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Post by Jan on Jan 12, 2021 13:19:03 GMT
I was trying to work out if it was like this pre-Trump. Going to miss it when he is gone, something about a car crash and the need to view For me it was definitely pre-Trump. We had the Bush administration to get through, Obama then popped along and made history, followed by both Hillary and Trump stepping forward long before the actual election. Even before Bush we had Clinton and his sexual relations circus. It is quite odd. Various groups such as the BBC and "young people" were supposed to be strong anti-Brexit supporters and as such opposed to UK becoming "a mere colony" of the USA after leaving the EU, and yet both appear absolutely obsessed with USA culture and politics and would appear to be just fine in practice with the idea of getting as close as possible to the USA. Was BLM a big deal in Italy ? No clue. Who is the Prime Minister in Spain ? No idea. Who is the main opposition leader in Germany ? No-one knows.
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Post by vdcni on Jan 12, 2021 13:19:47 GMT
Toby Young has been wrong every step of the way yet still he gets put up as a lockdown sceptic as if his views should still be considered as useful as medical experts. That's just balance to giving airtime to Tony Blair as if he's an expert in vaccination. Every single example of supposed bias you give is from your own left-wing viewpoint, which doesn't add any weight to your argument. You mean Tony Blair's recommendation about vaccination that is now goverment policy. If you're comparing Blair who actually has vast experience to share versus Young who is trying to attract attention for money then that's your own false equivalence. Anyway my point still stands, that we gain more if that is then discussed by medical experts in the field rather than Blair versus a medical expert. Did that actually happen? And again if Blair is wrong then don't keep inviting him back, same sanction.
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Post by londonpostie on Jan 12, 2021 13:27:16 GMT
One interesting aspect of bias is in the selection of stories that the BBC (and others) deem to constitute news. This is particularly the case in foreign news where the BBC devotes far more time and resources to USA politics and events than to similar news from EU countries. There is something very odd with the US politics in that their system seems to have a lot of entertainment value and it draws you in - more so than British politics at times. It's just very cheap to process, there is loads of it and it's simple to re-broadcast. No language issues; you just take the feed, write a 30-second voiceover summary, and take it straight to air. Just watch it for what it really is; free feed from other networks with a simple voiceover.
And for those who don't know how the BBC staff really work, the easiest fastest option is always the way. And god forbid it gets in the way of a long lunch, an early finish and a long weekend. Ever noticed who gets the Friday slots on Newsnight? They won't be there the following Monday, that's for certain. Expand that across the whole operation.
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Post by londonpostie on Jan 12, 2021 13:31:33 GMT
That's just balance to giving airtime to Tony Blair as if he's an expert in vaccination. Every single example of supposed bias you give is from your own left-wing viewpoint, which doesn't add any weight to your argument. You mean Tony Blair's recommendation about vaccination that is now goverment policy. Ditto Marcus Rashford several times over.
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jan 12, 2021 13:41:18 GMT
Toby Young has been wrong every step of the way yet still he gets put up as a lockdown sceptic as if his views should still be considered as useful as medical experts. That's just balance to giving airtime to Tony Blair as if he's an expert in vaccination. Every single example of supposed bias you give is from your own left-wing viewpoint, which doesn't add any weight to your argument. Isn't left wing view point Tony Bair is centre right and Toby Young off the scale quite ring wing?
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jan 12, 2021 13:44:37 GMT
You mean Tony Blair's recommendation about vaccination that is now goverment policy. Ditto Marcus Rashford several times over.
Are Blair and Rashford comparable?
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Post by vdcni on Jan 12, 2021 14:17:16 GMT
I have various friends who have worked at the BBC over the years and I don't recognise the description of the staff as lazy corner cutters at all.
It was by no means perfect but then no organisation ever is.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2021 16:44:03 GMT
There is something very odd with the US politics in that their system seems to have a lot of entertainment value and it draws you in - more so than British politics at times. It's just very cheap to process, there is loads of it and it's simple to re-broadcast. No language issues; you just take the feed, write a 30-second voiceover summary, and take it straight to air. Just watch it for what it really is; free feed from other networks with a simple voiceover.
And for those who don't know how the BBC staff really work, the easiest fastest option is always the way. And god forbid it gets in the way of a long lunch, an early finish and a long weekend. Ever noticed who gets the Friday slots on Newsnight? They won't be there the following Monday, that's for certain. Expand that across the whole operation.
You have really never worked in a news room, let alone at a BBC news room have you? This is an outright lie. You should be very careful posting incorrect information that you clearly know nothing about other than basic assumptions.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 12, 2021 17:30:40 GMT
One interesting aspect of bias is in the selection of stories that the BBC (and others) deem to constitute news. This is particularly the case in foreign news where the BBC devotes far more time and resources to USA politics and events than to similar news from EU countries. I'd agree with that. While trying to ignore the massive amount of BBC coverage the latest US election got (and the previous one, and the one before that, etc.) I found myself wondering how much coverage the major US news channels give to British elections. I suspect it's almost certainly an awful lot less, if any at all!
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jan 12, 2021 18:54:46 GMT
One interesting aspect of bias is in the selection of stories that the BBC (and others) deem to constitute news. This is particularly the case in foreign news where the BBC devotes far more time and resources to USA politics and events than to similar news from EU countries. I'd agree with that. While trying to ignore the massive amount of BBC coverage the latest US election got (and the previous one, and the one before that, etc.) I found myself wondering how much coverage the major US news channels give to British elections. I suspect it's almost certainly an awful lot less, if any at all! CNN regularly mentions the UK and Ireland in regard to covid. Last week or so I have been watching CNN and surprised me how much UK news there is. BUt certainly much less than UK coverage of the States
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Post by kathryn on Jan 12, 2021 19:19:26 GMT
Unfortunately the US is the big beast that causes the rest of the world to catch the proverbial cold when they sneeze, and are known to wipe their nose with their sleeve instead of using a tissue, so the rest of the world has to pay them a disproportionate amount of attention.
Like it or not, sharing a language and a culture (and an Internet) means they impact on us on all sorts of ways that we just can’t ignore.
Of course we should also pay a lot more attention to China than we do, but they actively make it harder to do so - it’s not just the language barrier, it’s information control.
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Post by lynette on Jan 12, 2021 20:26:01 GMT
If you are interested in the history of China I can recommend The Story of China by Michael Wood, looks a huge book but it is very readable with lots of accounts from individuals. It goes a long way in explaining the Chinese mindset today. As for the USA we don't share a language as much as we think we do. Of course we understand it fully but there is another mindset beneath it. I’m sure you guys have all travelled more extensively in the US than I have but I have found in my limited experience that if you go a few miles away from the coast on either side you meet a very different cultural milieu , not better or worse than that of the UK but different.
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Post by kathryn on Jan 12, 2021 20:42:31 GMT
I work closely with US colleagues and I know we are two countries divided by a common language - and some of the cultural differences are really weird when you stub your toe on them.
But still, the impact of the US in the business world in undeniable. Sadly.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2021 9:21:11 GMT
One interesting aspect of bias is in the selection of stories that the BBC (and others) deem to constitute news. This is particularly the case in foreign news where the BBC devotes far more time and resources to USA politics and events than to similar news from EU countries. I'd agree with that. While trying to ignore the massive amount of BBC coverage the latest US election got (and the previous one, and the one before that, etc.) I found myself wondering how much coverage the major US news channels give to British elections. I suspect it's almost certainly an awful lot less, if any at all! When you say "selection of stories from the BBC" are you referring to their highlights output on BBC1, Regional & National output on the News channel or world news output on BBC World? Either way, USA are the UK's biggest political ally and as such are bound to get a focus on the news coverage, as has been the case since 2001 when Tony Blair and George Bush's working relationship became very close. I dare say after a day spent watching BBC World News output opinions might change.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 12, 2021 11:08:06 GMT
And it's bye bye to the Mash Report. I won't miss it but I'm greatful as it introduced me to Rachel Parris.
I'm amazed at how left BBC comedy is and Mash was its centrepiece.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2021 11:35:14 GMT
Aye. Lets see what's replacing it. Of course the reactive position on Twitter is to assume it doesn't fit in Tim Davie's new political stance for the corporation (news broke in The Sun, so will have been painted in a twisted way). Whereas perhaps it's just not really getting the viewing figures it justifies for a 5th series, Series 4 was getting less than 1 million per episode - for Friday night BBC2 that's not very good.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Mar 12, 2021 11:35:52 GMT
The Mash Report, a comedy program critical of the government has been axed by the state broadcaster at the behest of a director general appointed by the government.
Welcome to Britain Today formerly known as the BBC. (Exaggerated?)
Cancellation should be based on ratings not Politics, if there is a market for left wing comedy the BBC has a right to create and transmit these programs and hope this is not indicative of any political influence.
With the Bill repressing the right to free protest going through Parliament next week whatever your Politics you should be up in arms but obviously in small numbers preferably alone whilst whispering any grievances.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 12, 2021 11:54:50 GMT
I have no problem with left wing comedy programmes part of the BBC as long there is similar airtime given to comedies that take an opposing view.
Isn't providing balance key to all this?
Yes satirical news shows will always be largely anti government. That is part of their raison d'etre.
But they shouldn't exist to give a political platform for performers.
If you want to provide that, you need to offer similar platforms to a whole range of political viewpoints not just from one end of the spectrum.
I have never watched The Mash Report as I find Nish Kumar to be insufferable. Don't care about his politics, it's his personality that grates.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2021 12:00:21 GMT
The Mash Report, a comedy program critical of the government has been axed by the state broadcaster at the behest of a director general appointed by the government. Welcome to Britain Today formerly known as the BBC. (Exaggerated?) Cancellation should be based on ratings not Politics, if there is a market for left wing comedy the BBC has a right to create and transmit these programs and hope this is not indicative of any political influence. With the Bill repressing the right to free protest going through Parliament next week whatever your Politics you should be up in arms but obviously in small numbers preferably alone whilst whispering any grievances. ahem can I refer you to my previous post?
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Post by talkingheads on Mar 12, 2021 14:03:29 GMT
I have no problem with left wing comedy programmes part of the BBC as long there is similar airtime given to comedies that take an opposing view. Isn't providing balance key to all this? Yes satirical news shows will always be largely anti government. That is part of their raison d'etre. But they shouldn't exist to give a political platform for performers. If you want to provide that, you need to offer similar platforms to a whole range of political viewpoints not just from one end of the spectrum. I have never watched The Mash Report as I find Nish Kumar to be insufferable. Don't care about his politics, it's his personality that grates. And the opposing view would be what? Jim Davidson and Roy Chubby Brown mocking the opposition? Mash Report bought right wing comic Geoff Norcott on almost every week.
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Mar 12, 2021 14:08:51 GMT
I have no problem with left wing comedy programmes part of the BBC as long there is similar airtime given to comedies that take an opposing view. Isn't providing balance key to all this? Yes satirical news shows will always be largely anti government. That is part of their raison d'etre. But they shouldn't exist to give a political platform for performers. If you want to provide that, you need to offer similar platforms to a whole range of political viewpoints not just from one end of the spectrum. I have never watched The Mash Report as I find Nish Kumar to be insufferable. Don't care about his politics, it's his personality that grates. And the opposing view would be what? Jim Davidson and Roy Chubby Brown mocking the opposition? Mash Report bought right wing comic Geoff Norcott on almost every week. That's the point isn't it. Right wing comedy isn't funny
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Post by nick on Mar 12, 2021 16:17:55 GMT
The Mash Report, a comedy program critical of the government has been axed by the state broadcaster at the behest of a director general appointed by the government. Welcome to Britain Today formerly known as the BBC. (Exaggerated?) Cancellation should be based on ratings not Politics, if there is a market for left wing comedy the BBC has a right to create and transmit these programs and hope this is not indicative of any political influence. With the Bill repressing the right to free protest going through Parliament next week whatever your Politics you should be up in arms but obviously in small numbers preferably alone whilst whispering any grievances. "Cancellation should be based on ratings..." is wrong. The great strength of the BBC is its ability NOT to pander to ratings. It should be supporting minority programming. Of course this strengthens the argument for not cancelling The Mash Report. Not that I particularly agree with your argument.
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Post by alece10 on Mar 12, 2021 17:17:10 GMT
Cant say I've ever seen the Mash Report but I do like their sketch "Northerners"
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Post by talkingheads on Mar 12, 2021 18:25:11 GMT
Rachel Parris was the standout. This clip went viral:
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Post by Jan on Mar 12, 2021 18:56:49 GMT
That's the point isn't it. Right wing comedy isn't funny Neither is left-wing comedy - look at Nish Kumar's Twitter response "Boris Johnson is a racist and a liar". I mean in what way is that supposed to be amusing ? Even if you agree with it it's not funny.
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