The BBC on Russian demographics: wrong, wrong, ah, right– cheers Russian Prof. How did I miss that on the BBC’s frontpage? (I commented on the BBC’s clueless approach back in April; soon afterwards came Putin’s dramatic speech emphasising the demographic crisis- somehow this follow up article escaped me). I think a really important public service would have been to run a series looking at Russia’s (and European countries’) growing demographic … Continue reading →

Whose calendar? “Violence sweeps Iraq on Ramadan” Two problems, maybe three, or more, with this headline and splash across BBConline frontpage tonight. 1)The violence alluded to appears no worse than on many other days in Iraq over the last couple of years. Loathe as I am to follow the body count rule of headlines, this doesn’t seem to qualify for the big splash effect. 2)The violence alluded to has occurred … Continue reading →

Go to Google. Type in “Woman Sour”. Hit “I’m Feeling Lucky”. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

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 →

Forgive my suspicion of this article from Frances Harrison in Tehran, but I’ve just seen such a lot of BBC pieces recently pushing the pacifist line against Iran. It was BBC world affairs editor John Simpson who described how “Iranian politics are as complex and sophisticated as any I have observed around the world”. Not that that means the BBC are soft on Iran of course, but I’ve always found … Continue reading →

Been picked up talking nonsense ? Someone had to correct it ? Never mind – just recycle it to the World Service. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

. Paul Marks notes this at Samizdata: Presenter of Seven Man Made Wonders on BBC 2 television on Thursday 14th of September- “After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the old Pagan Roman ways were pitted against the new Christian ways of the invading Angles and Saxons”. A commenter remarks: ‘If the BBC could make such a blunder over the status of religion in the later Roman empire, I wonder … Continue reading →

While the BBC devote large amounts of air time and web space (admittedly inaccurate – see three posts below) to the story of the Pope and Mohammed, they seem to have missed the scenes which greeted worshippers coming out of Mass at the centre of English Catholicism, Westminster Cathedral, this morning. Obviously not a story that would interest anyone in Britain. (Biretta-tip – the indefatigable DFH). P.S. Mohammed is referred … 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 →

Thanks to Alison at Making Headlines for the screen shot. She also adds this: “Note there are no “” around the quoted words sorry. The BBC usually likes to employ these for effect. The BBC would like to make it very clear to peace loving muslims the world over that the Pope is very very sorry, humbled in fact… I’d like to know if muslims are sorry for Darfur which … Continue reading →