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BBC biased or incompetent?

(137 Posts)
Nandalot Fri 10-May-19 22:08:23

So the BBC pulled ‘Have I got news for you’ tonight because one of the guests was Heidi Allen, Change UK’s leader. They thought it would breach guide lines on party leaders appearances during the lead up to an election. Didn’t they realise this yesterday before the recording? Score one for incompetence?
However, Nigel Farage (leader of the Brexit party, sorry CEO of the Brexit party) appeared on ‘Question Time’ for the 34th time on Thursday and is to appear on the ‘ Andrew Marr’ show on Sunday. Score one for bias?
Oh and by the way, Heidi Allen is not standing for election as an MEP but Farage is.

Mycatisahacker Sat 11-May-19 18:40:01

Oh he’s vile i agree but but but he deserves to b heard

Mycatisahacker Sat 11-May-19 18:38:33

Tbf question time takes its non biased audience base extremely seriously it really does.

Mycatisahacker Sat 11-May-19 18:37:37

On radio 5 they read out the tweets and texts and inevitably there are those that whinge bias on all sides.

That’s when you know you are not biased.

Iam64 Sat 11-May-19 18:36:15

Is it possible that Farage is more available than other politicians? This is a genuine question. He's always available it seems, whereas others may actually be trying to fit some work in between public appearances. As Mycat says - he's good tv - I loathe him, the ship he sails in and all his friends and supporters. I'm not alone in that but like Trumpington, he has his supporters. Often folks who claim to have been "silenced by the PC mob". I don't know the PC mob but to be frank, I wish it more power to its elbow.

Mycatisahacker Sat 11-May-19 18:32:17

Because he’s good tv? He gets people riled. Like this thread.

Not rocket science is it really?

And in my view in a healthy democracy we listen to everybody so noone gets a free pass and everyone is scrutinised

varian Sat 11-May-19 18:17:11

Is BBC Question Time’s audience producer really a fascist?

www.opendemocracy.net/en/ourbeeb/is-question-time-s-audience-producer-really-fascist/

Nonnie Sat 11-May-19 18:00:47

Good point Gill

GillT57 Sat 11-May-19 17:32:55

We will all see bias where we wish to do so but I do seriously question the amount of air time the charlatan Farage is given. He is not the leader of a political party. No other MEP is given airtime ( can anybody name one?).

Mycatisahacker Sat 11-May-19 17:20:24

grumppa

grin bloody hilarious.

It’s very comforting that on one thread the BBC is accused of both left wing and right wing bias.

So no op they are doing it right. They are not biased in the slightest.

They just let people You don’t agree with spout on QT.

And quite right too.

Grandma70s Sat 11-May-19 17:01:05

Until recently I naively assumed Farage was on so often so that we could all see how stupid he is. He is controversial, gets people talking and is therefore good television.

Recently I’ve started to wonder if there's more to it than that, but actually I doubt if there is.

grumppa Sat 11-May-19 16:59:12

For a long time I have been concerned at the way the BBC seeks to impose its left-wing bias on its youngest viewers.

Those of you who watch CBeebies regularly (and which grandparents don't?) must have noticed that of the two little families who live in a pair of semi-detached houses at the bottom of a tree in "In the Night Garden", the Pontypines, who are dressed in red, get at least four times as much time in front of the cameras as their neighbours the Wottingers, who are dressed in blue.

Sinister, or what?

Nonnie Sat 11-May-19 16:56:25

I didn't know thatvarian but if true it should be reported. Standards really have slipped in so many ways.

varian Sat 11-May-19 16:53:47

People who are like that have been deliberately selected to pack the audience by "audience producer" Alison Fuller-Pedley, an ex member of UKIP. She has been allowed to do this for the last twenty years.

Nonnie Sat 11-May-19 16:49:42

There was a lot of audience shouting on Any Questions this week too. Why are people like that?

Caledonai14 Sat 11-May-19 16:45:11

I agree with Nandalot about QT, which I have found increasingly difficult to watch because of the vibes coming from swathes of the audience when anybody tries to caution against leaving the EU with No Deal (or the folly getting elected MEP just to cause trouble for 27 other countries).

I'm worried about why these people, who are increasingly aggressive and intimidating towards panellists and others in the crowd, are getting away with what they are doing.

The last QT was even more frightening because Fiona Bruce directed all of her presenter's cautions and clarifications to Anna Soubry and hardly anything in the direction of Nigel Farage who was shamelessly and smugly winding up his support, Trumpesque fashion, seemingly unaware of the further ramifications for the squelching of free speech and reasoned debate in our families and communities.

It's really disturbing and the BBC need to get a grip on this because, while Farage is having the time of his life on this divisive and trouble-causing issue, we will all have to live with the consequences of his grinning, uncaring, murk-stirring antics.

The intimidation into silence of people who may represent as many as 16 million Britons is completely unacceptable.

Nonnie Sat 11-May-19 16:12:34

In my case that is not true Lemon. I actively listen for intelligent comments from the people the BBC interview in public places and I don't hear them. I really do think that the BBC screen out the sort of people I would like to hear from. There really cannot be that percentage of ignorance in all leave voters.

Surely everyone would agree that NF has had more than his share of airtime, whatever they voted?

Nonnie Sat 11-May-19 16:09:24

Iam I get my news from the BBC and I have no idea how they select such people, I just know do. I don't know whether they "finds it easy to interview articulate, intelligent folks who say anything much different to "leave means leave - I don't care etc. etc etc " but I don't like to think that all who voted leave are inarticulate or un-intelligent. I have a friend who voted leave who is articulate and intelligent, she just sees it all differently to me.

sodapop Sat 11-May-19 14:43:27

Yes they do don't they Lemongrove

lemongrove Sat 11-May-19 14:10:48

We have this BBC accusation of bias regularly on GN, and I will say what I always do ? that it isn’t biased at all and usually if not always gets things right.
People see what they want to see.wink

varian Sat 11-May-19 12:54:59

Apparently liar Farage is due on Andrew Marr's show tomorrow and next week's Any Questions will include him or one of his puppets.

Iam64 Sat 11-May-19 12:44:20

this thread seems about right in that its' split between posters who think the BBC is biased towards Remain and those who think its biased towards Leave.

Nonnie - I don't believe the BBC/every other news outlet finds it easy to interview articulate, intelligent folks who say anything much different to "leave means leave - I don't care etc. etc etc "

Nonnie Sat 11-May-19 11:45:28

The BBC have claimed it is in their regulations but it would appear they only resort to the regs when it suits them because apparently NF was on HIGNFY before the last EU election. Apparently there are different regs for political and news programmes than those for humour. There is most certainly a bias towards leaving the EU.

What I don't understand is when they go out and interview the public about Brexit they always show most interviews with people who appear to have no understanding of why they want to leave the EU or why it hasn't happened yet. It is understandable that some say leavers are not very bright.

Nandalot Sat 11-May-19 11:29:47

As I didn’t get to sleep until 6 a.m, I watched ‘Question Time’ last night. ( I couldn’t watch it before as it winds the family up too much!). The audience seemed heavily biased towards Farage. They were vociferous in their shouting, clapping and cheers. I hate to say what it reminded me of but I found it all very disturbing. The rest. of the audience , whom seemed to support remain/ second vote seemed totally intimidated as the programme wore on and became
more and more quiet.

sodapop Sat 11-May-19 08:38:10

Biased the BBC ? Whatever makes you think that Nandalot ? Add to that incompetent with vastly overpaid staff ( not all ) and you will be getting there.

EllanVannin Sat 11-May-19 08:05:40

Typical of the BBC ! No surprise as they've always been biased-----it matches their left-wing mindset.