Category Archives: Czech

I must make at least some comment on this terrible journalism done by Clive Myrie in his hit piece on the Czech Republic.

It was mentioned by several people in the comments, and I must not let it pass. I would like to take it apart piece by piece but alas haven’t time. Maybe readers can assist?

There is immensely loaded language, a lack of information, and the accuracy of it has already been questioned by the Czech Government. Social Affairs Minister Petr Necas has “accused the BBC of “classic journalistic distortion”.”

He is absolutely right. Myrie’s report on what he called “cage beds” in mental homes was a disgrace. Your humble B-BBCer has numerous Czech contacts and has consulted with many who have without exception been angry when they read the tone and content of the report. Myrie tops it all by his self-righteous BBC busybodying in the service of a Greater Cause:

“Finally, we had evidence that a member of the European Union was not fulfilling its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.” Finally!

Here’s a taster of some of Myrie’s language (with comments):

“Faint sounds could be heard coming from a room nearby – the sound of children wailing.” (yes, and mentally handicapped children never moan, do they?)

“Only then did she reach through the bars to stroke the head of the male teenager inside, as if stroking an animal in its cage at the zoo.” (which animals in a zoo would Myrie be allowed to stroke, and isn’t such human contact the very thing that one might look for in caring nursing?)

“I wanted to find out what happens to the mind of someone who spends much of their life in a cage” (no, ignoramus, a so-called cage bed, and if you bothered to ask yourself why the kids didn’t show signs of malnutrition or why there were no urine or faeces stains visible, or how they were clothed, you’d realise they would have to leave their “cages” accompanied by a nurse and have human contact directly on many occasions every day. Honestly- -ed. I should point out here, Myrie was making a TV item- perhaps you have seen it? It is clear from this clip that the children were clothed, clean and nourished)

Needless to say, the BBC went in by lying, under false pretences, and discovered not very much at all, to be honest- hence the furore which they’ve nicely played down by keeping the Czech response from getting the publicity which the report got.

I could of course go on, but as I said, I haven’t time :-). Read it and judge for yourselves. This is so bad that the words “well meaning” have no meaning in this case.