or How the Children’s BBC Website Channels the Anti-Globalisation Lobby. Inspired by a comments debate here I typed in the word “trade” into the search box of the Children’s BBC Newsround site and took a look at what I got. Some of the results referred to illegal trade in animals or animal skins. I excluded these from consideration – perhaps prematurely. My first significant result was “How fair is international … Continue reading →

John Melbourne wrote regarding the Dr Who two-parter just aired, The Empty Child. A two part edition has just finished showing on BBC 1 this Saturday. On the 21 May edition, a group of feral children use the cover of an air raid to rob houses of food. The home we are shown inside has a lavish spread on the table, far more than could be fairly obtained using ration … Continue reading →

George Galloway is currently being fawned over by BBC Radio Scotland, on of all things football programme ‘Off the Ball’. ‘…It’s a pleasure and a privilege…’ ‘…You showed them…’ ‘…Heroic…’ ‘…Americans are thickies, just look at the president!…’ UPDATE ADDED 29 MAY: USS Neverdock saw this post and expanded on it, including an audio clip. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

, can I draw your attention to a fiery post from Dash Riprock: …after ignoring the incitement story for, oh, ever, the Beeb dutifully reports on the “Jews are HIV, Jews are Cancer” sermon broadcast on the official Palestinian Authority television station. Unable to resist, they then gratuitously add this: The state broadcaster is only watched by an estimated one percent of Palestinians, who prefer Arab satellite channels. Well then, … Continue reading →

Auntie: “How do you like your news little dears?” Public: “If you’re asking whether we like our news rancid and shot through with mould in a congealed puddle of grease or fresh, we’ll take the latter. Somehow, Auntie Beeb, this does not seem like a real choice.” It may be a bit rotten and unfounded but the BBC (al Reuters , Amnesty International and the ACLU) think you need another … Continue reading →

When is a 55.5% increase “almost double the amount”? A. When it’s BBC London* reporting today on Camden Council’s planned increase in school dinner spending from 45p per head to 70p per head. This is most likely straightforward incompetence rather than bias – but the tendency for journalists to hype and over-hype stories is ever present, particularly among younger journalists reporting on run-of-the-mill stories like this – but please, BBC … Continue reading →

– as spotted by one of our ever observant commenters. Here’s a taster: Do you remember Today’s James Naughtie, who gave the game away in the run-up to the general election by referring to Labour as “us”? Do you remember on election night how Andrew Marr said that things were going “worse” than expected, when what he meant to say was “worse for Labour”. You have only to imagine Marr … Continue reading →

Norm Geras has another clear example of BBC ‘balance’. Recall that only last week we had Ronaldo’s visit (to where was it?) as case in point. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

The following article by Scott Norvell ran on May 20th in the European edition of the Wall Street Journal. It mentions Robin Aitken, Justin Webb and this blog. There is also quite a bit about the coverage of Malcolm Glazer’s takeover of Man U. Robin Aitken has nailed it. Those of us who pay the BBC’s annual £120 license fee but grit our teeth every time we watch one of … Continue reading →

Anon writes: Natalie, whoever moderates this site.The day the left-wing bottom feeders decide to slough off work, whilst promising a summer’s worth of skiving, all the while HOOVERING up licence fee cash from people they threaten and imprison, and this is the best you can do…’Robert Ayers writes to say that you can read an interview with three prominent Iraqi citizens here’…? Caaaaam on, let’s be having you. **Lady, if … Continue reading →