BBC special reports are an interesting exercise in teasing out the stock-standard Guardianista/Islington mindset of its reporters. In the midst of a fairly sensible report (if full of journalistic clichés about little children and mothers wailing over bombed houses), the guard drops, and the soft Apocalypse Now anti-Americanism seeps out: “As the people of Baghdad tried to make do with little power, and in some areas no water, coalition officials … Continue reading
Migrants or illegals? The BBC house style is all over the place: “Captive migrants freed in Greece Greek police have freed 96 illegal immigrants held hostage in a warehouse by people-traffickers… The migrants – said to be from Asia – are to be sent back to their countries of origin… Correspondents say Greece is on a major people-smuggling route from Asia and scores of illegal immigrants are detained every week. … Continue reading
BBC Online comes to the party on Sydney: “Thousands of white men attacked people of Arabic and Mediterranean background on a Sydney beach the previous weekend. The violence was apparently sparked by an attack on two lifeguards. It led, in turn, to two nights of violence and vandalism by groups of men of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean appearance.” The earlier stages in the evolution of this file background can be … Continue reading
– just as well the BBC are keeping an eye on things for the rest of us! Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.
BBC: UK tables final EU budget offer The UK has tabled revised proposals for the EU’s 2007-13 budget at a summit in Brussels which is continuing into the night after a day of negotiation. The Times: Blair surrenders more rebate in search of EU deal Tony Blair made a further concession tonight on the rebate that Britain receives from the European Union to help break the deadlock at an EU … Continue reading
(this is getting to be a habit), study this BBC Views Online article from 20:18 last night, ‘Santa’ party girl dies in crash, then complete the following sentence: The passenger is described by police as ______, 6ft 3ins tall. The driver is also believed to be ______. Clue: See this Times article, Girl, 5, dies in hit-and-run after Christmas party, which, unlike BBC Views Online, passes on the Police description … Continue reading
Mean spirited, perhaps, to laugh at typos, but this is unintentionally rather amusing – BBC News Online have stopped their fatuous “Allies on trial“ online poll (just as the no votes were gaining ground), and have posted bar graphs of the results instead. I knew we were bad and all, deposing poor innocent Saddam, but breaching “the convention on the methods and means of WELFARE” is beyond the pale! Update:It’s … Continue reading
. Study this BBC Views Online article, Ex-Minister fined for being drunk, then complete the following sentence: The ex-Minister is a member of the ________ Party. Clue: See this Times article, Ex-minister in wine frenzy, which does manage to mention Twigg’s political affiliation – yes, it’s the same party that’s just pushed through 24-hour drinking legislation. For advanced players, The Times also provides many more details than the BBC article, … Continue reading
– where once we had BBC defends ‘digital face’ trails we now have, according to The Times, BBC drops ‘horrific’ bouncing head: The BBC dropped a “bouncing head” trailer for digital television after it was described as horrific by viewers and prompted 1,300 complaints. It featured a dismembered animated head, made up of hundreds of tiny heads, bouncing over hills. The head transformed into the face of well-known BBC presenters. … Continue reading
was devoted mostly to the topic of Christianity in London. The presenter, Emily Maitlis, noted that 70% of Londoners (in common with ~70% of the nation at the last census) describe themselves as Christians, although the media devote more time to other much less statistically significant faiths (although by far the next biggest group in the UK are those of no faith). Whilst this makes a welcome change, the coverage … Continue reading
