Paul Reynolds has an article about terrorism experts ‘floundering about’ in an attempt to understand suicide bombers. He seems to think they are missing something: ‘I felt that the conference rather ignored some of the political influences on suicide bombers, like the world events -Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, Chechnya, Bosnia and others – that provide a basic motivation for many of them.’ Well I am quite prepared to accept … Continue reading →

, Guido Fawkes has a bombshell to give to Nick Robinson: ‘Nick Robinson blogs that Prescott’s mistress was “a bombshell” to his family and colleagues. Bullshit Nick. It was hardly a bombshell to the lobby or his colleagues. Trevor Kavanagh admits he knew of Prezza’s serial adultery, half the less connected Westminster village from the lowliest research assistant and up knew. If the political editor of the BBC finds this … Continue reading →

Sorry, that should be ‘needs reporting’, but with the BBC’s reporting recently I seem to be experiencing tense confusion. The BBC report, most strangely, ‘US economy kept growing, Fed says’ in this report, and in the headline leading to it. Now, this is weird, because journalistic practise is generally to use the present continuous when some event is up to the present: US economy ‘keeps growing’, or maybe present simple … Continue reading →

I only ask because the BBC have reported ‘clashes’ between rival Palestinian ‘students’. Obviously the Beeb had checked out their enrollment details, or perhaps one could say it’s obvious they were just undertaking a practical module. The fact that the BBC describe the violence thus: ‘throwing stones and homemade explosives and exchanging gunfire’ suggests that it couldn’t really have been a harder term for the poor undergrads. They then say, … Continue reading →

We have this every few months. Last time, I remember, the debate in the comments was about whether Islam was a Good Thing or a Bad Thing. This time it’s the BNP. Email :“The threads at BBBC seem to be being hijacked by a few people interested in slipstreaming their support for the BNP under cover of discussing BBC bias. For example, the current thread has one correspondent who has … Continue reading →

The President of China is visiting the US – and the Today Programme’s first item after the eight o’clock news decides to focus on China’s attitude to human rights (RealAudio), which “is not exactly compatible with Western standards”. Would the BBC care to give us an example ? “One huge cause for concern is China’s fondness for the death penalty …” So let’s ask Ken Livingstone’s ex, Kate Allen of … Continue reading →

It’s Easter time, when the BBC gear up to cover the annual ritual that means so much to so many of the faithful – the annual conference of the National Union of Teachers. This year, those teachers who want a national strike against Government education policy are being described on Radio Four as ‘committed activists’. Way back in December 2001, when I searched the BBC News website for occurrences of … Continue reading →

Concerning the recent terrorist murders in Israel, Adloyada asks ‘Now why would the BBC report it that way?’ While DFH asks why it is that the Iranian president’s comments about Israel are being buried by the BBC, among other Iran related matters. Meanwhile, I ask why on earth it is that the Beeb have put themselves at the forefront of the charge against Rumsfeld. Again and again the same dreary … Continue reading →

The Today programme like to think that they don’t just report the news, that they “help to set the agenda” – and to a great extent they’re correct. You can hear Humphrys or Naughtie worrying away at a point like a terrier with a rat. hoping to get an admission which will make the NEXT news headlines. “In an interview on the BBC Today programme, the Minister revealed that …” … Continue reading →

I was interested to find people in the comments compiling lists of ‘BBC issues’. I think the following is a nice example of the BBC’s sly slanty issued-based bias. This article might seem fairly innocuous, business as usual for Caroline Wyatt reporting French affairs. It’s got a fashionable feminist slant, after all, questioning patriarchal values blah blah. Typical BBC really. But notice that the photo appears to have little to … Continue reading →