Incoming links from bias-bbc-nose-rubbing

made me think someone thought it a bit cruel reminding the BBC Editors Blog about the Dame Pauline Neville-Jones broadside that they’ve conveniently excluded from their regular BBC in the news round-up since Monday. Far from it though. In Bias, the BBC and rubbing noses Mick Fealty, blogging at the Telegraph, wrote: Biased BBC is an excellent example of the practical application of blog software to good civic use. Indeed, … Continue reading

Open thread – for comments of general Biased BBC interest:

Please use this thread for BBC-related comments and analysis. Please keep comments on other threads to the topic at hand. N.B. this is not (and never has been) an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or use as a chat forum. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog. Please scroll down to find new topic-specific posts. Click through to read and contribute comments on this … Continue reading

Good news is no news

. Early in July the BBC World Service began Monitoring the surge of US troops in Iraq, with BBC Views Online telling us: The build-up of US troops in Iraq is now complete. The level of violence has not decreased, with attacks shifting away from places where US forces are concentrated… Fast forward three months, with the BBC still Monitoring the surge: The number of people killed in Iraq fell … Continue reading

For a little light hearted relief, the Guardian has a great cache of fake James Purnell photos

discovered since the other fake Purnell photo hit the headlines. One thing not mentioned much in recent coverage is Purnell’s previous with an organisation with a growing reputation for fakery and deception – the BBC – where Purnell was head of corporate planning in the mid ’90s (well, that’s what his CV says). Now running with an even bigger gang of fakers and deceivers, Purnell was caught in action again … Continue reading

Two Biased BBC readers have received responses to individual complaints

about an article, UK personal wealth at £6 trillion, featured on BBC Views Online over the weekend. The main point of complaint was the final section: Other figures, published by HM Revenue and Customs, show how rising house prices have provided a tax bonanza for the government. Stamp duty on residential property sales in the UK brought in £6.44bn for the chancellor in the last financial year, 2006-07. That was … Continue reading

Oh dear. Primetime BBC Radio 1 Jo Whiley show used fake caller:

A BBC spokeswoman said the incident happened when two hours of Whiley’s usual three-hour show had to be pre-recorded, because the presenter was attending the opening by the Queen of the new Broadcasting House. However, listeners were not informed that part of the show was pre-recorded. “The show is always live,” the spokeswoman said. “This was an exceptional occasion.” The BBC said the fact that the competition was pre-recorded did … Continue reading

Iain Dale wryly asks:

You’re on the ropes on inheritance tax. You need to take over the news agenda. What do you do? Get your bruiser of a spin doctor to phone up Nick Robinson and tell him some troops might, at some indeterminate time in the future, just possibly, be pulled out of Iraq. Sure enough, it becomes the lead item on the BBC News bulletins with copious use of the phrase “The … Continue reading

Open thread – for comments of general Biased BBC interest:

Please use this thread for BBC-related comments and analysis. Please keep comments on other threads to the topic at hand. N.B. this is not (and never has been) an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or use as a chat forum. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog. Please scroll down to find new topic-specific posts. Click through to read and contribute comments on this … Continue reading