MID WEEK OPEN THREAD…….AND AN INVITATION!

Hi everyone! Reports of my demise have been somewhat exaggerated BUT I have been very busy launching Altnewsmedia.net along with a few million other things. I want to get Biased BBC back on track but I have a request. Is there any volunteers who would agree to help us keep the open threads ready as well as perhaps writing on the BBC’s egregious bias? I need your assistance – please message me via the site! And in the meantime, highlight the endless dready offensive bias!!!

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269 Responses to MID WEEK OPEN THREAD…….AND AN INVITATION!

  1. Fedup2 says:

    First – I’m famous !

       13 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      David – welcome back – id like to help but I’m not that techy . Thank you for efforts amid the rapidly diminishing freedom of speech Blighty retains .

         46 likes

      • David Vance says:

        Cheers!

           22 likes

        • Loobyloo says:

          Thanks for checking in on us David, it’s good to hear from you. I think many are worried about the monitoring of the site by big brother. Sorry though, I’m not techy enough either.

             20 likes

        • Fedup2 says:

          David – I’ve sent you an email direct regarding your request -feeling a bit power crazed….

             9 likes

        • Fedup2 says:

          David, Ive sent you an email as requested — feeling a bit power crazed….

             4 likes

          • Eddy Booth says:

            Looks like my homophobic posts might be getting deleted soon.
            And twice…

               0 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Fed, you were already ‘famous’.

      Now, it’s more than that.

      But is it ‘famous’ x2 or ‘famous’ + ‘famous’

         8 likes

  2. BRISSLES says:

    Feddy ! you clearly sit like a stalking tiger waiting for a new page – bit like pressing the redial button to make a doctors appointment. Anyway, well done. (grudgingly ).

       14 likes

  3. davylars says:

    Well I can’t accept the result.
    I think we need another referendum
    We didn’t understand the implications of Fedup being first…

       46 likes

    • Holly Selassie says:

      Have signed the online petition for a recount.

         18 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Holly,
        clearly in the first referendum nobody new what they were voting for so we should have best of three and bigger project fear.

        or such decisions should be left to unelected people who are entitled to claim expenses from the taxpayer.

           32 likes

  4. Demon says:

    David. What’s involved?

       8 likes

    • David Vance says:

      Demon,

      I can grant you access to the site and that means you can post up Open Threads or any other thread you want. Just let me know!

         11 likes

      • Holly Selassie says:

        Hope this is an equal opportunities offer.
        An all trans-shortlist would suit.

           22 likes

      • Demon says:

        I try to avoid BBC “news” and other things that they use to further their bigotries, so thinking about it I would probably not be the best person to take it on. Fedup2 would be a much better choice than me.

        Glad to see you back David, even though Rufus did a great job in your abscence. Good luck with the other site too.

           24 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        David, can you please provide a rough idea of the time involved in doing that, say, over a week.

        Can a ‘group of us’ share the duties, perhaps on a rota basis?

        Is any moderation or site supervision involved?

        Cheers, Snuffy

        PS: Altnewsmedia.net – sounds interesting!

           16 likes

  5. Beeb Brother says:

    BBC say black men in Starbucks race baiting escapade had ‘not yet ordered.’ You do not look at a menu or wait for a waiter to come over in a Starbucks, you go and order straight away. If you have ‘not yet ordered’ you are just using the premises and effectively trespassing. If everybody did this most coffee shops would have to close as there would be no room for paying customers. It is at best extremely rude and at worst actual trespassing – legally it constitutes trespassing.

    ‘Not yet ordered.’ Typical BBC fakespeak, do they think nobody has been to a coffee shop before?

    Rude and inconsiderate behaviour should be condemned but just because the perpetrators are not white the BBC take their side. You should do as you would be done by and that applies equally to all groups. Who would want loads of people in their coffee shop using the premises without buying anything?

       62 likes

  6. honestus says:

    David, welcome back, even if only sporadically. Yours and Alans essay pieces are sorely missed, certainly by me and I’m sure by many others who visit.

       58 likes

  7. Guest Who says:

    The BBC Fact Checking Unit must be jelly.

       23 likes

    • Demon says:

      Facebook uses a consistent measure to assess trustworthiness and fake news.

      1. Is it lies and from the right or centre perspective, if yes then it is “Fake News”.
      2. Is it true and from the right or centre, if yes then it is “Fake News”
      3. Is it lies and from the left or extreme left, if yes then it is “Valid News” which must be pushed at every conceivable opportunity.
      4. Is it true and from the left or extreme left, don’t know – they haven’t come across this scenario yet.

         43 likes

  8. Guest Who says:

    Uh-huh.

       12 likes

    • Jeff says:

      “…take the bull by the horns in a mission to find true love…”
      Oh dear, surely they could have phrased that better…

         16 likes

      • Thatcherrevolutionary says:

        Put the house on one of her country beaus being BAME.

           12 likes

  9. G.W.F. says:

    What happens when the cops leave their desks and go after bad guys in the real world.
    With thanks to Benny Hill

       25 likes

    • G.W.F. says:

      The sequel. The guy is tasered having faced 30 cops single handed.

         22 likes

  10. Annunaki says:

    The new insanity of Britain Pt 1

    THIS is not considered sufficient evidence, according to my complaint, for muslim rapists to be referred to by the BBC as muslims:
    BBC: “It is important to understand that we refer to ethnicity, race or sexuality only where we believe there is a direct relevance to the case in hand ”

    My response, now disregarded by BBC : Whilst when it is a white English 14 year old gang rape victim who states: “When the men who now owned me collected me I just had to get through the production line. The bedroom had been turned into a living room and always there was about eight men in there.They were verbally abusive straight away, It was quite literally one after another, a whole lot of them. I wasnt allowed to even get off the bed. They were pakistani without exception. “Kafir girl” they would say, “Kafir girl you are white trash” “Slut, white slut”, “white bitch, white whore white cunt”” it was explained “we are allowed to do this in our culture” (ISBN 978 1 78606 513 1 Please, Let Me Go: The Horrific True Story of a Girl’s Life in the Hands of Sex Traffickers Paperback – 24 Aug 2017 by Caitlin Spencer (Author) I assume this blinkered attitude will now apply to the killers of Stephen Lawrence ? nothing to do with race whatsoever? or do you pick and choose at your whim? BBC have said : To reiterate our previous response, it’s not for us to introduce religion as an element of a story when it didn’t form part of the relevant criminal case.
    Your original complaint was that “In England there has been many instances of organised child abuse by a particular sector of our society (Muslims)” but don’t explain which specific cases you’re referring to or offer any evidence as to why the religion of the perpetrators was relevant.
    Where there’s no specific reference to the impact of religion in a case by the police, prosecution, judge or other relevant parties, then it’s not editorially relevant or appropriate to include it when reporting these criminal cases.

       51 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      I wonder how the BBC would be reporting these violent and racist child rape gangs had they been made up almost exclusively of orthodox Jews?

         15 likes

  11. Annunaki says:

    New insanity of Britain Pt 2

    We have had two workers assaulted by members of the public and no police response in 5 weeks now, yet told today in a meeting we apparently have a full time “hate crime” police officer supposedly sitting filing her nails all day waiting for a p@ki rapist to report this post and spring to action ?

       50 likes

  12. JimS says:

    David,

    Good to hear that you are still around.
    Don’t you need some rules for topic posting like:
    Number one – It’s about BBC Bias;
    Number two – No moronic relaying of context-less Twitter-twaddle, that’s what Twitter is for.

    Topics need to be well-founded and stand on their own, i.e. not reliant on thoughts only known to the writer.

       23 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      Can’t agree. The BBC’s bias is but one strand of an overall campaign in the media and beyond. You see the BBC stance being reflected everywhere.

         29 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        Yet how often do you see the BBC reflect this perfect riposte?

        I don’t think we can properly discuss BBC bias in isolation.

           25 likes

        • JimS says:

          That’s an odd way to say you have been wrong about everything.

          Which way? By whom? About what?

             8 likes

      • JimS says:

        And we’re officially in the Upside Down…Donald Trump Has Now Officially Been Nominated for the Nobel … That escalated quickly.

        All of which means what exactly?

           9 likes

        • Roland Deschain says:

          I’d hazard a guess that most readers know exactly what that refers to. For those who don’t, if curious they can tap the links to find out or if not curious they can ignore and move on.

          And if my guess is wrong, well, sorry. You can’t get it right all the time. Unless you’re the BBC.

          And you certainly can’t please all the people all the time.

             10 likes

          • Guest Who says:

            Curiosity is something deployed variably by some. Especially the bbc. Apparently (no verb, sorry).

               5 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Rules? It is better than that, Jim.

      Views your own, one is sure.

         9 likes

      • JimS says:

        Rules? It is better than that, Jim.

        Views your own, one is sure.

        Do you care to add subject, object, verb, context or sense to that? Or perhaps cut and paste some meaningless Twitter Trash that may or may not mean what you would like it to mean?

        Yoda I not.

        Is it too much to hope that a topic writer on ‘Biased BBC’ might just author something that covers BBC bias and that can be read and understood by someone not just inside that person’s brain?

           9 likes

        • Guest Who says:

          Oo, mixing our Star references. I sense a disturbance in the Farce.

          Now extra rules on grammar? This is shaping up as… a list!

          BBC programmes and staff use twitter a lot, and others then use it to spin off with. Careers have been destroyed via this medium. Hence twitter is very much a part of ‘BBC Bias’ and worth popping on here, either as self-explanatory shares or with ‘analysis’ hopefully of more value than that managed by BBC editors. Or simply a bit of fun. You know fun, Jim? You just put your lips together and crank the edges up 🙂

          Your dislike of citing BBC twitter howlers is noted as often as your apparent inability to grasp how it works, unwillingness to do so or simple desire to sound off. Oddly you appear OK with web hyperlinks, as deployed, along with twitter posts, by most, including David, Alan, etc.

          Maybe… apply for the newly advertised Hall Monitor role?

          You can set rules and police away. Sounds awesome. If you are Guido.

             10 likes

          • JimS says:

            The purpose of posting here is presumably to communicate and to do that the reader has to understand what is written.

            Posting chunks of Twitter that take your fancy is like me posting:

            Good job yodeling!

            which is quite funny, if you have read the other four lines of this ‘Knock, Knock’ joke, rather like having to know about the ‘upstream’ tweats that may set context, baring in mind that US citizens don’t do irony and get confused by sarcasm, so perhaps you ‘got the wrong end of the stick’ anyway.

            Similarly one could post:

            BBC Bias! link

            Which might be an amazingly good catch, but why do we have to click the link to eventually find out, always assuming that our perception is the same as yours.

            Now wouldn’t it be better to write something like:

            Mishal Husain reports PMQ battle between ‘Jeremy’ and ‘May’; BBC Bias! link

            This briefly tells everyone what is alleged and provides the ‘anti-Maxi’ evidence to back it up.

            If you guys think you are so hot at spotting the bias put a bit of effort in selling your ‘product’ to the rest of us and stop sulking. As a writer you are the supplier; as readers we are the customer and we are always right. Ignore this advice, provided with the best of intentions, and you will be part of a little clique of five, just pseudo-tweeting amongst yourselves. And if that is what you want, fine, just take it to Twitter where it belongs.

               7 likes

            • johnnythefish says:

              JimS, I agree with your argument re posting contextless Tweets – it’s pointless and pretty irritating to boot.

              However if it clearly illustrates BBC bias – and it has been used well in the past to expose the biased views of BBC staff, for example – then I’m all for it, after all, that’s what this site is about.

                 8 likes

  13. Lucy Pevensey says:

       39 likes

    • Demon says:

      My word! 7,000 journalists and they still can’t tell the truth.

         51 likes

      • Beeb Brother says:

        They spend most of their time suppressing news and spinning.

           24 likes

    • gb123 says:

      This is a take on a timeless joke.
      Q: How many [place your desired group here] (in this case BBC Journalists ) does it take to write an article?
      A: 7000, one to write it and 6999 to ensure it is PC,supports all minorities , latte wing social justice, and come up with all counters to claims of bias.

         16 likes

  14. Lucy Pevensey says:

    So-called “journalists” 😉

       43 likes

  15. Jeff says:

    We live in peculiar times, don’t we?
    Once this nation of ours produced artists such as Turner, Constable and Gainsborough. We had wonderful wordsmiths, poets like Browning, Wordsworth and Byron.
    And what have we got now?
    Tracy bleedin’ Emin and her unmade bed and Benji Ford Zephyr and his illiterate ghastly dross.
    Both these talentless posers given a massive amount of air time by the bloody BBC.
    You know, I don’t completely despair because I’m hopeful time will sort the wheat from the chaff.
    In a couple of hundred years (what remains of) our people will still grow misty eyed reading and reciting Home Thoughts From Abroad.
    Surely no one will be bothering with the pidgin English and gormless ramblings of the hideous Zephaniah.
    Compare and contrast.

    “And after April when May follows
    And the white throat builds and all the swallows,
    Hark, where my blossomed pear tree in the hedge
    Leans to the field and scatters on the clover
    Blossoms and dewdrops at the bent spray’s edge…”

    With

    “Be nice to yu turkeys dis chistmas
    Cos turkeys just wanna hav fun.
    Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked.
    An every turkey has a mum…”

    It’s a tough call…

       56 likes

  16. Guest Who says:

    Wonder when the ex-Newsnight Economics Editor will again be invited into a BBC studio to share?

       32 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      So the Bankers want tax payer funded “Too big to fail” “Monopoly” Communism, while the Chinese Communists turned to customer orientated “Free to fail if the customer does not like the goods and services” “Free Market” Capitalism.
      You would think that Corbyn supporters would look to the John James Cowperthwaite doctrine of positive non-interventionism, for lessons on how to imitate the only Communist/Socialist system ever to become successful in eliminating poverty. This article explains why.

      In China, after the horrors of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, his successor Deng Xiao Ping recognised that the planned economy was a failure and turned to Cowperthwaite’s more market-orientated solution to lift the Chinese people out of poverty. With Communist China seeing the success of Hong Kong, Cowperthwaite’s legacy has flowed into China resulting in the resurgence of China as an Economic superpower. In 1978, the Chinese government decided to reform the economy. During the 1980s, China established special economic zones and opened up coastal cities and areas. Inspired by Cowperthwaite’s economic policies for Hong Kong, Shenzhen was singled out to be the first Special Economic Zone in May 1980. The zone bordered the British colony and was created to be an experimental ground for the practice of free market capitalism on the soil of Communist China, and was an immediate and spectacular success, leading to more Special Economic Zones for Zhuhai, Shantou and many more. Since 1992, China has opened all the capital cities of inland provinces and autonomous regions up to capitalism. In addition, 15 free trade zones, 32 state-level economic and technological development zones, and 53 industrial development zones have been established in large and medium-sized cities. In these zones, first Hong Kong and British and then other foreign firms benefited from preferential policies such as lower tax rates, reduced regulations and special managerial systems. In addition, the state gave Shanghai permission to set up a stock exchange, expand its examination and approval authority over investments and allow foreign-funded banks to engage in  business. Cowperthwaite’s legacy of bringing capitalism to communist China is so great that all over the Far East, busts of him are being sold and a heroic scale statue to him is erected in Hong Kong.

      Right up to date with Venezuela, every other Socialist system has failed spectacularly. I bet the Bankers “Too big to fail” Marxist system will also fail.

         23 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Richard, did you hear this morning that those ‘supposed ‘D’ notices’, silencing the BBC, haven’t apparently reached the Times newspaper?

        The Times claims that traces of the ‘Novichok’ were found on the Skripal’s shoes. There could be two main explanations for that, both quite interesting.

        The focus is swinging back to the Skripals.

        (R4 TODAY Prog review of newspapers @ 6.40am approx.)

           8 likes

  17. taffman says:

    “Theresa May requests ‘revised’ customs proposals”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43983592
    Anyone get the feeling that the PM is using delaying tactics to to allow the ‘enemy’ more time to stop Brexit?
    Change her for Rees-Mogg unless she sticks to her promise, “No deal would be better than a bad deal”………………….

       31 likes

    • taffman says:

      I am afraid that the EU and Theresa May are now a Busted Flush. Its been nearly Two Years now.
      We should have exited 23 June 2016 .

         39 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        taffman, a tad hasty – we were only voting that day. 🙂

        (After the result was known, I suspect the PM was advised by Civil Servants that he had to file the Article 50 Notice promptly and he decided instead to resign.)

        I think we should have had a Referendum in 1991 on the Maastricht Treaty. There was a really good case for that. The effects of Black Wednesday might not have been so bad. Perhaps it would have been avoided completely?

        It’s strange that with all their interest in history, historians and marking anniversaries that the BBC do not talk about that (or the Lisbon Treaty) at all. Did they air any programmes about Maastricht in February last year? Did they mark the 25th Anniversary with fanfares?

        No?

        Really?

        I wonder why …

           17 likes

  18. StewGreen says:

    From 3 years ago Another very good edit here
    on the “TV Licensing Scam”
    I’d not seen this before
    half a millon views

       24 likes

  19. StewGreen says:

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/05/02/transport-bosses-slam-backlash-manchester-allah-ad-campaign-year-terror-attack/

    Strange for me a Twitter search on : manchester allah bus
    ..brings only results in French language
    #censorship ?

       21 likes

  20. pugnazious says:

    Quite, quite astounding, the BBC are still ignoring the massive abuse Sajid Javid has received from Labour supporters even as he demands, in Parliament, that Corbyn denounce the abusers….

    ‘Sajid Javid today angrily demanded Jeremy Corbyn denounce his supporters for branding him a ‘coconut’ and an ‘Uncle Tom’ since his appointment as Home Secretary.

    Amid furious exchanges in a Commons debate on the Windrush scandal, Mr Javid demanded the Labour leader come to the Despatch Box to condemn the abuse.

    Since being made Home Secretary on Monday, Mr Javid has been subject to a torrent of racist abuse – much of which appears to come from left-wingers who profess support for Mr Corbyn.’

    The BBC has in the meantime of course again reported on the abuse Abbott gets:

    Diane Abbott: Sentence over racially abusive letter

    Guess Sajid Javid just isn’t black enough.

       53 likes

  21. pugnazious says:

    The BBC won’t report what the new Home Secretary said about the abuse he has suffered so I’ll do it for them…here’s what Hansard reports he said in Parliament yesterday:

    Sajid Javid
    ‘I said earlier in the House that I am interested in a compliant, not a hostile environment. But, talking of a hostile environment, my hon. Friend reminds me of some of the hard left who have joined the Labour party ever since the right hon. Member for ​Islington North became the Leader of the Opposition and how their anti-Semitism has been tolerated—

    I was talking about members of the hard left who have created a hostile environment in their own party and people who welcomed my appointment by calling me a coconut and an Uncle Tom. If that is something the Leader of the Opposition thinks is wrong, why does he not get up at the Dispatch Box right now and denounce them? [Interruption.] I did not think he would want to say anything, and we know exactly what he thinks about a hostile environment in the Labour party against people’s backgrounds.’

    There, not too difficult was it? What do you reckon? £700,000 a year for that sort of thing? Worth every penny.

       45 likes

  22. Richard Pinder says:

    Ten ways to identify “Fake News” on the BBC.

    (1) Is the BBC story censored by a D-Notice, if yes then it is “Fake News”
    (2) Is known information censored by the BBC, if yes then it is “Fake News”
    (3) Is the information provided by a BBC seminar of fake scientists, if yes then it is “Fake News”
    (4) Is the information on the BBC supplied by an environmental activist, if yes then it is “Fake News
    (5) Is the information on the BBC about Atmospheric Physics, supplied by a Geneticist, if yes then it is “Fake News
    (6) Does the BBC promote wishful thinking, assumptions, fears and computer model predictions as facts, if yes then it is “Fake News”
    (7) Is the BBC censoring facts provided by other news organisations, if yes then it is “Fake News
    (8) Is the BBC forgetting facts and the sequence of events, if yes then it is “Fake News
    (9) Is the BBC providing inconsistencies, if yes then it is “Fake News”
    (10) Is the BBC providing contradictions, if yes then it is “Fake News”

       31 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Richard, do ‘D’ notices still exist? I have an idea that Blair’s government did away with them.

         7 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Answering my own question, a very quick search suggests, courtesy of the Londonderry Sentinel (of whose accuracy & dependability I cannot vouch) that ‘DA’ notices, as they are now known, do still exist and are arranged under five categories:

        ” “In 1984 there were eight standing D Notices (reduced from 12 as a result of the 1981 review of the System).”

        This has since reduced to five standing notices.

        They are: DA-Notice 01: Military Operations, Plans and Capabilities; DA-Notice 02: Nuclear and Non-Nuclear Weapons and Equipment; DA-Notice 03: Ciphers and Secure Communications; DA-Notice 04: Sensitive Installations and Home Addresses; and DA-Notice 05: United Kingdom Security and Intelligence Services and Special Services. ”

        Guess the Skripal poisoning would fit under category 5 and, possibly, 4.

           12 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          All change again on the D notice front. This should be the latest set-up, obtained via gov.uk w-site.

          “Standing DSMA-Notices

          The 5 standing DSMA-Notices are as follows. Click the relevant button to see each DSMA-Notice:

          DSMA-Notice 01: Military Operations, Plans & Capabilities
          DSMA-Notice 02: Nuclear & Non-Nuclear Weapon Systems & Equipment
          DSMA-Notice 03: Military Counter-Terrorist Forces, Special Forces and Intelligence Agency Operations, Activities and Communication Methods and Techniques
          DSMA-Notice 04: Physical Property and Assets
          DSMA-Notice 05: Personnel and their Families who work in Sensitive Positions ”

          Unfortunately, there is no clicky to a list of actual DA/DSMA Notices currently in force.

             6 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        TOADY watch: more funnies, more strange but true #3

        It is always a puzzle to me, and a good reason for a chuckle, that people who fervently believe in the full-on Theory of Evolution become very upset at the possibility of a species becoming extinct as well as when it does actually happen. You would think that conflict would be overwhelmed by their understanding of so-called ‘settled (cough, splutter) science’ !

        PS. Is David Attenborough ‘losing his marbles’?

           17 likes

    • thirdoption says:

      “Ten ways to identify “Fake News” on the BBC.”

      (1) If the story is on the BBC then it is “Fake News”
      (2) Refer to point (1)
      (3) Refer to point (1)
      (4) Refer to point (1)
      (5) Refer to point (1)
      (6) Refer to point (1)
      (7) Refer to point (1)
      (8) Refer to point (1)
      (9) Refer to point (1)
      (10) Refer to point (1)

         18 likes

  23. Loobyloo says:

    Cambridge Analytica: Closure “will not stop investigation” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43985186
    Hope the stinking rotten media are happy that they’ve run this company into the ground, lost jobs, out of the economy etc, all over what exactly….sheeple who didn’t know their details might be used…. or just another big attempt to discredit Trump and Brexit. Of course the company wasn’t linked to Hilliary or Corbyn.
    I’m waiting Maxi.

       36 likes

  24. Beeb Brother says:

    RE: Starbucks men.

    Who calls the world’s media when they are asked to leave a coffee house? Why do the BBC insist on running with pathetic race-baiting nonsense like this?

    I used to live by a terrifyingly vibrant area of Bristol called StPauls – safe space it is not. I would love these snowflakes to spend just a few hours there then lecture us all about ‘racial profiling.’ Perhaps if they avoid micro aggressions whilst being battered and mugged the gangsters might go easy on them.

       42 likes

    • Beeb Brother says:

      This is partly why Trump calls them fake: their obsession with nonsense nobody outside of their bubble cares about, and pretence that the things they do care about are not problems at all or are actually fantastic such as open borders, muticulturalism etc.

         43 likes

      • Beeb Brother says:

        QED: Lengthy segment about plants at Kew Gardens. Lovely and fluffy. Just talk about this sort of thing and we will not notice the country crumbling around us. Sarah Montague moans she is underpaid! How hard is it to talk to an audience about their favourite plants? Sounds like an £8 an hour job to me.

           30 likes

  25. johnnythefish says:

    Welcome back David Vance! It is reassuring to know you are still there to give this invaluable website your backing.

    I miss Alan’s well-researched posts. I suspect they might sometimes have been a bit lengthy for some readers and perhaps that combined with a forensic and very articulate journalistic style might put people off trying to emulate his contributions.

    One alternative might be for someone to monitor the open threads and select what they consider to be a more interesting post for a thread in its own right – maybe adding bits to support the theme – and so open it up for wider discussion and expansion.

    Another point I’d make is that Alan’s threads, despite the research and effort that went into them, rarely seemed to generate much interest, which he must have found disappointing (I know I did). A great pity as they did so much to expose the fat, shameless, stinking bias of the increasingly hard left BBC.

    Unfortunately for reasons I won’t go into I am restricted to mobile phone access at the moment (no I’m not in chokey) so am unable to help with any day to day running.

    Good luck with your new venture which sounds like it might press a few well-deserving buttons.

       32 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      +10 Yes that would be great if some of us had the power to open a “Breaking Topic” thread when they come up.
      Cos that would give clear threads instead of noisy ones.
      Currently there is a lot of duplication cos someone spots a new story an makes a comment , then after 2 hours someone else turns up and writes the same, cos they are unaware of the first comment.

      It’s the nature of some topics that any explanation is long. So I tend to write..and then before pressing POST, I go back to the first line and insert a title and 1 sentence summary.

      using (strong)(/strong) using > < brackets helps highlight key words

         8 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Stew, please can you show me how to italicise on this site? I use caps instead but ‘some people’ don’t like it because it is ‘shouty’.

           2 likes

  26. Up2snuff says:

    This is absolutely hilarious and is a good example of how the BBC is completely losing the plot in their belief that they are accurate and reliable and other media sources, especially the new ones, are defective and deceptive when compared to them.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/3c13de13-906f-48a2-b701-71c92ead42c7

    Apart from the inaccurate BBC casting stones at others from inside their glasshouse, a couple of sentences in the bit about Billy Joel is good for a laugh.

    The BBC; not dumbing down but now totally dumbed down.

    Already.

       14 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      Oh FFS. On “We Didn’t Start The Fire”:

      Not much on feminism or Native Americans. African-American civil rights are understated.

      It always comes back to the same few “isms” with the BBC.

         24 likes

      • Demon says:

        Yes Roland, I just had a quick scan through the article. It’s typical BBC, coming up with a good idea but then ruining the whole thing due to their excessive bigotries. It could have been so much more interesting, and what about Alex Harvey’s Boston Tea Party?

           14 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          The bit I liked was this:
          “it’s a rapid fire, but somewhat personalised, account of 20th century American history. “Noam Chomsky would have written a rather different song,” says Graham Noble, Head of History at Kent College, Canterbury.”

          At least it’s a MALE academic showing himself and the BBC’s writer & Editor to be real dim bulbs. There has been a bit too much tosh from female academics and Professors on BBC R4 recently.

          Of course Chomsky would have written a different song. The clue is in the word ‘personalised’. It is what song writers do. It’s their job.

          If I was a History student at Kent College, Canterbury, I would be asking for my fees back on the strength of that statement from Graham Noble.

             12 likes

    • Rich says:

      ‘Pop’ songs? Really?

      Britney Spears and Justin Bieber do pop.

      The Band and PJ Harvey ? No. Wrong from the start yet again bBbc.

         14 likes

  27. Up2snuff says:

    No less than ten (10!) food related items currently on the BBC web-site Home Page, and that is not counting the item on the milkman.

    Obesity Crisis.

    What Obesity Crisis?

       15 likes

  28. Guest Who says:

    By way of explanation for any unaware of the various means of dissemination of ‘news’ the bbc deploys, this ‘story’ is from twitter.

    Some may feel they have way too many staff with not enough to talk about.

       26 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      ‘What’s the point of a made bed anyway?’

      When the BBC are asking the nation that question, you know we’re f****d.

         8 likes

  29. Guest Who says:

    No mention, but presumably the funds from this are directed appropriately?

       7 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Sopel Watch

      Poor John has been in recovery since it was announced that President Trump is to go talk to North Korea . Today Sopel perked up talking about some tom after fame and fortune .

      The clear bias here is almost no coverage of the efforts being made for freeing Americans from North Korean prison camps . Now which is more important ?

      I think mr Sopel might have a full breakdown of my Trump actually goes to the Korean dmz .

      Declaration – my 250/1 bet will come in if he does

         31 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      Thank you for contacting BBC Complaints.

      I understand you feel presenters are using the BBC name to advertise products on social media.

      BBC policy does not allow the use of the BBC name, or any BBC programme title/character/image etc in any way which might imply BBC endorsement of any third party’s products or services. Views expressed in personal accounts do not reflect those of the BBC.

      I hope my response helps to clarify our position on this matter however I appreciate you may continue hold a different view.

      All complaints are sent to senior management and programme makers every morning and we have included your points in this overnight report. These reports are among the most widely read sources of feedback in the BBC and ensures that your complaint has been seen by the right people quickly.

      Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

      Kind regards
      BBC Complaints Team

      . . . .

      Oh dear, the twitter feeds have the BBC name in them … any lawyers in the house?

      “BBC policy does not allow the use of the BBC name, or any BBC programme title/character/image etc in any way which might imply BBC endorsement of any third party’s products or services.”

      @KattyKayBBC – Author of The Confidence Code and Womenomics

      @BBCJonSopel – My book If Only They Didn’t Speak English is out now.

         21 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        Is that it? Policy doesn’t allow it, so it didn’t happen?

        Or have I missed the point entirely because Twitter is difficult to understand?

           9 likes

  30. Englands Dreaming says:

    The UK seems to become more insane every day.
    Here is the Beebs article on the sacking of Whitby lifeboat men
    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-43980257

    Reading the Beebs article it is unclear what the men actually did, except have “sexual material” the Mail shows you the picture of it, a totally harmless joke mug
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5684991/Two-Whitby-RNLI-lifeboat-men-sacked-naked-woman-mugs-four-quit-row.html

    The (no doubt well paid) managers of the RNLI should be ashamed of themselves. This story I suspect will strike a nerve with the public and gather momentum – donations to the RNLI will plumet.

    The RNLI has totally lost the plot, there only mission in life is to save people in trouble in the water NOTHING else

       53 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Oh no. This is serious.

      RNLI is one of few charities I have/ had respect for and see//saw every reason to support, for the work of those risking their lives.

      If money is going to those up the chain, supported in careful editting by the bbc, to do stuff like this….

         28 likes

      • theisland says:

        Yes – it is those charged with the running of the RNLI that need investigating, not the volunteers who do the actual work.
        I had heard (no proof) some time ago that the RNLI had vast amounts of money. If true, it would be good to know who is benefiting. Perhaps they could build more boats rather than pay for PC/HR-type jobsworths.

           26 likes

      • MarkyMark says:

        I think I will say I will reduce my payments until they start doing the correct thing … stopping seems wrong … but reducing might send a good message.

           8 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        For those who know how it works, it’s worth messaging the RNLI Twitter account (@RNLI) to tell them what you think.

           10 likes

    • thirdoption says:

      Whilst in Whitby this winter we got caught in a freezing snow/sleet storm and spent a couple of hours in the RNLI museum there.
      The stories of heroism were quite moving – men losing their lives whilst attempting to save others.

      One particular story told of weather in winter so bad that they were unable to launch the lifeboat, so the men, along with horses, dragged the boat along the cliff, through snow several feet deep, to Robin Hoods Bay seven miles away and launched from there instead.
      No one was paid a penny, they did it because that’s what they do.

      I notice that the men were sacked by their female manager.
      Not once in all the stories of bravery and heroism that I read in the Whitby RNLI museum did I read that any of the volunteers who lost their lives were woman.

         47 likes

      • Theresa says:

        Did you meet the Zimbabwean fishermen?

        (BBC’s “Coast”, a few years ago.)

           7 likes

        • MarkyMark says:

          You will also notice this (immigration) is a one way street. Not once in my adult life have I heard anybody say that the thing that Eritrea (Africa) needs most is an injection of Welshmen. They could do with some Welsh cooking or singing. ” Douglas Murray {@7:24 youtube}

             19 likes

          • Theresa says:

            Yes, only white western people, who seem to be responsible for every ill in the World, are expected to surrender their individuality.

            Places like Tibet, for instance, must be preserved at all costs. Japan also attracts little criticism, in spite of having a less than perfect imperial past.

            I’m all for preserving these cultures, I’d just like my own to warrant the same protection.

               20 likes

  31. pugnazious says:

    ‘The Beauty’ is very excited, he thinks Trump is on the ropes, one of his lawyers has told us that Trump knew of the payment to Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about the ‘affair’ and that he repaid the money…thus confirming his guilt.

    One, it wasn’t an affair it was a one night stand, and two Giuliani didn’t say Trump knew of the payment at the time it was made. Sopel missed out a crucial part of the quote only telling us that Trump ‘knew of the general arrangements.’ suggesting this meant he knew of the ‘general arrangements’ of this particular payment.

    But that’s not what Giuliani said. What he did say was

    ‘ “He didn’t know about the specifics of it, as far as I know. But he did know about the general arrangement, that Michael would take care of things like this, like I take care of things like this for my clients. I don’t burden them with every single thing that comes along. These are busy people.” ‘

    To me that is saying only that Trump knew that his lawyer would deal with issues that arose, such as Daniels’ blackmail attempt, without bothering Trump.

    Sopel is claiming Trump lied on Airforce One when he denied knowing about the payment…but look at the clip and he is asked ‘Did you know about the $130,000 payment?’

    That is, did he know at the time it was made presumably….which Giuliani indicates he probably didn’t. No time frame on the question…..Giuliani later actually said Cohen said Trump had no knowledge of the payment at the time and he couldn’t dispute that…

    ‘Giuliani said that he didn’t know whether Cohen had made the payment without asking Trump but that he had “no reason to dispute that.”

    How could Sopel miss out all these statements, qualifications and nuances?

    Trump may have found out later and reimbursed Cohen, his lawyer, but that doesn’t mean he had anything to do with the deal.

    Once again the BBC is joining the dots and coming up with Cliff Richard in its desperation for a scoop.

    Amused to hear a follow up story on Trump and the Iran nuclear deal…apparently the deal was meant to ‘curb Iran’s nuclear [weapons] programme…er…nuclear capability’…because of course Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapons programme….or…em….does it?

       30 likes

  32. pugnazious says:

    Book of the Week soon?

    51FmEf1MpWL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

       35 likes

  33. Fedup2 says:

    Can’t help myself on this one . The London evening standard is leading with the fact that Chris Evans wasn’t on his al beeb programme today because is 92 year old mum died . I’m not lying .

       16 likes

  34. Up2snuff says:

    TOADY watch @ 8.47am.

    The BBC using News & Current Affairs programme (for at least the second time this morning) to publicise one of its own forthcoming programmes. In the second advertisement the BBC seek input from a US Democrat but no US Republican contributor provides any balance.

    There’s a surprise.

    Two of them.

       16 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Lord Bragg of al beeb with his “ in our time” show spending 45 minutes talking about Muslim European invaders in the 11th century .

      I’m guessing there won’t be any link to the current invasion .

         31 likes

      • The General says:

        I cannot listen to his program. He is the most boring man on earth. He has some very interesting guests but he cannot let them speak no matter how interesting and informative their contributions. He HAS to interrupt with his BORING interventions.

           15 likes

  35. fakenewswatcher says:

    The Sun comes up.
    The birds start singing.
    The bBc attacks Trump.
    They twist facts to suit their narrative.
    Cloud in the afternoon.
    Rain.
    A day like any other.

       44 likes

  36. Woolwich says:

    Is it just me that was saddened to see Judd Trump going out of the World Snooker Championship last night? I was taking a huge amount of pleasure from seeing Beeboids having to say complimentary things about “Trump” on a daily basis while imagining all sorts of pop ups and blockers on their autocues and computer systems showing error messages and insisting they “click again if this is what you really want to do”.

       32 likes

  37. pugnazious says:

    The BBC is reporting statements from the IPPR on the Breast Cancer issue without total disclosure…the BBC doesn’t even use the normal ‘get out’ phrase….’independent’ thinktank….just ‘Thinktank’….nevermind that the IPPR is Labour’s own thinktank. And what of the ‘two former health ministers’ backing the IPPR criticism of the government….who are they and what party do they belong to?

    BBC looking for that angle….and if it can’t get one omits relevant facts from its reports in order to create one.

       20 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      pug, bit like the item on pollution, yesterday. I noticed this morning that it was on the Home Page but it has now been pulled.

      Comments were not going their way yesterday.

      For those wishing to avoid time hunting for it, the WHO report, mentioned on R4 News progs & on the web-site with a HYS, omitted the facts that UK air pollution has been falling and in comparison to Europe, let alone elsewhere on our planet, is actually at very good low levels. That overlooks the errors and faults in the WHO report and the BBC article, which were extras.

      Look on them as a bonus.

      The BBC. Our treasured national broadcaster which gives and gives.

      And then, gives some more.

      FakeNews and/or False News.

         22 likes

    • Kaiser says:

      “pugnazious” any relation to count dankula?

         4 likes

  38. Foscari says:

    “OK Diversity dept. Here at the BBC we have nearly managed to
    get rid of all the white English males presenting or reporting.
    I know that Liverpool are in the Champions League final and
    we have to report on this. But make sure on Breakfast TV that
    ” INCLUSIVENESS” is used in the presentation.”
    “Big Brother ,as usual we have a women sports reporter. As you
    know we are doing our best to get rid of Gary Lineker on
    Match of the Day and replace him with somebody more
    inclusive. We also have an item on Women’s Cycling lined up.
    And we have got an ethnic lady supporter to tell us about her
    support for Liverpool.” That’s not bad. However don’t Liverpool
    have a LGBT supporters group? Inviting one of them on
    would even be more inclusive. By the way , have you
    found somebody to replace that whitey who was going to
    play Maria in West Side Story ? I also want the lyrics
    ” I feel PRETTY, and pity any GIRL who isn’t me ” removed.
    It’s hightly offensive.” ” Will do BIG BROTHER.”

       31 likes

    • The Sage says:

      Not related to the BBC, but this week the excellent manager of Southend United, one Chris Powell (whose forebears came here from the Caribbean), referred to one of his team as “whitey”. But that’s because his name is John White, but it did sound a bit odd.

         5 likes

  39. StewGreen says:

    Tracking local news : 2 strange things this morning
    #1 “The IPPR is a left of centre thinktank”
    in “IPPR have asked why wasn’t the breast screening error spotted earlier”
    The BBC previous BBC rule was that only “right wing” thinktanks are labelled.
    “left of centre” ?.. actually IPPR is “the home for new Labour intellectuals”

    #2 “X local theatre says that the planned EU rules banning Tungsten lighting ..forcing LED lighting will cost a fortune”
    That is quite interesting cos what LOCAL news normally does is run about 8 stories, 6 of which will be word for word across all stations, whilst the remaining 2 or 3 will be genuinely local.
    I’ve not noticed such a blatant TEMPLATE story before.
    This format is FAKENEWS, cos the story makes it out it originates from X-local-theatre, whereas actually the BBC journo drafts the story an then phones the local theatre with the leading question.
    … I catch 3 different local stations most days

       10 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      One big thing is local news has hardly done anything in the build up to local elections.
      They’ve been too busying banging on about BBC National pet issues
      “Trump/Brexit/Tories must fall”, panicking about plastics etc

         9 likes

  40. StewGreen says:

    \\ St David Attenborough, plastic slayer, commits a Lawson on BBC’s Today programme.
    Bet there’s no uproar or retribution.
    According to St. Dave plant species are facing extinction because deserts are expanding as a result of increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall.
    The huge expanse of greening over the Earth seems to have passed St. Dave by.”
    via @ST
    You could make a BBC Advent calendar of all their saints and sainted causes.

       27 likes

    • GCooper says:

      The reason there won’t be retribution is because it takes a professional activist with time and money to navigate the BBC’s labyrinthine complaints system, through which you have to go before you can complain to the carefully selected placemen at Ofcom. The only people who have the time to do that are activists supported by activist money.

      When Ofcom (surely one of the most crookedly established organisations in this whole crooked kingdom?) recently censured the BBC over Lord Lawson’s broadcast, in a Stalinist-era stitch-up orchestrated by professional ‘global warming’ activists, I tried to complain – not about the BBC but about Ofcom’s contrary decision. They didn’t want to know. You cannot complain about Ofcom. It is, like all such bodies, a law unto itself, designed to pretend the establishment gives a damn what we, the great unwashed, actually think.

      When the (long overdue) storming of Parliament by the outraged mob happens, I will take the greatest delight in seeing Ofcom and its kin exposed for the bogus. fraudulent conspiracies that they are.

      Sadly, piano wire for the crooked politicians who set up these bodies is a probably too much to hope for, but I can always dream.

         24 likes

  41. MarkyMark says:

    A BBC newsreader has come under fire after joking about his colleague stamping on a mouse to kill it.

    Radio 2 presenter James Kelly tweeted a picture of a mouse in the studio, writing: “This little fella… #newsmouse.”

    But then he later wrote: “A World Service colleague has killed the #newsmouse with his boot! ‘It would have chewed through our cables’ was the reason given. #Brutal.

    “RIP #newsmouse.”

    One follower was quick to criticise his comments, writing: “That is cruelty and against the law….not humane. Maybe needs reporting,”

    Kelly responded that he “didn’t approve either” adding: “I guess it was quicker than a trap or poison.”

    BBC presenter James Kelly faces backlash over mouse killing tweets {standard 02mar2017}

       10 likes

  42. StewGreen says:

    Emperor David of Attenborough “Do you like my Green T-shirt”
    small boy “but it’s coal black”

    Emperor David of Attenborough “Yes, but it’s got a renewable energy certificate in the pocket, so to me it looks 100% GREEN”
    http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-5664073/Green-energy-deals-cheapest.html#ixzz5EOzdb0eM

       15 likes

  43. MarkyMark says:

    Cast you minds back ….

    “EU’s Juncker calls empty European Parliament ‘ridiculous'” {bbc.co.uk 04jul2017}

    Estimating the number of MEPs present at about 30, he said it proved that the parliament was “not serious”.

    “There are only a few members in the plenary to control the commission. You are ridiculous,” Mr Juncker repeated. In total, the parliament has 751 deputies.

    … 30 out of 751 = 3% MEP Turnout in 2017 …

       13 likes

  44. StewGreen says:

    11:30am R4 Now : African-American artists are often not awarded as much recognition as their peers.

    Hmm African-American artists are often awarded MUCH more much recognition by the BBC than their peers.
    I’ve never heard of BBC-Arts-PR Team, but here they are tweeting about this prog.


    (Alvin Hall himself is OK in my book)

       9 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Stew, agree about Alvin Hall.

      He had a recognised and proven knowledge, real acumen and is an engaging personality. Also slightly edgy. A real talent. Not a whingeing BAME victim-hood claimer. The Beeb – many years ago now – obviously, I hope, picked him for the former.

      I note that he is back on Radio4.

         2 likes

  45. Guest Who says:

    A summary. On twitter. A twitter summary if you will. May also include bbc bias to those attuned.

       37 likes

    • Emmanuel Goldstein says:

      GW,
      I suppose you could call it balanced because every week it is 4 remainers to 1 leaver.
      Maybe in bbc speak that works out as balanced.
      I think 1 leaver is worth 4 remainers.
      A bit like when Israel swaps 500 Palestinian prisoners of war for 1 captured Israeli soldier.

      Listen to when that chi onwura speaks, she can only talk in cliches and party rhetoric, it’s quite funny at times.

         16 likes

    • The Sage says:

      And it’s every single week without fail.

         7 likes

  46. Beeb Brother says:

    Why run with the Stormy Daniels nonsense? The non-stop attacks on Trump are so nasty and boring, all from the side who lectures us about ‘hate speech.’

       34 likes

  47. Englands Dreaming says:

    The other day I posted about how I was treated to a story on the World Service about a new video game where I could experience racism as a black person. Well today I thought I would try Radio 4, this time I was treated to a story about racism towards contemporary BAME artists in America, how the gallery system is against them etc, etc.

    Its relentless and the promulgation of the BAME person always as a victim does not help anybody.

       29 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      Can you play as a South African farmer .. or the leader of the EU who has the keys to the borders?

         14 likes