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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 17:34:33

Are they white sofas?

SirChenjin Fri 07-Feb-20 17:40:52

grin No - Owen Wilson AKA Boris Donaldson advertises Sofology! I’ll not be able to think of him as Owen Wilson from now on. Do you think OW/BD has sofas from Sofology in his house? I’m not so sure.

varian Mon 10-Feb-20 08:14:12

Why was Guardian sketch writer John Grace barred from Johnson's spee h at Greenwich?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/07/government-imploding-may-boris-johnson-exclude-journalists-john-crace-digested-week

Callistemon Mon 10-Feb-20 10:14:23

I get it now, sorry, I was really slow on the uptake there SirChenjin , not having seen the advert!

Is he short of work/strapped for cash?

SirChenjin Mon 10-Feb-20 10:25:50

I know, it makes you wonder Callistemon - it’s an odd thing for a Hollywood A lister to be advertising!

Callistemon Mon 10-Feb-20 10:30:44

This seems to have gone off piste a bit but I did wonder if he thinks that the freedom of the press should be restricted judging by the stories printed about him and his latest child.

Anyway, I digress.

SirChenjin Mon 10-Feb-20 10:45:28

Who - Owen Wilson?

Labaik Mon 10-Feb-20 15:14:33

Rumour has it that Rupert Murdochs daughter is in the running to control the BBC.

POGS Mon 10-Feb-20 15:45:10

Labaik

Really?

Where did you read, hear that rumour?

Are there any non anonymous, credible links you can point us to. It's an interesting theory.

Labaik Mon 10-Feb-20 16:12:52

Adam Sherwin. 9 Feb the 'i'. Can't get the link to work. Apologies. [however could have done without your sarcasm #notnice]

Eloethan Mon 10-Feb-20 16:19:08

It's in The I today about Rupert Murdoch's daughter -

"Murdoch emerges as candidate for top job at the BBC"......"the prospect of the broadcaster being run by a member of the Murdoch family, which has campaigned against the licence fee funded BBC through its newspapers, will shock many at the corporation". Although, to be fair, it also says she does not share her family's antipathy to the BBC, having sold 20 shows to the broadcaster as a producer. (It would probably be unwise to demonstrate antipathy to the BBC, if it is one of your important clients - some might wonder if she has been playing the long game).

POGS Mon 10-Feb-20 17:17:29

Labaik

'however could have done without your sarcasm #notnice]'
---

What sarcasm?

POGS Mon 10-Feb-20 17:18:14

Eloethan

Thank you.

Labaik Mon 10-Feb-20 17:23:03

POGS; you made it sound as if I'm in the habit of posting untruths which, imo, I'm not. However, if I do post an untruth [and there was something pointed out to me recently] I am grateful to be told about it. Please don't pretend that you didn't intend such an implication. You could have just [imo] asked pleasantly about the source of the information.

varian Mon 10-Feb-20 18:53:51

In spite of the fact that our press is extremely partisan with 80% supporting the Tories, we must support the freedom of the press.

POGS Tue 11-Feb-20 11:17:33

Labaik

I assure you I was not being sarcascastic.

I have a ' thing ' about factual evidence on GN and I thought you posted an interesting rumour/story that I had not picked up on.

Question marks are simply what they are and you are not the first nor will be the last poster I have asked for credible sources /links as anything other are of no use.

Had you simply told me the information of who/where it was said I would have thanked you as I did another poster but I am sadly posting about your misinterpretation of my post.

It is by the way an interesting rumour.

Labaik Tue 11-Feb-20 13:10:37

I was taken aback by what I took to be the tone of the comment, POGS, mainly because, although we don't agree on many things I do value your posts as they are always well written and informative. The reason I said it was a rumour was because, having read the last part of the thread, it seemed relevant to the discussion but I'd only just seen read it but couldn't remember the source. It is a worrying development imo though. Although I don't like the BBC as a news provider these days I do love BBC4 and I'm so scared that the sort of art and history programmes that I love might go. Any government with the sort of power this one has is worrying, no matter where ones political leanings lie.

POGS Tue 11-Feb-20 13:59:31

Labaik

I think we have sorted out any issue maturely and it is a reminder that the written text cannot detect the tone behind what we post necessarily.