys like ukip but any centre right politacal partys.now what politacal opinions bbc employees have is there business,when we are paying these people out of the tv licence fee to have these opinions then that becomes are business,jasmine lawrence exposed this left wing bias within the bbc that they have always denied.that in her tweet explains why radio 5 live,radio 4 and question time have being smearing and demonising ukip just recently in these local council and euro elections.
Hope , everyone here , emails or rings up to complain ,I have already . She should be sacked or posted to Pakistan ,for a spell ,mind you she would probably enjoy that , being around Non Hideously White People .
What’s happened to David Preiser? He used to keep a list of BBC left-wing tweets.
I noticed a growing irritation from him regarding the way the site was going, particularly with regard to criticism of Muslims. On occasion I would agree that there is too much of that and some commenters have overstepped the mark.
However I’m not sure that he fully realised, from the other side of the pond, how utterly entwined the BBC’s bias is with its love affair of the Religion of Peace and that it isn’t easy to keep off that subject for long.
Whatever the reasons, I miss his contributions which I always appreciated and hope he will return.
Seconded.
Thirded.
I miss him too.
But I am also not sure he fully appreciated that on open, independent forums, the line between free speech and the censorship equivalent of ‘a little bit pregnant’ is tricky to impossible.
One wishes him well wherever he may have headed, and if such a site has managed that balance without compromise or other problems I’d love to know how it was managed.
Meanwhile stable doors are being slammed shut
http://order-order.com/2014/05/23/bbc-news-warn-all-news-staff-over-anti-ukip-tweets/
Not after they might have had some influence though eh>?
Scameron has been collaborating with the Grauniad to attack Ukip and of course the Grauniad is the newspaper of choice in the BBC.
Shortly after she deleted her account, I managed to get a screenshot from Google’s cache, which shows her last 20 tweets (I think). It certainly makes for… interesting reading: http://i.imgur.com/eYclOt6.png
(Due to the nature of Google cache, a couple of images are missing… but you get the idea.)
Thanks for those. It often amuses me how the most bigoted resort to sarcasm, in the fond belief they are morally and intellectually superior to those they are criticising. But I am inclined to Roland’s view above about being cautious in calling for sanctions against people whose opinions you don’t agree with. Too much like the BBC.
It often amuses me how the most bigoted resort to sarcasm
Plenty of scope for amusement, isn’t there, from Vance and the rest of Biased BBC’s coterie of racists, sexists, homophobes, and bigots of many other hues.
(Cue much “wah, wah, wah, we’re not bigots” hypocrisy from the usual pseudonymous cowards who haven’t quite realised that posting their drivel online makes it so easy to not believe them.)
Change the record you prejudiced bore
Don’t worry Scott, the day will come when we’re all rounded up by the Thought Police. Try not to get too worked up in the meantime.
Plenty of the usual bigoted insults from that increasingly sanctimonious bore Scott, but he had nothing to say about the obvious bias of a BBC news editor.
Scott, re-arrange these words into a well known phrase or saying:- ” OFF PISS, PRICK YOU!”
Scott. I like others giving their judgments and opinions on this site. I don’t agree with many on this site too and on the odd occasion I might agree with you I can’t. Its because you are just you are such boring snurt.
Scott will you stop giving yourself “likes.” You embarrass yourself.
I am all for free speech but the bBBC can’t have it both ways. They are always the cheerleaders for the Thought Police, attacking people for what they think or say in private (this week’s target being Premier League chief executive Scudamore).
Either they change their editorial policy and allow people to think and speak freely, or they apply it to themselves and don’t allow staff to make private comments.
Absolutely correct Sir Arthur, they must live by their own rules.
Thank goodness she didn’t play a record from the 1930s with a now forbidden word in it, now that’s what the Beeb calls a sackable offence.
Rob, I think there should have been a Twitter campaign encouraging people to download that version of “The Sun Has Got His Hat On” and try an get it in the charts and,if possible to get it to number one. I would love to see the BBC try and explain that one away on the top 40 show.
She obviously had the WRONG VIEWS… In 2004 Jana Bennett (BBC TV Director) sacked Robert Kilroy Silk (for impartiality) i.e. right wing views expressed in the press on immigration. Of course here in 2014, the BBC are still in stark contrast to today’s Ukip victory (on much the same subjects plus all the things the BBC promote as ‘value-for-money’ are in fact full of EU maggots and bung holes).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/BBC-secretly-gave-Director-Vision-Jana-Bennett-687k-undisclosed-goodbye.html
Ironic that as they try to reach an audience of 500 million on digital media they have to drag their staff off it because they can’t be trusted to be professional.
There have been scores of left-wing tweets by BBC employees reported on this website.
But whenever do you hear of a tweet from any of them reflecting a right-wing opinion?
the purple ukip revolution in politics will roll on and get stronger on the run up to the next general election.
Give them enough rope …..
I did complain and got a reply but not about the language she used eg racist,white etc .
……………………………………………………………..
Dear Mr Foreman
Thank you for contacting the BBC.
We understand you felt Jasmine Lawrence’s Twitter comments about UKIP were biased against the party.
Jasmine Lawrence was tweeting from a personal account. She has been reminded of her responsibility to uphold BBC guidelines. She has deactivated her twitter account and will now be playing no part in the BBC’s election coverage in coming days.
Nevertheless, we acknowledge the strength of your complaint and we can assure you that we’ve registered your comments on our audience log.
This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are made available across the BBC.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
BBC Complaints
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
NB This is sent from an outgoing account only which is not monitored. You cannot reply to this email address but if necessary please contact us via our webform quoting any case number we provided.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Nothing mentioned about her comments calling UKIP voters racist etc .
I wonder if the “audience log” is available to the public, or Parliamentarians on a Government Committee. If not, has it ever been leaked?
If it actually exists it will most certainly lie behind the blanket ‘for the purposes of backside-covering’ exemptions the BBC waves around when spotlights turn their way.
It would be interesting.
Given the volume of complaints it would be hard to generate an original reply for each, but as published here (which they hate, and why folk ignoring their ‘let’s keep this our little secret’ t&c’s really rattles them) it is pretty clear the complaints system is an automated farce where any input is provided with a template blow off.
As noted, the template ignores actual concerns, and is designed to winnow out those disinclined to enter the Labyrinth of ‘comfort in the belief the BBC got it right’ directors there to avoid such specifics at all costs too.
omg,any questions on the biased bbc radio 4 tonight was back to its ukip hatefest,no debate in the first 35 minutes about there success in the elections, it was just another attack after attack on ukip by these morons from these main 3 politacal partys and the leftie london hand picked socalist audience.it was patrick flynns turn tonight from ukip to be attacked and ganged up by these cretins from the labour,liberal and tory party,the bbc at its biased best again attacking ukip.
Am listening now to it.
Usual disgrace-but what else would you expect from the likes of Sir Malcolm Bruce, Angela Eagle, the sly and double tongued Jonathan Miliband minor…and a particularly biased London student/public sector union collection of Guardian Twatterati?
Still-all on borrowed time now! Scum.
I have long since accepted that the BBC and it’s staff are liberals. They nearly all are. It is in the job description.. We on the non liberal so called right are bad bad people. Out of time and out of any right to be heard.
Maybe not purely evil but close to it. Now I just think liberals are deluded fantasists.
When they think about the great mass of the old English it is to patronise or hector. No affection or fellowship. Oh they like living in our country towns at weekends but now they are hotbeds of UKIPery maybe the fashion will change. I hope so .We are well rid of them. This election has been a shock to the little dears. I hope Sunday really upsets them.
Just tolerate the BBC until the counter revolution is strong enough to get rid of it.
The biggest mistake they made was to think they could destroy old England and marginalise it’s people without opposition. We have barely got going.
The BBC are completely missing the point by suspending Lawrence only for the remainder of the election season (a matter of days). As editor of the BBC News Channel, Jasmine Lawrence is responsible for making decisions about story choice, guest interviews, focusing of time and resources etc. that will greatly colour the audience’s view of each political party, and yet we now know that she believes that supporters of one party, UKIP, are ‘racists’ and ‘sexists’ beneath contempt:
http://semipartisansam.com/2014/05/23/at-long-last-will-the-bbc-take-editorial-bias-seriously/
Is the BBC really saying that it trusts someone with such virulent anti-UKIP views to suddenly put on their impartial hat when they walk through the studio doors every morning?
The BBC has long had an odd relationship with the actual meaning of the word ‘trust’.
As a version of their ‘repeat a lie often enough’ core beliefs, they of course named their ultimate, internal, secret oversight system ‘the Trust’.
Also near every market rate talent to have had their integrity surgically removed in return for £350kpa has at one time or other intoned that ‘BBC staff leave their politics at the door’.
Even if evidence daily suggests this is in error.
With people of the political mindset of Lawrence vetting what is and isn’t aired, one can now see how topical important items of news, which at the time are deemed important enough to be broadcast on other channels, are omitted.
Two recent examples are the UKIP member having a brick thrown through his lounge window, and a UKIP candidate being stabbed in the face, during an election campaign.
What the BBC are in actual fact saying with their policy is “You can be as biased as you like but don’t openly let ‘Joe Public’ know it. Perhaps they should start recruiting staff from elsewhere other than the Guardian.
Or from the US via the Labour conference podium.
David, I really think you do need to keep things in proportion. I mean, it’s not as if Jasmine Lawrence unwittingly played an old song with a muffled reference to the ‘N’ word or something. That DJ is lucky the BBC didn’t ask Jo Brand to sit on him. How can anyone regard a complete lack of professional integrity as anywhere near comparable?
UKIP are outside of the politically correct repressive world of the establishment, but they still have to sack councillors who say politically incorrect words, etc.
But, I think the Liberal Fascist establishment must wonder why people would vote for anyone who could possibly say something politically incorrect.
As a white male, It makes me feel superior, the fact that I have not been all that sensitive to criticism or rude and offensive words since I was a neurotic teenager. I suppose that is why when Britain was a hideously white paradise, free speech was part of our National pride, and was what our grandparents where fighting for in WWII.
It is ironic that because of Mass immigration, we have to respect other cultures, so because other cultures are much less tolerant of free speech, we are expected to adapt to the establishments multicultural repression of free speech, which includes, not criticising people who do not tolerate free speech.
Please go on line and make complaint to the BBC about Jasmine. It’ll take a few moments, and I know many here think it’s pointless, but they need to know that we are watching and observing them in action.
I complained about Jasmine Lawrence’s twitter to the BBC. Their reply was returned to me within 3 hours! (make of that what you will)
Here’s what it says for what its worth…
Dear Audience Member
Thank you for contacting the BBC.
We understand you felt Jasmine Lawrence’s Twitter comments about UKIP were biased against the party.
Jasmine Lawrence was tweeting from a personal account. She has been reminded of her responsibility to uphold BBC guidelines. She has deactivated her twitter account and will now be playing no part in the BBC’s election coverage in coming days.
Nevertheless, we acknowledge the strength of your complaint and we can assure you that we’ve registered your comments on our audience log.
This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are made available across the BBC.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
Kirsty Strain
That from Kirsty may bear comparison with that to Mr. Foreman, and others, above.
Yes. Exactly the same but mine was without my name and just “audience member”. They must be just “pinging” them back quickly from the generic response and the speed. Which means that there must be quite a few complaints made. It may, hopefully, stall her career. (It bloody well l should). However we should keep an eye on her progress at the beeb and we shall see what the BBC really thinks to her behaviour by her career trajectory there.
Not one to totally absolve low level individuals from responsibility, but frankly no matter how well paid, what must stare back at such as her in the mirror after a day at ‘work’ may be penalty enough.
However, going up through the hierarchy becomes more interesting and worthwhile especially, I’d suggest, to those in theory overseeing actual levels of transparency and trust at the BBC.
The public has been and is assured complaints are treated seriously and addressed.
This is patently a lie.
A lie known about and propagated at every level, including Lords Hall, Patten and the latter’s deputy/successor.
They need to confront this fact.
Or be made to.
‘what must stare back at such as her in the mirror after a day at ‘work’ may be penalty enough’
Start with the man in the mirror.
‘….. a Yale professor of psychology, Irving Janis, analysed what, with a conscious nod to George Orwell, he called “groupthink”. It is a term we all casually use (which even he derived from another writer), but he identified eight symptoms of groupthink. One is the urge of its victims to insist that their view is held as a “consensus” by all morally right-thinking people. Another is their ruthless desire to suppress any evidence that might lead someone to question it. A third is their urge to stereotype and denigrate anyone who dares hold a dissenting view.’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/10853279/Sinister-groupthink-powers-the-modern-world.html