via Wat Tyler, who examines the Today programme’s coverage of ITVs current woes, this little gem from ex-Beeb business editor Jeff Randall. In its coverage of the private-equity debate, Newsnight, BBC2’s main current-affairs programme, depicted those in the industry as stand-and-deliver Dick Turpins. When I asked the editor of another leading BBC news show about impartiality and the internal reaction to Newsnight’s approach, he said: “Nobody even mentioned it.” Sounds … Continue reading →

via commenter anonanon:   The BBC is advising MEPs on how to improve the “image” of the European elections, as part of a drive to make the next round of voting for the European Parliament more “viewer friendly”. Senior executives have held meetings with officials in Brussels who are seeking ways to draw more viewers into the “excitement” of the 2009 European Union-wide polls. James Stephenson, the editor of the … Continue reading →

Please use this thread for off-topic, but preferably BBC related, comments. Please keep comments on other threads to the topic at hand. N.B. this is not an invitation for general off-topic comments – our aim is to maintain order and clarity on the topic-specific threads. 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 … Continue reading →

Hate President Bush ? Got a new record out ? The Today Programme can meet all your UK publicity requirements – just ask Patti Smith. Presenter (RealAudio) – “Ry Cooder, I’ve never heard of you, but our editor listened to ‘Bop Till You Drop’ a lot back in 1980. Would you like five minutes to abuse President Bush ?” Cooder – “Why, thank you … I don’t know anyone who … Continue reading →

Blimey, that’s a lot. 30 million miles further than the Sun. Commenter J.G. writes : Fed up as I was with the constant bleating about man-made global warming we get on the BBC, I thought I would find out just what they are doing to help the planet. So I put in a FOI request asking about the air miles the BBC fly, the carbon that this produces, and how … Continue reading →

Please use this thread for off-topic, but preferably BBC related, comments. Please keep comments on other threads to the topic at hand. N.B. this is not an invitation for general off-topic comments – our aim is to maintain order and clarity on the topic-specific threads. 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 … Continue reading →

(last Wednesday’s BBC news to be exact): the announced withdrawal of 1600 of our troops and the funeral of the 101st British soldier to die in Iraq were the lead story. Via a transparently thin linkage (“One father who will be pleased at today’s news is…”), the story gave a cameo appearance to Reg Keys. I think the BBC were a little rash to run him (with so little excuse) … Continue reading →

Suppressio Veri (again) The Department for Education and Skills recently commissioned pollsters Mori to conduct eight discussion groups with members of the public in London and Manchester on recent UK educational reforms. See if you can spot the missing information when you read the BBC and Daily Telegraphreports of the findings. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

A couple of ‘compare and contrasts’. The discrepancies between this BBC report on Friday prayers at the Temple Mount/al-Haram al Sharif – and this Jeruslalem Post report. BBC – Jerusalem prayers pass peacefully Islamic prayers at Jerusalem’s holiest site ended peacefully on Friday, a week after clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police. About 3,000 police were deployed around the Old City of East Jerusalem, and men under 50 were barred … Continue reading →