So, when does the BBC bias have to stop?
CF was under the impression that, once a General Election campaign was officially underway, news organisations such as the BBC were required to be scrupulously neutral and even handed.
Compare and contrast the two news texts CF received this morning. Firstly, from Sky News:
And secondly, from Auntie Beeb, the BBC:
Subtly different? No, not really. Completely different.
One tells us the news. The other tells us the same news, prefaced with a little message from Gordo', our beloved leader.
Thanks, Auntie...
.
Posts
11 comments:
boo hoo.
It won't help Labour. They're doomed.
And rightfully so.
Oh for fuck's sake. The BBC constantly uses quotes from Cameron attacking Labour as its lead headlines. Indeed, it often uses quotes from Cameron without attributing them to him in the headline at all, thereby implying that the sentiment expressed is a matter of general consensus. For instance, it recently led with 'PM's "weakness" blamed for strikes', as though it had been independently verified, and not merely asserted by the leader of the opposition. Yet I don't see you rounding on the BBC when it gives prominent, uncritical coverage of the claims of Labour's enemies. Indeed, I don't suppose you register this as biased coverage at all. I tend to think the BBC is balanced, in the sense that it treats both parties unfairly, in roughly equal measure. But if you think it's systematically biased to the left, you're being incredibly myopic.
" The BBC constantly uses quotes from Cameron attacking Labour as its lead headlines."
Sure it does. It's a news organisation, after all, and it wants viewers. For the same reason, all kinds of celebrity twaddle appears in its scrolling marquee.
But this is the GE announcement. If you can't see that the juxtaposition is the BBC clearly stating where their favours
lie, you must not be incrdibly myopic, but incredibly determined NOT to see what's in front of your eyes.
I tend to see the BBC as in favour of whoever's in power. It's a lackey thing rather than a bias thing. I think they just represent whatever is the current establishment. Plus, since the arrival of the woeful Helen Boaden as head honcho, I think their coverage is utter crapola.
As I commented elsewhere...
Just watched a live PTC with Huw Edwards, Charles Clarke and Ming Campbell from the lawn outside the HoC. Talking about the election of course. General consensus was that the Tories (eeevil Tories!) are far too inexperienced to govern properly. A more biased BBC love-in I have yet to see. What - couldn't find a Conservative spokeman for that piece, eh?
"But this is the GE announcement. If you can't see that the juxtaposition is the BBC clearly stating where their favours
lie, you must not be incrdibly myopic, but incredibly determined NOT to see what's in front of your eyes."
Yes, the BBC was reporting the general election announcement: the general election announcement as delivered by Gordon Brown! Are you, or CF, seriously trying to maintain that the BBC should have reported on Brown's speech without telling people what he actually said? What an incredible editorial policy that would be!
"Are you, or CF, seriously trying to maintain that the BBC should have reported on Brown's speech without telling people what he actually said?"
You mean, like Sky managed to do?
By now, we all know that the Truth tends to be the opposite of whatever Gordon says. It's become an instinctive reflex.
Good point, Julia! Exactly like Sky managed to!
It's not rocket science! It's journalism! As a journalist who know naff-all about rockets, I think I am qualified to say that!
In answer to the original question ("when does the BBC bias have to stop?") the answer is - never.
As long as they keep getting £3.6billion of our money to spend as they choose with no regard for anyone then this vile state broadcaster will continue to do exactly as it pleases. They'll slant the news in the direction that suits them best (ie towards those that will keep the tap turned on), they'll ignore anything they dont like, misreport any topic that doesnt fit their world view etc etc.
It's long past time that everything that can be done equally well by the private sector is taken from the BBC and sold off. Their taxpayer funded interference in new commercial markets needs to be severely restricted. Anything they want to do outside of this should be done on a commercial basis like Virgin and Sky.
As a result the TV tax can be either scrapped or reduced to a few pounds a year.
Post a Comment