how the Radio 4 news starts with a summary and then goes on to cover the same stories in more detail? Well, in today’s 1 o’clock news the summary said that a fax had been sent to a newspaper by the Abu Nayaf al-Afghani group saying that Spain would suffer more terrorism if it did not withdraw its troops from Iraq. Just Iraq. I thought it sounded odd, given the … Continue reading →

And Andrew Ian Dodge has said it. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

died the other day, aged 95 and just weeks after broadcasting his final Letter from America. This page contains well-merited tributes to him and excerpts and transcripts from the longest-running speech radio programme in history. I remember listening to his distinctive, gravelly voice literally as a child at my father’s knee. I liked his voice. After a while it dawned on me that I liked and was learning from what … Continue reading →

Brian Micklethwait, desperate for hits over at little-known blog venue Samizdata, pleads for a link to an outrageous piece of mischief-making by the Radio Times, the BBC’s literary mouthpiece. Happy to oblige, guys. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

is one of several blogs who have mentioned that Israeli minister Natan Sharansky sent a furious letter to the BBC over Orla Guerin’s coverage of the child suicide bomber who changed his mind. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

. John Perry writes: Hi Natalie, seen

You might be tempted to think that the 52 Mexicans sitting on death row are victims according to this BBC article headed– ‘US blamed over death row Mexicans’ If the BBC wanted to inform rather than inflame, some background on the gruesome crimes which precipitated the death sentences would provide perspective. This you can get from Power Line. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

I have only intermittent access to a computer. So here’s some quick links without my usual waffle – nice people will refrain from writing in and saying it’s an improvement. Go see new blog The Ultra Moderate. Check out the cool statement of belief top right. The Daily Ablution hangs John Humphrys out to dry. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

What a wonderful so-called picture of Condoleeza Rice in this so-called ‘White House U-turn on 9/11 inquiry’ story. As Andrew Sullivan notes, inquiries are not always so much fun when journalists are in the hotseat. Senior BBC staff are threatening to take some flagship programmes off the air rather than face criticisms from an internal inquiry launched in the aftermath of Hutton. A remarkable series of internal battles, which has … Continue reading →

to the USS Neverdock, a media scrutiny blog (can anyone think of a neater term for what is fast becoming a recognisable genre?) captained by Marc, a former US Navy man now living in Scotland. Here’s a quote: “…more garbage from The BBC by Tim Franks This guy is moaning about not being able to jog in Baghdad! That’s right, jog. Not a typo for blog.” Click through to read … Continue reading →