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AIBU

To feel the BBC should be impartial?

(115 Posts)
Persistentdonor Mon 11-Nov-19 10:07:38

Yesterday, live footage from the Cenotaph showed our PM looking less than smart, stumbling around and presenting his wreath upside down, while H.M. Queen watched from a balcony.
Today, on BBC morning news, the 2019 Cenotaph ceremony was reported, showing a clip from 2106 of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary, looking smart in a suit, and watched by H.M. Queen standing at street level.

I am horrified to know that the BBC is manipulating public opinion in this way. I thought the BBC is supposed to be fair and impartial. Clearly I was wrong. angry

Pantglas2 Mon 11-Nov-19 10:14:40

I’m sure they could trail as far back as they like for footage of anyone wearing/doing the wrong thing at any given time eg Michael Foot’s ‘donkey jacket’, Corbyns ‘anorak’ and red tie last year. Now this year it’s BJ turn to be ridiculed for not closing his coat!

annsixty Mon 11-Nov-19 10:16:30

Nothing could make BJ look any worse in my eyes

Alima Mon 11-Nov-19 10:18:45

No, you are not being unreasonable to think the BBC should be impartial. Trouble is, depending who is complaining about impartiality the claim swings from party to party. I am convinced they favour the left. Obviously you have an opposing view Persitentdonor.

Persistentdonor Mon 11-Nov-19 10:23:53

Pantglas2 but that is exactly my point....
Not whether BoJo, or anyone else, should be ridiculed or not, but that the BBC is seeking to distort the actual facts of yesterday's ceremony.

Pantglas2 Mon 11-Nov-19 10:29:03

And my point is that they’ve always done it even in the eighties with Michael foot let alone recently! Not suggesting it’s right.

kittylester Mon 11-Nov-19 10:30:02

I think they are biased towards the left too alima but my left leaning children think they have a right wing bias.

I think that proves they have it about right!

Urmstongran Mon 11-Nov-19 10:30:41

Totally agree with you Alima!

PamelaJ1 Mon 11-Nov-19 10:32:33

Of course they should be impartial.
Interesting though, they are generally accused of being leftist.

Bridgeit Mon 11-Nov-19 10:35:13

They aim for the easiest target,(who or whatever that maybe) to get the maximum coverage .

Persistentdonor Mon 11-Nov-19 10:38:53

I suspect we may have got used to a left bias while the Labour party were in Government, but I have not noticed any left bias for some time.
Shouldn't they be entirely without bias and report the facts? Most especially during the run up to a general election. sad

Davida1968 Mon 11-Nov-19 10:47:53

One of the many things which I love about the BBC is that (from time to time) the both the "left" and "right" make claims that the BBC is biased against them. So it seems to me that the BBC is getting it about right!

suziewoozie Mon 11-Nov-19 11:08:43

Showing the wrong footage is not really acceptable is it and it does seem a strange coincidence that BJ looked smarter

Chestnut Mon 11-Nov-19 12:02:35

I agree there is absolutely no reason to show clips from previous ceremonies unless they are trying to make a point. They could make several 'points' if that is their goal, as there is footage of every party leader from every year available. It is not appropriate to pick just one.

Persistentdonor Mon 11-Nov-19 12:07:15

It appears the BBC has made an apology for their "production error" this morning, where they "mistakenly" used footage from 2016 rather than from yesterday. hmm

suziewoozie Mon 11-Nov-19 12:08:35

Did they actually apologise or just say it was a mistake?

Nonnie Mon 11-Nov-19 12:10:21

I agree that it was totally wrong and does seem manipulative. They look to me to be generally impartial about the election news but I felt they were very right wing about Brexit. Bearing in mind how close the vote was they interviewed far more leave voters than remain for the last 3 years. I haven't heard anyone say 'get Brexit done' in real life, only on TV.

sodapop Mon 11-Nov-19 12:53:21

The BBC are not impartial in any programme. They have an axe to grind all the time and have the cheek to charge for the privilege.

Hetty58 Mon 11-Nov-19 13:00:33

I have never found them impartial, though they pretend to be - so don't expect them to start any time soon!

Yehbutnobut Mon 11-Nov-19 13:12:25

Yes, I’m getting a bit sick of their right wing coverage

Persistentdonor Tue 12-Nov-19 08:27:00

Apparently it is quite a convoluted process to retrieve old footage from the archives, so it can't have been an easy "mistake" to make.

jura2 Tue 12-Nov-19 09:12:56

There is no way that was a mistake.

The very important questions now is- did the BBC choose to replace footage to make Johnson look better

or were they instructed to do so and by whom?

That must be investigated independently- as it is paramount that the BBC is shown to be impartial and especially not directly manipulated by those in power. Lest we want to end up like NK.

toscalily Tue 12-Nov-19 09:40:58

Seriously, does anyone still believe the BBC is not biased, one way or another? Does not have to be "fake news" just news from another era!

Gonegirl Tue 12-Nov-19 09:43:56

Wonder what Boris thinks about it. Think he should make a statement. grin

toscalily Tue 12-Nov-19 09:51:09

Ah! but would it be "The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" grin