(Updates added below) Here’s how BBC Radio Five Live’s 1pm news bulletin dealt with the Boston bombing on Tuesday 16 April: listen to ‘BBC R5L news bulletin on Boston bombs, 16.4.13’ on Audioboo Jonathan Marcus: “The United States has a very large and well-developed group of radical extremists of their own. People I suppose you would categorise as being on the far-right, people who are opposed to federal authority, particularly … Continue reading
The BBC have given over acres of broadcasting real estate to the critics of Mrs Thatcher who claim that she destroyed the mining industry. I can’t say that they’ve given equal prominence to the fact that, as stated many times across other media, that Labour closed more mines than Mrs Thatcher. They do have space for this though: Why the fuss over George Osborne’s tears? Are they merely trying … Continue reading
Warrior and healer Obama has a tough task as innocents die, says Mark Mardell Mardell doesn’t say he believes Obama is an inspirational warrior prophet but clearly he thinks Obama is heaven sent….leaving us with this thought about Obama….. ‘He is at his best when his words seek to leave the world a different place.’ Get a room!
The BBC are continuing down the road of pointing the finger of blame at white, far right groups or individuals and other domestic possible candidates for the Boston bombing…..you have to ask on what evidence?….other than the coincidence of the date of the attack there is nothing else to go on. The German centre left publication Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: “Hysteria is the triumph of terror, but America has … Continue reading
Thatcher couldn’t reform the BBC, Kim Jong Un hasn’t been able to….let’s see what you can do….
Peter Allen relates to Nicky Campbell how when as a young journalist he asked Mrs Thatcher this (5 mins 30 secs) about the Falklands War: ‘Why are you bothering to fight this war when you know perfectly well that you will have to give them back to the Argentinians eventually.‘ Give them back? The Argentinians never owned them. And if anything Spain has a stronger claim than anyone else…other … Continue reading
Thoughtful in the comments has thoughtfully provided us with this link which I think deserves to be put up in lights here….let’s hope it wasn’t all talk: The BBC’s new director of News & Current Affairs, James Harding, on the BBC (Whilst at the Times): “The BBC distorts and suffocates an industry. It is too big.” “Big, bloated and cunning” – headline of a leader on the BBC, 2010 … Continue reading
The BBC has perhaps lost its way. Listening to Nicky Campbell this morning I couldn’t help thinking that the old fashioned virtues of respect, courage, integrity, moderation, justice, wisdom, loyalty, dignity, honour, striving for excellence, humility and sincerity all seemed in somewhat short supply at the BBC in these modern times. Courage for instance…the BBC lacked the courage to just refuse to play the ‘Ding dong’ song when … Continue reading
John Sweeney spends 8 days undercover in North Korea. BBC News head of programmes Ceri Thomas said: “This is an important piece of public interest journalism.” Asked whether that justified putting student lives at risk, he replied: “We think it does.” So what exactly was the public interest that merited the James Bond approach? We are informed that North Korea has been indulging in a great … Continue reading
Gordon Carera in the US was more balanced than the team in the Today studio (8:13)…mentioning the ‘dark skinned’ suspect and that a Saudi Student was being sought. However other conclusions have already been drawn. After the wise words of Rick Nelson, from US Homeland Security and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Evan Davis said ‘Everything points to keeping calm, play it slowly, be accurate and don’t jump to … Continue reading
