Britannia Radio

Biased BBC

Sunday, August 24, 2008 Hugh # General BBC-related comment thread! Please use this thread for comments about the BBC's current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog - scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It's your space, use it wisely. Comments: 49 (unread) - Biased BBC Home ed thomas # A silver haired boost for Obama? Following DV's post below, the topic of Joe Biden raises its head. The title above is borrowed from this BBC story (the question mark is added). In it they describe Biden as "a silver-haired veteran of American politics". This would be an unimpeachable description of Biden were it not for one little detail- it's not real hair. Well, not as those unaffected by hair loss know it, anyway. I don't know what conclusion to draw from this- we live in a world of appearances that are ever more manipulable, but it seems to me our cynicism about this has not caught up with the technology of appearance and that opinion-makers take advantage. Not that the BBC would cooperate in any of that. Oh no- they're impartial don't you know? You can check out Biden a little more as nature made him here. Comments: 2 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Saturday, August 23, 2008 David Vance # BIDEN FEVER. You have to laugh at the sheer BIAS of it all. The singlemost important news in the world today for the BBC to run as its lead story is the selection by the Obamessiah of slow Joe Biden as his V-P running mate. Clearly they don't buy the view expressed by John Adams that it "the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived!" The main BBC news spun this news as if it were of monumental significance and I look forward to seeing their news schedule being led by the announcement of McCain's V-P selection, with appropriate fever. It is so obvious that the BBC wants Obama in the White House and it permeates their coverage. They wanted Kerry but were denied and now all their focus is on the Chosen One. You can tell how shocked they are that Obama's poll numbers FELL after his European PR-fest so one can only speculate how the BBC will take an Obama defeat in November. I guess it will be used to insinuate that too many Americans are racist. Comments: 26 (unread) - Biased BBC Home David Vance # MURDERING AMERICANS? If you had the misfortune to tune into the Today programme this morning at 7.12am, you would have found yourself treated to John Humphrys in full on anti-American military sneering mode. The news item concerns a US air strike on the Taliban spawn that infest the Herat area of Afghanistan and which killed dozens of the Taliban. Or at least that's what the US armed force say, but who believes them, right? Straightaway this is disputed by "tribal elders" (Taliban, natch) "locals" (Taliban) and the ubiquitous "Human Rights" activists. (Taliban apologists) Humphyrs line was to immediately weigh-in behind the idea that the US forces had killed many innocent civilians - again. He brought on Grace Ommer from Oxfam (An organisation hardly noted for balance..) and he then made the remarkable assertion that this "war, if war it is.." is going very badly? I wonder what he thinks it is? Is he there to editorialise on this and if so who is there to provide a balance? Humphrys tried to get Ommer to say the war was going badly wrong but in fairness even she figured that Oxfam are hardly in a position to judge. She merely pointed out that US actions against the Taliban made humanitarian work very difficult. She appeared to long for the good old days when the Taliban were in sole control of the country and Oxfam could operate with impunity. This item fairly simmered with anti-US military hostility and it is an example of how the BBC does all it can to undermine the efforts of the US military everywhere they operate. You should give it a listen, it's an example of the visceral bias that permeates the BBC. Comments: 27 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Hugh # When bad news is no news - part 2 Obviously the Beeb isn't always the fastest with breaking news, but I really thought they might have had the edge with this story. Digby Jones, the trade minister in Brown's Government of all talents, is to quit - as he told, er, the BBC. (What's the expression about rodents and ships again?) Twelve hours later, though, and still no sign of this on the BBC website's politics page - or anywhere else for that matter. Oh well, perhaps it's justnot a very interesting story. Comments: 6 (unread) - Biased BBC Home