Gransnet forums

News & politics

Censorship / Restrictions of freedom of the press

(119 Posts)
GagaJo Mon 03-Feb-20 16:21:34

Journalists walked out of a Downing Street briefing on Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans after the prime minister’s director of communications tried to restrict it to selected publications and broadcasters.

An invitation sent out by Number 10 offered a “technical background briefing” on the PM’s plans to negotiate a Canadian-style free trade agreement with the EU by the end of the year.

But when political correspondents from various outlets arrived inside Number 10, they were asked their names and told to stand in two groups on opposite sides of the entrance hall.

Director of communications Lee Cain then invited those on one side to enter and told those on the other to leave.

Asked to explain why Downing Street was denying access to some publications - including The Independent - he replied: “We are welcome to brief whoever we want whenever we want.”

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-brexit-news-journalists-walk-out-no-10-briefing-a9314996.html

Callistemon Fri 07-Feb-20 16:27:16

No, just checked him out and I've gone off him.
Definitely son of Doris

As you were, rosecarmel!

Callistemon Fri 07-Feb-20 16:23:27

He is a bit irritating though!
But probably very nice.

SirChenjin Fri 07-Feb-20 16:11:46

Poor Owen grin

Callistemon Fri 07-Feb-20 16:05:02

I shouldn't be laughing, rosecarmel but I am

(And coughing again!!)

Yehbutnobut Fri 07-Feb-20 14:03:20

I didn’t see any sign of ‘petulance’ when she ripped up the speech. She looked calm, cool and disgusted, but not petulant.

rosecarmel Fri 07-Feb-20 04:59:41

Nope .. They're the ones being manipulated .. smile

ananimous Thu 06-Feb-20 18:37:10

Nobody here realises how you are the ones being manipulated.

rosecarmel Thu 06-Feb-20 18:34:57

Tearing up his speech wasn't unjust, it wasn't dishonest- What occurred was shared disgust between two people with different politics-

Nezumi65 Thu 06-Feb-20 18:13:41

I knew the national debt had rocketed under the Tories, but had no idea it was 84% of GDP.

The £130bn that Brexit is forecast to cost us in the next decade or so is good news then ?

Drum1234 Thu 06-Feb-20 17:42:02

Facts about the dire state of the economy under the tories? Nah, still got to be Labour's fault/worse if Labour were in government/only a blip/it's the global economy that's the problem, and any other statement on the right wing bingo card - anything rather than admit that the Conservative party do not have the first clue how to run the finances of the country.

Nezumi65 Thu 06-Feb-20 17:20:46

84% of GDP? shockshock

Labaik Thu 06-Feb-20 15:41:59

And I also understand that, in 90 minutes of bragging about how wonderful he is, he never once mentioned climate change.

GracesGranMK3 Thu 06-Feb-20 14:43:35

So why excuse the person who thinks he is the leader of the free world. Shouldn't he be held to a higher standard? As it is much of his world view, and his view of other people, is in the gutter.

JenniferEccles Thu 06-Feb-20 14:31:35

I do agree that he should have shaken her hand but it was very childish of her to rip up his speech.

Two wrongs etc...

Labaik Thu 06-Feb-20 13:27:24

Correct me if I'm wrong but I was told that, prior to Pelosi's 'petulant display' [of ripping up a load of exaggerations and lies] followed on from her offering her hand for Trump to shake and him totally ignoring her.

Grany Thu 06-Feb-20 12:01:53

Remember when the national debt was a big thing, when it was used on every news bulletin to attack the Labour party and public spending? How come it is NEVER mentioned now and it is more than double the size even after austerity? #BBCbias #MediaCrisis #Framing #Democracyisdead

@JamesMelville

The UK’s national debt has now gone past £2 trillion (£2.17 trillion). The national debt has more than doubled since the Tories came into power in 2010. In 2007, the national debt was 37% of GDP and by 2019 it has rapidly risen to 84% of GDP.
thenational.scot/news/17537879.has-no-one-noticed-the-uk-national-debt-has-topped-2-trillion/

SirChenjin Thu 06-Feb-20 08:10:30

Whereas Trump’s behaviour has been impeccable all the way through.

I’d go so far as to say she hasn’t turned anyone onto Trump who didn’t already vote for him.

Urmstongran Thu 06-Feb-20 08:06:24

Pelosi did herself no favours with her petulant display there. In fact I’d go so far as to say she’s probably handed the Republicans a swathe of extra votes in the election.

Biden tanked in Utah didn’t he?

rosecarmel Thu 06-Feb-20 00:46:02

"In response to her classless outburst, I've decided to introduce a resolution to censure & condemn Speaker Pelosi," the Arizona Republican tweeted Wednesday. "In a new low, she violated the Code of Official Conduct requiring Members 'behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.'"

Nezumi65 Wed 05-Feb-20 21:20:58

I’m really not understanding the link between our government trying to exclude certain section of the press and the gossip rags laying into Meghan (& to a lesser extent Harry).

I don’t care whether Meghan rubs her bump (although interestingly she was also slaughtered for wearing a sleeveless dress & of course not wearing a hat) but I do want the government challenged as they steer us through troubled times.

Callistemon Wed 05-Feb-20 17:38:40

It's interesting that this has happened just after all the criticism of the MSM (including here on GN) of press intrusion eg in the case of Meghan and Harry.

There seems to be a dichotomy of what should be acceptable and what is not.

If all sides are not invited to publish we can't form a balanced opinion.

rosecarmel Wed 05-Feb-20 17:32:23

The President peddled lies, bigotry, psychological warfare, prejudice, religious divisiveness and so much more during his State of the Union Address last night .. under the guise of this is the way he made America great- Not great again, mind you- That's old news- But because he is in office- And because he is in office, America is at its greatest historically-

He's influencing leaders and citizens around the globe with lies and financial, promissory strategies-

Speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi tore up her printed copy of his speech- She called it a manifesto of mistruths - She isn't being censored for saying so-

We've yet to have gotten to the point where the press wouldn't report accordingly- But it could be where we are headed?

Nezumi65 Wed 05-Feb-20 17:00:25

My disabled son’s life was far better under Labour so I would be quite happy for them to win (& I’m a Lib Dem).

But that is all irrelevant to the fact that our Home Secretary appears to not understand basic terminology that is relevant to her job.

MaizieD Wed 05-Feb-20 16:38:40

Whataboutery added nothing to the discussion at all. Pritti Patel was criticised for appearing to be ignorant of the meaning of something closely connected with her job as a government minister.

Ug countered with some whataboutery about RLB, not in government office using a word which, it turns out, was pretty much the term used by medical professionals to describe the state of the person she was referring to. She offended a snowflake or two but she didn't make a major vocabulary error.

No equivalence or useful addition whatsoever.

SirChenjin Wed 05-Feb-20 16:08:24

I’m sure you did smile