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News & politics

The BBC

(94 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Thu 19-Sep-19 08:56:25

I am a firm believer in the BBC as it was first set up to be an independent institution, but am alarmed at the way it is so often becoming the “news” rather than the messenger.

Today a very controversial interviewer is retiring. John Humphreys, who has been criticised so frequently for his apparent biased.
Yesterday Laura Kuenssberg set social media alive with criticism.

My argument is this. We need a world class broadcasting media. One which in the past is just that, but undoubtedly has lost its way over recent years. It has become dangerously close to losing its independence in many of its broadcasts, and in my view if it continues we will lose the once outstanding, quality and proudly independent broadcaster, for which we all pay and have a stake in.

NfkDumpling Thu 19-Sep-19 13:00:35

Perhaps more of us might have voted Remain if the BBC had included more European news in their broadcasts and we felt more included. As Griselda says we hear very little about the Gilet Jaunes or anything at all about the other EU countries. We could do with a half hour of nothing but EU news each evening.

Whingingmom Thu 19-Sep-19 13:14:32

It’s a State Broadcaster, not needed, past it’s sell by date and full over over paid self important buffoons and luvvies. I’d close it down and use the money for NHS.

Mardler123 Thu 19-Sep-19 13:17:43

I have been so cheered up by these postings. As the BBC is being accused of left wing bias and right wing bias at the same time then as far as I am concerned it is doing the job of balanced reporting.

MaizieD Thu 19-Sep-19 13:18:26

I’d close it down and use the money for NHS.

Just put that on the side of a red bus, Whinginmom and you could be our next prime minister.. grin

Parsley3 Thu 19-Sep-19 13:28:59

For the BBC to be accused of bias by both left and right wing supporters tells us that we are filtering our opinions through our own beliefs. I bristled when the main sports feature was about cricket although European women golfers had just won the Solheim Cup. Clearly a bias towards males and cricket, I thought. And I believed it too.
To be criticised from both sides is a good thing. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

eazybee Thu 19-Sep-19 13:44:07

To be criticised from both sides is a good thing. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

So true, Parsley. Just common sense.
Whitewave is simply having her pearl-clutching moment today.

maryhoffman37 Thu 19-Sep-19 14:40:23

How can anyone think the BBC is left wing and pro-Corbyn?

Zahorodnyj0909 Thu 19-Sep-19 15:10:52

The BBC (Biased Broadcasting Corporation) is run by the Tory Government. Also, I was at a rally recently at Media City. Hundreds of ladies were outside the BBC building in the hope that the BBC would report in the pension injustice affecting 1950’s born women (Waspi, WePaidInYouPayOut, etc.) The BBC actually closed their office blinds on us! No mention of us on BBC news but ITV did.

ayse Thu 19-Sep-19 15:28:38

Depending on each person’s political leanings, commentators suggest the BBC has either a left or right wing bias.

I am with the comments concerning the lack of news from Europe and the never ending news about what is happening in the USA.

As we are closer to Europe in miles I would like to have some idea what is happening there. For example, in Hungary the government is supporting rather alarming “right wing” policies. Other posters have already mentioned the jilet jaune, which these days is rarely mentioned.

Having said that the best presentations are those that include two or more contributors with differing opinions, not that this happens very often. I find the lack of factual information and more opinion is rampant these days. We only ever seem to be given the headlines.

Nevertheless, I try to listen to the news on Radio 4 daily just to get a feel for what is going on.

I agree that the BBC is less independent than it used to be and this is cause for concern. It used to be the most trusted news but now I’m not sure. There is so much so called fake news about that can any of us honestly say that what we see and hear on the media are the facts not just someone’s interpretation of events, spiced up with their own bias included.

Emelle Thu 19-Sep-19 15:53:53

Margs - I too am a 'Waspi' lady and I am becoming ever more angry at the lack of reporting of our State Pension issues although the BBC do cover Pension protests in other countries like France and Brazil. Even when we took our protest to Media City they didn't send a reporter and camera out to cover the Rally. In fact they shut the blinds on the windows of Offices in Quay House and turned off the webcam covering the Plaza. A variety of reasons have been given for this but I suspect the main reason is that they cannot or will not cover the issues affecting 3.8 million women. I am not a fan of the BBC!

GabriellaG54 Thu 19-Sep-19 16:55:56

Hazelgran1
Would the father of the child have been as eager to lay into Boris had there been no cameras?
He was looking for an argument but pilloried the wrong man as BJ has barely got his feet under the table.
His background was relevant as it paints the picture for viewers, otherwise it would not have been a headline.
The story about his child wasn't factually correct anyway. He exaggerated to make it sound bad.
Some father...?

maddyone Thu 19-Sep-19 17:09:43

Agree Gabriella.

MaizieD Thu 19-Sep-19 17:14:20

The relevant fact in the hospital story, GG54 is that Johnson lied about the presence of the press. Looked straight at the camera and lied.

The details of the father and the child being bandied around are just gossip and hearsay. I've seen them all on twitter; not worth taking any notice of.

varian Thu 19-Sep-19 17:16:03

Doctors in that hospital have backed up what the father said.

MaizieD Thu 19-Sep-19 18:40:33

I expect they're all Labour activist Remainers, too, varian wink

Best Leaver conspiracy theory I saw on twitter yesterday was that it's Remainers on Johnson's staff who are setting up these situations where members of the public accost him when he's out and about... hmm

SunnySusie Thu 19-Sep-19 20:25:59

One of the things that most annoys me about the BBC is its news web site. Virtually no news on it and loads of magazine type features. People all over the world look at the BBC web site and it could serve a very useful function for those who live in countries with no free press at all. Also not at all in favour of the habit across the media of interviewing Joe Bloggs in the street, who trots out some spur of the moment comment which is given the same status as informed remarks from those actually involved. The Beeb in particular, as a licence fee supported channel, should stop doing this as a lazy way of pretending to represent both sides of a debate.

GinJeannie Thu 19-Sep-19 20:54:29

Very true comments re The One Show....it’s just a platform now for celebrities to promote their latest something. W3 now watch The Repair Shop, same time, BBC 2, an absolute joy to see craftsmanship at work and its appreciation.

pinkquartz Thu 19-Sep-19 21:00:12

I also do not like the BBC for news
I usually try to watch Channel 4 news. I think it is less biased and also has different issues, not just sensational headlines.

I also think a lot of the BBC is opinions rather than facts......so not really news.
I agree that the Dad confronting Johnson did not need to be described as a Labour supporter....he was there because his child was ill. Not posing. What was Johnson doing there? I turned the TV off in disgust.

Lumarei Thu 19-Sep-19 21:11:24

Icanhandthemback - totally my sentiments.

trisher Thu 19-Sep-19 21:14:34

For those posting about how left wing the BBC is could you explain why the Labour party is constantly vilified and Corbyn insulted by them? Why QT actively recruits audience members from far right parties, but not far left? Why the Brexit party and Farage are consistently given air time and yet the Green Party which has at least one MP is rarely allowed time?
Right wing bias is present in every area. There is no left wing bias.

edsnana Thu 19-Sep-19 22:23:52

Margs you are so right! Not only did the BBC not report the women's pension rally in Manchester recently, they locked the doors and closed the blinds

Saetana Thu 19-Sep-19 22:47:28

The BBC are left wing and have been for a long time! It beggars belief that some people think its right wing! Seriously! Its pro Labout/Liberal and pro Remain - coverage of pro Brexit opinions is invariably sourced from the lowest common denominator. Are we watching the same channel?

Skye17 Thu 19-Sep-19 22:57:01

Former BBC journalist Robin Aitken reveals his experience of the BBC’s left-wing, pro-Remain, anti-Christian bias in his book The Noble Liar: How and Why the BBC Distorts the News to Promote a Liberal Agenda. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785903497/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rJ.GDb0NMHW16?tag=gransnetforum-21
4.3 stars on Amazon.

Eloethan Thu 19-Sep-19 23:28:52

It seems to me that the BBC is in a very dangerous place now.

I believe that powerful people on the right would really love to get rid of the BBC since they are wedded to the notion of private provision for almost every public service, as is the wish of their powerful donors.

One way of seeing the BBC on its way is to alienate both sides of the political spectrum and any other interested parties.

So right wing newspapers continually harp on about the cost of the TV licence, the salaries of senior administrators and top presenters (never mentioning that the commercial channels pay much higher salaries - which the general public does (either directly or indirectly) pay for). They continue to peddle the idea that the BBC is run by left wing zealots when, in fact, many carefully analysed academic research papers have established that there is a very significant right wing/anti Labour slant.

That proven bias against Labour also alienates people on the left of the political spectrum.

And now, with the controversy re the over-75's TV licence, a large number of people who have no particular concerns about the neutrality or otherwise of the BBC have also been alienated.

So lots of people are unhappy with the present state of the BBC and I fear that ultimately it will disappear.

growstuff Fri 20-Sep-19 06:08:24

What wasn't true about the sick child in Whipps Cross Hospital?