The BBC - Time to re-think?

Post by **clv101** » 21 Aug 2012, 12:39

biffvernon wrote:The trouble is the BBC is made up of ordinary people, most of whom are part of the system that some of us find ourselves on the fringe of.

Indeed - the idea of calls from the White House etc is just Hollywood. The explanation for bias is far more subtle, and emergent not pro-active in my opinion. Which behaviour and personality traits tend to be valued by peers and promoted? What kind of people, what kind of world views tend to become editors? I don't believe there's any pro-active conspiracy to promote editors of particular views - it just happens.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 21 Aug 2012, 13:01

emordnilap wrote: Schnews

I didn't even know Schnews had a website. For me, Schnews was (is?) a locally-distributed, weekly A4 factsheet that one would come across in "alternative" places in Brighton (of which there are lots.)

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 21 Aug 2012, 13:16

UndercoverElephant wrote:
emordnilap wrote: Schnews
I didn't even know Schnews had a website. For me, Schnews was (is?) a locally-distributed, weekly A4 factsheet that one would come across in "alternative" places in Brighton (of which there are lots.)

You can have the factsheet (like it!) delivered to your inbox too.

nexus · Post by **nexus** » 21 Aug 2012, 14:01

I agree with what people have been saying about the beeb, don't forget that they also have a bad track record of reporting climate change.

Lord Beria3 · Post by **Lord Beria3** » 21 Aug 2012, 18:14

The whole concept of a unbiased news channel is flawed but I agree that the BBC can at least try to present a balanced perspective.

By and large, I find many sections of the BBC pretty good and very informative. Yes it does have a liberal and centre-left perspective across the board but by and large it is a good broadcaster.

Saying that, it does have a establishment bias (albeit a liberal bias) and that needs to be taken into consideration.

Use the BBC, but also use Asia Times, foreign media and some of the better of the 'alternate' media like my favourite WSWS.

madibe · Post by **madibe** » 21 Aug 2012, 19:02

LB3 wrote

but by and large it is a good broadcaster.

I would have tended to agree, as my initial post suggested - but did you see Newsnight last night? or even the 6 o'clock news tonight... I don't know the presenters name, but she was smirking when she mentioned Assange and the podcast by George Galloway.... the sort of smirk that said "yea, right, as if...".

Not good.

Lord Beria3 · Post by **Lord Beria3** » 21 Aug 2012, 19:18

True, but the BBC never questioned David Kellys death or ever really questioned the government line in the build up of the Iraq war.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 21 Aug 2012, 20:21

Lord Beria3 wrote:True, but the BBC never questioned David Kellys death .

It was the Kelly affair that triggered a cataclysm in BBC management.

mr brightside · Post by **mr brightside** » 21 Aug 2012, 20:35

I've disliked the BBC for along time now, primarily because of their piss-poor approach to radio playlists, but it was the edition of Question Time featuring Nick Griffin that started to ring alarm bells with me. It was no more than a shambolic character assassination, with every man and his dog jumping on the bandwagon and flinging shit at Griffin.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 21 Aug 2012, 20:50

mr brightside wrote:I've disliked the BBC for along time now, primarily because of their piss-poor approach to radio playlists, but it was the edition of Question Time featuring Nick Griffin that started to ring alarm bells with me. It was no more than a shambolic character assassination, with every man and his dog jumping on the bandwagon and flinging shit at Griffin.

I completely agree with you and I can't even stand the twerp or anything he stands for.

Snail · Post by **Snail** » 21 Aug 2012, 21:20

The Question Time special on Scottish Independence was also a complete disgrace.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 21 Aug 2012, 23:29

Lord Beria3 wrote:Use the BBC, but also use Asia Times, foreign media and some of the better of the 'alternate' media like my favourite WSWS.

Why yes there is a ,fair , balanced and impartial source, you can rely on for the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 22 Aug 2012, 10:43

I tend to follow:

TV: BBC and Channel 4 News
Internet: BBC, Aljazeera and Russia Today
Paper: The Independent

I find that gives a reasonable spread of coverage and opinion without being too unwieldy to consume. I also find PS is great in introducing me to sources I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

Interesting that Russia Today is quite blatantly anti-US policy, yet you can receive RT in the States, but you can't get Aljazeera. (I'm talking about TV rather than internet).

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 22 Aug 2012, 11:55

Worth comparing this Australian TV broadcast with the BBC's output.

45 minutes but a very interesting programme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDaUGB3s ... ture=share

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 22 Aug 2012, 12:13

biffvernon wrote:Worth comparing this Australian TV broadcast with the BBC's output.

45 minutes but a very interesting programme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDaUGB3s ... ture=share

Fascinating. Thanks Biff. A bit of balance.