Lead story on BBC evening news

Callistemon21

It is sad but I've noticed that more and more with BBC News, they include long items of gossip on the world of celebrity and sport.

This is very sad as this man was very young to die suddenly and yes, it was newsworthy but I agree that it was surprising that it was the main item with all that is going on here and in the wider world.

Callistemon my husband regularly says to me ‘is this really news?’ I agree that there’s a lot of gossip, hearsay, and opinion purporting to be news these days.
It was very sad that this man died so young and obviously many people would be interested, but it’s not the most important thing that happened that day.

As I said above, try watching the News Channel and not just the 6 o'clock news.

If you look at the right wing media - just check out dailymailonline , you will find that gossip about "celebs" is the main draw that gets the readers into consuming the poisonous right wing political opinions

As I said, smug doesn't cover it.
Patronising, judgemental and rude does.

The casual assumption that political views are formed only by absorbing the content of certain newspapers of which Varian does not approve, and which are only read by people in search of gossip about celebrities. These readers apparently lack the discrimination to be able form their own views.

I think that the potted version is ‘Daily Mail readers are thick Tories’

so watch Channel 4 news instead. And listen on the radio to the World Service

It is not just the headlines, but lots of articles since.

I just assumed it was me who could not understand the fuss, but assumed it was because I have never really been interested in pop music.

This is often a problem with the BBC, inappropriate lead stories. I think sport stories are also not headline news. Does it perhaps reflect the opinion the BBC has of it's viewers?

Many newspapers are guilty of the same thing....a Coronation Street storyline is very often on the front page instead of actual news.

varian wrote:

"If you look at the right wing media - just check out dailymailonline , you will find that gossip about "celebs" is the main draw that gets the readers into consuming the poisonous right wing political opinions.

That is how our national newspapers, owned and controlled by foreign or tax dodging billionaires influence the voters who buy and read The Sun, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express etc."

This country's economy is capitalist which means newspaper journalists may be dictated to by the newspaper's owners. The Guardian is paid for by its readers who appreciate that its journalists and its policy are not bought by its owners .

M0nica

It is not just the headlines, but lots of articles since.

I just assumed it was me who could not understand the fuss, but assumed it was because I have never really been interested in pop music.

I think that it may come out that Paul took his own life.*
He had a really rough time after S Club 7 (he was totally broke, the manager Simon Fuller took all the dosh).
There is a really horrible interview on Loose Women where Jane Moore tried her very best to humiliate him.
It’s also well documented that manufactured young pop stars in the 90s were worked to the absolute bone, and suffered a more than a degree of exploitation.
And when S Club reformed social media was absolutely awash with unpleasant comments about Paul’s appearance.
It’s a very sad tale.

(Having said that, I still don’t know that editorial decision was made. It seems off to me too)

* please don’t shoot me down for speculation etc, it’s sort of the elephant in the room

As I had barely heard of the group and know nothing at all about who the members were or where they featured in the pop music continuum - and the names mean nothing to me, I havn't read any of the articles and it is unlikely I ever will.

This country's economy is capitalist which means newspaper journalists may be dictated to by the newspaper's owners. The Guardian is paid for by its readers who appreciate that its journalists and its policy are not bought by its owners

And you think the Guardian journalists don't influence their readers with what some may describe, (but only if they were as judgemental as varian) as their poisonous left-wing views ?

Not from The Guardian, but from a well respected economic forecaster

www.pwc.co.uk/services/economics/insights/uk-key-trends-in-2023.html

easybee wrote:

"And you think the Guardian journalists don't influence their readers with what some may describe, (but only if they were as judgemental as varian) as their poisonous left-wing views ?"

No perspective is entirely objective, as that's impossible. However a text is more trustworthy when the author does not derive a bias from cash payments.

But surely Guardian journalists are paid, doesn't that mean that they will be biassed into writing articles that accord with the Guardian's editorial policy, in order to receive their pay check every month.

The Guardian's editorial policy is trustworthy investigative journalism where the journalist is required to tell the truth and shame the devil.