Evening Standard on the BBC, pt 2

Evening Standard on the BBC, pt 2

"At heart, the BBC is a nine-to-five, public sector type of place, run by people who have never really worked anywhere else."...

Those at the top spend their whole time talking to each other, so they are genuinely surprised by outside criticism...

Like most highly bureaucratic organisations which feel under threat, the BBC's core instinct is to expand as a matter of self-preservation.
It cannot see a piece of new or old media territory without seeking to dominate it.

From part two of Stephen Robinson's look at the BBC in the Evening Standard. (Part one linked here.)

Robinson makes one claim which may raise some eyebrows:

...few could now argue that politicians of the Left are given an easier ride in interviews than those of the Right: Andrew Marr's recent grillings of Gordon Brown and David Cameron were equally tough.

Analysis of both interviews by Beeb Bias Craig suggests that Marr actually interrupted Cameron twice as often he did Brown (more than two interruptions per minute versus one per minute).

MORE ON THOSE EVIL ISRAELIS...

>> WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009

A day is not a proper day in BBC land unless the reputation of Israel has been further besmirched. And so it is with this excuse of a report which alleges that must end "unfair" detentions.

On the matter of fact, the detainees concerned are terrorist suspects, hence the anguish in BBC circles. Once again, the far-left B'Tselem group (and Hamoked) is behind this agitation. The BBC is careful to designate them simply as a "campaign group" when in fact they are an activist hard left and pro Palestinian. Whilst one can accept that B'Tselem will use loaded language, it's interesting to note how the BBC itself uses the term "incarceration" to describe how Israel deals with suspected terrorists. No bias? Sorry, when it's little Israel, the BBC is very careful to use the right language to ensure Israel always looks in the wrong.

MORE GREEN SHOOTS..

Did you read this report from the BBC on the latest record unemployment figures? Note how it spins as positive as is possible - a bit like suggesting that although the Titanic is remorselessly sinking into the cold Atlantic water, the rate is slowing! Rejoice - things can only get better, right? Note how "Fragile recovery" is used as the header for two of the three sections, just in case you didn't get the message. Mandelson must just love the BBC - the UK economy is a train-wreck, the National currency is dying on its feet and yet the BBC is trying to suggest that there is underlying improvement. Keynesian delusionalism rules OK.