Throughout the evening we'll be recording the broadcast media's reaction to David Cameron's speech. We'll be watching:
- 6pm: BBC1's Six'o'clock news
- 6.30pm: ITN News
- 7pm: Channel 4 News
- 10pm: BBC1's Ten'o'clock news
- 10.30pm: Newsnight
BBC1 SIX'O'CLOCK NEWS: Lead item: Cameron is a man with a plan. Eleven minute package that ended at 6.11pm. Main report ends with David Cameron kissing Samantha, in front of his shadow cabinet. Nick Robinson says that there is no change of agenda here despite reference to Margaret Thatcher. The green and flexible working messages underlined the continuity, he concluded. Voters in a BBC focus group in Stafford wanted more policy detail and less sitting on fence. Most of the focus groupers didn't like the mention of Margaret Thatcher.
ITN 6.30PM NEWS: Third item: Cameron says Britain needs character and judgment, not experience. Begins at 6.42pm and ends at 6.48pm. ITN report ends with visit to voters in Jacqui Smith's Redditch; concludes "This is one town where voters are heading in David Cameron's direction." Tom Bradby describes the speech as a "quite clever" rebuttal of Gordon Brown's 'no time for a novice' line and a movement towards the Right.
C4 7PM NEWS: Lead item: A man with a plan. 13 minutes (with a focus group report later in the programme to come). A sobre, serious speech but short on policy. Like the BBC1 and ITV Gary Gibbon's report uses the Margaret Thatcher and experience section. Phil Collins of The Times - former Blair speechwriter - admits speech was "very impressive", in many ways "Blairite" - laughs that a white shadow cabinet walked on stage after diverse, handpicked candidates had introduced Cameron. Nick Boles says "very powerful" speech was best so far from David Cameron; Cameron has brought together best traditions of party and a celebration of modern Britain. The image below is the C4 word cloud...
BBC1 TEN'O'CLOCK NEWS: Lead item: David Cameron is a man with a plan. 12 minute report. Nick Robinson's report begins with film of Cameron out jogging through Birmingham with PPS Desmond Swayne at his side. The report included a generous treatment of all the speech's main themes. The BBC focus group reacted very warmly to DC's message on the Human Rights Act. Nick Robinson's concluding two-way decides that Margaret Thatcher was toxic and wonders at Mr Cameron's attempt to compare today's choice with that of 1979.
BBC2 NEWSNIGHT: Cameron's speech is second item - after Senate vote on bailout. David Grossman interprets the speech as a warning that taxes may have to rise. Michael Crick says yesterday's speech was better; gives Cameron 7/10 and Brown 7.5/10 for his speech of last week. Also says the speech put tax increases on the agenda.
Press and Media reaction = Whatever way McDowning Street have told them to react.
Posted by: Steve | October 01, 2008 at 18:03
I find myself agreeing with Steve. No doubt Draper will have flooded newsnight at the broadcast news with "I used to be a Tory" e-mails. The number of those that have been flying around this week you'd actually think all Conservative members had left the party.
Is there nothing we can do as a group to stop this media bias, and its manipulation by Labour and its goons?
Posted by: David (One of many) | October 01, 2008 at 18:16
As a CSJ contributor on family policy and not a party member, I'm hesitant to make political points. I enjoyed the speech without being overexcited. But I was stunned by the subsequent interview with Michael Gove that I heard on BBC 5live. The interviewer - Peter something or other (I switched off) - was disinterested, dismissive, contemptuous, crass, unpleasant, rude and just plain stupid. Think Paxman but without the stupid or the faintly entertaining. How do these people get jobs?
Posted by: Harry Benson | October 01, 2008 at 18:22
"Is there nothing we can do as a group to stop this media bias, and its manipulation by Labour and its goons?"
A call to arms! Who has a plan?
Posted by: GS London | October 01, 2008 at 18:28
Nick Robinson isn't even trying to seem unbiased now. His 'analysis' of the speech was sneering, jumping on the negatives, rather than mentioning that this speech was echoing what most of the british people are thinking...he reminds me of one of the orchestra on the Titanic...
Posted by: Ethan Hurlinton | October 01, 2008 at 18:32
FOR GOODNESS SAKE!! QUIT THE 'MC' 'TARTAN' REFERENCES UNDERLYING EVERY CRITICISM OF LABOUR AND THE GOVERNMENT...IT DISCREDITS YOUR ENTIRE ARGUMENT AND MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE AN AMATEURISH BIGGOT.
REMEMBER WE THE THE INCLUSIVE ONE NATION PARTY!!!!!
Posted by: Common sense Tory | October 01, 2008 at 18:35
http://blogs.news.sky.com/boultonandco
Boulton is fairer here. Sky News will be better.
Posted by: John Moss | October 01, 2008 at 18:40
I also think it's unfair to use 'Mc' for fun. Remember that even Scots like me, as the rest of you didn't get a chance to vote on who would be in Number 10 after Blair!
Posted by: Afleitch | October 01, 2008 at 18:47
I have to agree with CST - is it any wonder we're still struggling in Scotland when a lot of our membership talk like this?
Posted by: Paul D | October 01, 2008 at 18:48
Indeed, the fact that Labour has so much more Scottish representation in comparrison to us is something we should be HIGHLY ashamed of and try and keep quiet about (whilst at the same time doing all we can to change)
Shame on you Steve!
Posted by: Tory blue Boy | October 01, 2008 at 18:55
I agree - we should be trying to help our Scottish Conservative colleagues.
Further to the broadcasters' reactions, I wonder what the newspapers are going to say tomorrow (with the inevitable exception of the Daily Mirror)?
Posted by: Votedave | October 01, 2008 at 19:56
Maybe Steve was using the 'Mc' reference to compare Gordon Brown to Ronald McDonald?
Posted by: Ulster Tory | October 01, 2008 at 19:56
Thought the focus group bit on C4 was terrific. Political porn for this tory!
Bet Gordon would kill for a response like that don't you think Derek?
Posted by: ceidwadwyr | October 01, 2008 at 20:05
More4 News had a piece interviewing young people about today's leading politicians - very disappointing though, it seemed to focus entirely on their sex appeal (or lack thereof) and how Brown would apparently drink Cameron under the floor because he's Scottish (that'd be interesting given that Brown doesn't drink).
Posted by: Tom FD | October 01, 2008 at 20:30
Is "McDowning Street" necessarily a reference to Scotland? I assumed it was along the lines of McDonalds, McJobs, Mconomy...
Posted by: Tom FD | October 01, 2008 at 20:33
The Brownite, antiCameron bias at the BBC has gone beyond a joke and has now become quite brazen particularly from the likes of Nick Robinson, Andrew Marr, and the boorish Peter Allen on Radio 5.
The sneering and misrepresentation started with them but now appears to have spread to most of their journalists and even some newsreaders.
Cameron and his colleagues really have to confront this head on or they will continue to think they can get away with it. Eventually the BBCs steady drip drip of mockery, distortion, and sneering aimed at the Tory opposition will chime with the public and Camerons lead in the polls will be in danger of being whittled away.
Or it would be if Brown wasn't so widely disliked and even increasingly despised by most of the country.
Posted by: dave | October 01, 2008 at 20:46
Dave, I did think OFCOM might be the answer, but they recently declared a raging hard-on for the BBC. And there's no point the Tories not co-operating with the BBC and refusing to give interviews etc, because then the abuse will get even worse. It's a muddle, and I have absolutely no idea how to fix it.
Posted by: David (One of many) | October 01, 2008 at 20:54
Samuel Coates leaves ConHome for DC's office, and Tim Montgomerie praises DC's best speech ever...
Posted by: Troy | October 01, 2008 at 21:01
We constantly have these moments with the BBC, and its not surprising. They constantly cry out about how they are impartial in spite of the evidence pointing otherwise, from the type of people they tend to overwhelmingly hire that also call the shots onwards to the many first hand accounts from employees, and from my own experience who often say the same thing about the political nature and affiliations that seem to be endemic at the company.
I have no doubt the BBC will be dealt with when we are in a position to do so, not just because their coverage is bias but because the BBC is not currently providing the quality of service that is needed validate the mandatory licence fee.
Posted by: YMT | October 01, 2008 at 21:42
I have to say I am puzzled by the BBC coverage. In the car returning home we were listening to Radio 5 and it seemed at times snide and quite negative. The BBC news 24 TV when I got home didn't cover much and what they did was similarly tending to the negative. In fact they ran the story alongside a story about a con women who had robbed jewelery and even got the captions mixed up having "Conservative Conference" under the story about this woman at one point! Nick Robinson's view of the speech seemed different to the one we heard.
Posted by: Matt Wright | October 01, 2008 at 21:42
Cameron should call the beeb DG in for a meeting and tell him that if he doesn't sort out the anti-Conservative bias within 6 months then the beeb news and current affairs division will be separated out of the beeb and privatised, with a commensurate reduction in the cost of the TV licence, as soon as the Conservatives are elected to government.
Posted by: gordon-bennett | October 01, 2008 at 21:51
The BBC Labour propoganda is a bloody disgrace but I think a very deep clean of the top brass and a strong hard look at their pensions and perks wouldn't go amiss. Furthermore, how sweet would be election night as they stare into the abyss of unemployment the rest of the populace are about to undergo.
It must also be hard for the likes of Robinson to risk his unheard of salary wealth for a bit of decent honesty. I hope the public continue to despise them.
Posted by: M Dowding | October 01, 2008 at 21:55
The anti-Conservative bias at the BBC has become palpable and I imagine a lot of unaligned people are beginning to spot the sheer injustice of it. I've just read the HYS comments on the BBC website, and in comparison to the opinions they have broadcast, the comments are overwhelmingly positive, reflecting what are obviously sincere reactions of admiration. How come the BBC has been entirely unable to communicate this in any of its broadcasting? It is extremely tough to confront the political engineering that is clearly happening, but we have to become people with a plan to deal with it.
Posted by: Oscar Miller | October 01, 2008 at 22:02
If Cameron and co don't challenge the pro-Brown, anti-Tory bias at the BBC and, in particular, those so-called journalists (a growing number) who propagate it then it will only get worse and will begin to seep into the public consciousness as it is clearly designed to do.
Having said that about the BBC, ITVs political correspondent Tom Bradby has steered from being generally objective to glaringly pro-Brown in recent days. Perhaps it's something to do with Andy Burnham's holding out the prospect to ITV of more licence money?
Posted by: evesham man | October 01, 2008 at 22:21
I'm not a Conservative party member. I caught the speech by accident. I thought it was particularly interesting in its demonstration of the party's repositioning and Cameron's excellent demolition of the Labour nanny state.
Straight afterwards I heard Radio 5 interviewing Michael Gove. I would like to congratulate him on keeping his temper. It was an absolute disgrace. Ignorant, boorish, arrogant. Peter Allen was the so called interviewer. I looked him up on their website. What he'd most like to do, according to him, is "have breakfast with Tony and Cherie Blair".
The BBC is heading for oblivion.
Posted by: christian | October 01, 2008 at 22:45
Crick thinks Brown's speech was slightly better!!!
Posted by: Tom FD | October 01, 2008 at 22:56
The floating voters shown on the Beebs focus group all seemed to have very historical anti tory slants on every thing they said. Not really impartial as they said.
Posted by: John | October 01, 2008 at 23:01
Newsnight - the Lowdown
Crick - Brown's speech was better.
Paxman - Why would Cameron want to compare himself with Thatcher??
Crick - Atlee better PM than Thatcher
Finklestein - not doing his job and sticking up for his party in the face of facetious attacks.
Posted by: Edison Smith | October 01, 2008 at 23:20
Of course the slanted media has reared a lot of younger floating voters to believe "Thatcher = bad"...
Posted by: Tom FD | October 01, 2008 at 23:21
I'm sure Desmond Swayne will be surprised that the article above has demoted him to being a PPC. His constituents in the New Forest will probably be even more surprised that he's not a real MP any more!
With regards to the BBC coverage of the speech (Daily Politics aside) I agree that it is an absolute disgrace. Are they not even attempting to appear unbiased anymore?
I've been a little surprised by Newsnight's so called 'focus group' for the last two weeks. For a start, they avoided all the key seats and went to Manchester to gather their focus group-a city without a single Tory councillor or MP.
To my surprise, that American pollster then went on to tell us that Manchester was just the sort of place that decided who formed the government. Excuse me? Does he know anything about British politics?
He then seemed shocked and surprised that the voters in his focus group were more taken with the Lib Dems than the Tories. But Manchester has been voting Lib Dem as an alternative to Labour for YEARS!!! Its natural that the average left wing voter that have fallen out of love with Labour will probably switch to the Lib Dems in Manchester.
I'm sure its nothing more than BBC laziness, not wanting to venture too far from where the Labour conference was being held. But was it really too much to ask that the compiled their focus group in a seat that mattered to the election result?
Lets have some proposals for clamping down on BBC bias!
Posted by: Shaun Bennett | October 01, 2008 at 23:35
Matt Wright @ 21.42, you can bet that if the captions got 'mixed-up', on the BeeB reporting, that they were MEANT to get mixed-up! Remember Liebowitz!
The BBC had better watch out, because if they continue to victimise the Conservatives in general and David Cameron in particular, in the way that they arfe doing at the moment, the public will begin to sympathise with them!!!!
Posted by: Patsy Sergeant | October 01, 2008 at 23:41
Lets have some proposals for clamping down on BBC bias!
Privatise the whole bloody lot.
Make the whole, withering cess redundant.
Posted by: Edison Smith | October 01, 2008 at 23:43
Don't you think it's a bit strange that all the people who think the BBC is biased are right-wing internet commentators? Could there perhaps be a reason why the lot of you sitting in right field look towards the middle and think it's on the left?
Overall the media has a right-wing bias. Does anyone actually dispute that?
Cameron's speech was adequate, but lacking in depth. Not awful, but nothing exciting. Just as the media jumped on Ruth Kelly (their story being anti-Labour at the moment), they will pick at Cameron and the Tories to find disagreement, just as you might expect.
If you really think the BBC are picking a biased panel, by all means but in a Freedom of Information Request.
Posted by: Passing Leftie | October 01, 2008 at 23:43
The 10 o'clock news on Radio 4 was an absolute disgrace.Robin Lustig and Paul Moss did not try to hide their contempt for Cameron.Leading questions to members of the public had sneering references to Tory Tofs 'as they were guided to the required negative responses.There is no longer any pretence of balance, they are simply fighting flat out for Labour.Someone please organise an effective attack on this vile organisation.
Posted by: erica | October 01, 2008 at 23:47
On the contrary Passing Leftie, why is it only 'passing lefties' that find the BBC unbiased?
What is the point on coming on here giving your thoughts exactly? The fact is, you're never going to be impressed by a DC speech because you are Labour and will vote for them come what may.
So your feedback is utterly pointless.
I know LabourHome isn't exactly the centre of the world (what with its six readers, which pretty much equals the membership numbers of the Labour Party these days), but surely your withering, rather yawn-inducing comments would be better received on there.
Posted by: Passing 'rightie' | October 01, 2008 at 23:53
Passing Leftie, we could argue all day about whether the Mainstream media is right or left wing, but you need to remember that the public has a choice about whether it pays for Sky or the Daily Mail or the Torygraph. The BBC is paid for out of a compulsory tax, collected by the state with the threat of jail!
It is obvious that the Beeb has a left wing bias. On the BBC facebook group, a substantial majority declare themselves liberal or very liberal, whereas the number calling themselves conservative can be counted on the fingers of Abu Hamza's hook! There were champagne corks popping at the BBC in '97, Marr, Naughtie, the Dimblebys and Michael Prick are all "out" Labour supporters.
I think Dave needs to pencil in another one of his days of reckoning for the BBC!
Posted by: Cleethorpes Rock | October 02, 2008 at 00:05
“Passing Leftie” – who I thought agreed with me to become “Resident Leftie” – says: “Don't you think it's a bit strange that all the people who think the BBC is biased are right-wing internet commentators?”
Really?! Even Andrew Marr admitted this bias – reported on the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation’s website – on 18 June 2007: “Former political editor Andrew Marr said the BBC is "a publicly-funded urban organisation with an abnormally large proportion of younger people, of people in ethnic minorities and almost certainly of gay people, compared with the population at large". All this, he said, "creates an innate liberal bias inside the BBC"."
LINK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6764779.stm
Posted by: Jill, London | October 02, 2008 at 00:34
The only way to beat the bias is to win. They can infer, spin and twist things all they want, but there's no way to misrepresent a three figure majority. Watching them trying to report black as white, or rather blue as red, will make election night all the more enjoyable.
Posted by: Clark | October 02, 2008 at 00:41
Instead of preaching to the converted on this site about the terrible bias of the "Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation." How about writing letters of complaint to Offcom (another useless taxpayer funded quango)?
Will they not be forced to investigate if they are inundated by letters?
Instead of investigating trivial matters such as phone ins by people who have nothing better to do than call silly programs, maybe they should be investigating serious matters such as misrepresentation and fraud in reporting the news!
I for one will be writing in and complaining.
Posted by: RMA | October 02, 2008 at 06:48
Revenge is a dish best eaten cold. We can wait until 2010 to get even with the BBC.
Posted by: Victor, NW Kent | October 02, 2008 at 08:35
You could join in line with the rest of the complainers on the Points of view website.
I have defended the BBC a few times in my posts, I think generally most reports/programmes aren't too bad, but the newsnight coverage on the speech and all week has been indefensable.
I understand that it's sometimes good to be asked difficult questions as then the MP can give the answer they wanted, but maitlis asks nonsensical questions, and that crick must be on another planet.
Posted by: Norm Brainer | October 02, 2008 at 08:38
How anyone can say that the BBC does not have a left wing bias is beyond me! Just take Crick's decision to rate Brown's speech above Cameron's! Politicians are meant to inspire, I don't mean spin, but you compare the two speeches...Brown's- a stale uninspiring monotonous regurgitated droning list of bullet-points. Cameron's - a forward thinking, yet realistic speech which in my opinion, importantly echoed the anger that the majority of Britain feels for Brown's blame shifting administration and the decline of the country as a whole since 1997. The chickens are coming home to roost. When you think about it, the fact that for most people, the bbc news is their only provider of political content, it is impressive that we are even leading in the polls...I would like to think people react against the bias, but I'm not sure most of the population think deeply enough about it...
Posted by: Ethan Hurlington | October 02, 2008 at 08:54
Some helpful person has started a thread:
http://10a.ta3.at/?thread=5945045
Posted by: Norm Brainer | October 02, 2008 at 09:44
One thing the British people have hated traditionally has been unfairness and injustice. The BBC are now blatent on both. Many blogs and comments I've read this morning are pointing it out. The BBC coverage is wide, like that of Pravda, but they are losing trust - and that will affect Labour as it will reflect on them. Labour the party who is supported by the liars, the unjust and the authoritarians!!
In the small 'Brown bounce' this week who will have returned to the Labour fold? Probably those who voted Labour in the past and wanted a reason to believe in them again. The fact that Sun has come out for Cameron will help here.
Even if you see no immediate change in the polls, and I doubt that will be the case, consider the effect of the speech on:-
1. those who were going to vote Tory holding their noses
2. those who were voting to keep Labour out, not positively for Conservatives
3. ex Conservative members
4. Conservagtive activists.
It will not show in the polls, but I would guess that group one may have taken the peg off their nose, group 2 have been given hope and will talk about it, group 3 are in tears and may rejoin, and group 4 will be heartened.
The Conservative message I got was about giving power back to society and local democracy - so if you have strengthened people to do more work in their locality to ensure a Conservative win, the BBC can huff and puff but the power of word of mouth is sometimes a lot stronger.
Posted by: Miranda | October 02, 2008 at 09:49
Whilst I can't knock the assertion that a lot of BBC coverage is left biased, I think a lot of you are pretty unfair on Nick Robinson. My impression is that he is instinctively Conservative, and infact I believe was once chair of YC. I think that he probably tries a little too hard to be "balanced", and this combined with other BBC transgressions makes him look biased to those on here. Incidently if you read his blog he is often attacked by Labour supporters for being pro-Cameron, which probably shows he has some balance!
Posted by: Nigel. | October 02, 2008 at 09:53
One major gripe I do have with the beeb is their institutional bias against country people and particularly country sports - basically they are biased against anything that the metropolitan leftie disapproves of! It is time to call time on the beeb, and those that like the Archers can pay to download it on line!
Posted by: Nigel. | October 02, 2008 at 09:57
> Shaun Bennett @ 2335
It refers to him as a PPS (Principal Private Secretary, which is accurate), not a PPC.
Posted by: Passing person | October 02, 2008 at 10:01
Bravo, Miranda.
Posted by: Saltmaker | October 02, 2008 at 10:32
Passing Leftie, I do admire you for your bravery in coming on here regularly to defend your point of view - but I fear you are fighting a losing battle!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | October 02, 2008 at 10:39
What is the point on coming on here giving your thoughts exactly? The fact is, you're never going to be impressed by a DC speech because you are Labour and will vote for them come what may.
So your feedback is utterly pointless.
I know LabourHome isn't exactly the centre of the world (what with its six readers, which pretty much equals the membership numbers of the Labour Party these days), but surely your withering, rather yawn-inducing comments would be better received on there.
Posted by: Passing 'rightie' | October 01, 2008 at 23:53
I before the speech that, for the Tories to have a chance of winning the next election, all DC needed to do was not frighten the horses with his speech. I said after his speech that he had achieved that goal. He is not a great orator. Do you disagree? Thatcher, for example, was much better.
If anyone wants me to stop posting send me an email to [email protected] and I will.
Posted by: resident leftie | October 02, 2008 at 11:08
I can forgive Nick Robinson, he is probably harangued by his superiors for not being gentle enough on good ol' Gordon.
Posted by: Tom FD | October 02, 2008 at 11:18
Please don't stop posting your comments Passing Leftie now resident.
Even though you didn't answer my questions yesterday, I like to know an alternative point of view. If conservatives can't provide a reasonable response to your posts, other than "So your feedback is utterly pointless. I know LabourHome isn't exactly the centre of the world (what with its six readers, which pretty much equals the membership numbers of the Labour Party these days), but surely your withering, rather yawn-inducing comments would be better received on there." then they are the negative nellies who shouldn't bother engaging with a dialogue blog.
I worry about activists of any party that only want to talk to each other and people that agree with them.
Posted by: a-tracy | October 02, 2008 at 11:25
Norm Brainer,
Your link is Draper's Rapid Rebuttal unit!
Posted by: M Dowding | October 02, 2008 at 11:29
He is not a great orator. Do you disagree?
Wholeheartedly.
Passing 'rightie', I have a degree of affection for our left wing friends and their quaint opinions ;-). If you don't want your opinions challenged, I heartily recommend The Blue Blog. Furthermore, since it is you, 'rightie', who is the newbie, I recommend that it's you who does the foxtrot oscar-ing.
Posted by: Saltmaker | October 02, 2008 at 11:35
Resident leftie,
"He is not a great orator. Do you disagree? Thatcher, for example, was much better."
I would agree with that, though I think this was his greatest speech so far. He set out a substantial philosophy for government which is exactly what he needed to do.
Posted by: Matt | October 02, 2008 at 11:37
The link I provided in my earlier post about Andrew Marr admitting the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation’s Lefty bias was part of an article on a report that had been done on this very subject – and their website article [of 18 June 2007] says:
“In fact, the report is a remarkably frank dissection of the BBC's attempts - and difficulties - in maintaining impartiality in the 21st Century, across its wide range of outlets and programmes. Richard Tait, the BBC Trust member who chaired the team overseeing the report, is a former editor of ITN. He said: "It doesn't say the BBC has a liberal bias - it says the BBC will have to work even harder to maintain the trust of the audience in future.”
LINK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6764779.stm
What a joke! There is a report telling the BBC they have problems of bias that’s couched in such low key terms, they can just dismiss it!
Part of the problem with the BBC is it refuses to admit its Lefty bias – note the phrase “maintaining impartiality” although why this is linked to “in the 21st Century” is anybody’s guess!
Whilst the BBC has got a lot more Lefty leaning since this shower of Comrades came to power – it was a problem in Lady T’s time. And what is even more concerning is that Lady T and Norman Tebbit were almost hamstrung in doing anything about this.
Being forced to pay an annual television tax and seeing that the BBC is in constant contravention of their Charter regarding impartiality is maddening. As they have flouted this aspect of their Charter for decades, I think an incoming Conservative government would need to pass Parliamentary legislation to ensure they really are unbiased – or axe the annual television tax.
Posted by: Jill, London | October 02, 2008 at 13:11
Posted by: Jill, London | October 02, 2008 at 13:11
Whilst the BBC has got a lot more Lefty leaning since this shower of Comrades came to power – it was a problem in Lady T’s time. And what is even more concerning is that Lady T and Norman Tebbit were almost hamstrung in doing anything about this.
I'm sure the editor will do a specific topic about BBC bias at some point, and I'll address that issue in depth then rather than hijack this thread.
I can't really take you seriously when you use the word Bolshevik in the context of the BBC.
Suffice to say that the BBC's current affairs are respected world-wide, including the much more right wing States, and it's only a right wing clique here who think otherwise. Most media outlets (right or left) are staffed by liberals, but they are professional and write according to the editorial line. The BBC have been very hard on Labour - I think you have short memories.
While the idea of Cameron being a great orator is laughable, this was the best speech of his I've seen. I'll stick with adequate. Listen to Nye Bevan, Churchill or Lloyd George, and rethink.
Posted by: resident leftie | October 02, 2008 at 14:09
So....let me get this straight....the former Passing Leftie is now Resident Leftie and is now staying? Good, we welcome your opinions even if they are going against the tide!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | October 02, 2008 at 14:21
Are we really THAT surprised by the BBC's bias? After all, this was the 'independent' media source that encouraged Tom Paulin to call Israelis 'Zionist Nazis' and compare their treatment of Palestinians to that of the SS during Shoah.
- This Times Online comment may also be of interest:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article3933535.ece
Posted by: Mara MacSeoinin | October 02, 2008 at 17:26
Hey, come on resident leftie, you wouldn’t take me seriously anyway as I’m not a fellow traveller!
I don’t know where you got the idea that right wingers in the US are happy with the Lefty bias of the BBC – my right-wing American friends [residing in the US] aren’t happy about it either. I also don’t know where you get the idea that “most media outlets.. are staffed by liberals” – some areas of television are dominated by Lefties, but the UK commercial film industry tends to have more right wing people working in it.
However, I would agree that there are professionals who follow the editorial line whether it’s their ideology – or not. From what I can tell, one example is Jeff Randall – former BBC business editor, he appeared to toe the [Lefty] party line whilst at the Beeb, but now he’s moved to the Telegraph, he sounds more right wing.
I know some actors who are right wing, but they daren’t make their politics known for fear of not being employed by Lefty producers and/or directors. Now that is wrong – why shouldn’t right wingers have the same political freedom of speech as the Left?
As for the BBC “being hard on Labour” – this strikes me as a bit of a game the Beeb play. For instance, I listened to Cherie B-Liar being interviewed about her autobiography by Jenni Murray on Radio 4’s “Woman’s Hour” – Murray almost whispered her ’anti’ questions in the most unctuous tone as if it pained her to ask, so Cherie B-Liar was given an easy ride. Compare and contrast Murray interviewing Ann Widdecombe about her writing career – Murray took a most strident, disapproving tone throughout, and was often quite aggressive with her questioning.
The major problem with ‘the media’ is how the BBC has retained its dominance [presumably through the annual television tax], and there’s the dominance of its Lefty ideology. It’s time for right wingers to ‘borrow’ Gramsci’s Theory of Hegemony, and challenge the hegemonic [Lefty] consensus of the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation [after all this government of all the Comrades do this the whole time by promoting minorities in favour of the majority].
FYI - There is a Biased BBC website – link: http://www.biased-bbc.blogspot.com/
BTW - I am not alone in using the “Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation” – just Google the term to see [I did have a list earlier but my posting kept being rejected as spam!].
Posted by: Jill, London | October 02, 2008 at 17:31
Posted by: Sally Roberts | October 02, 2008 at 14:21
So....let me get this straight....the former Passing Leftie is now Resident Leftie and is now staying? Good, we welcome your opinions even if they are going against the tide!
Yes, that't it, Sally. After being asked quite reasonably why I'm "passing" when I'm not, I decided to take Jill's suggestion. It's the only good advice I have had from anyone here!
With a couple of expections, LabourHome is rather dull, as I enjoy my ideas being challenged rather than just get agreement.
It's like the internet version of arguing with your brother-in-law at a family gathering.
My open invitation to anyone stands - a single email and I'll stop posting.
Posted by: resident leftie | October 02, 2008 at 17:32
I'm sure you're welcome to stay.. just remember to close italics every now and then!
You sound like you are wanting someone to email so you can say how nasty they are or something?
Posted by: Norm Brainer | October 02, 2008 at 17:59
Dear Resident Leftie,
Please don't stop posting - your comments/thoughts/arguments/rhetoric are all grist to the intellectual mill that we've been lacking for rather a long time in this country; we welcome many points of view. (The more contentious, the better in my opinion!)
Posted by: Mara MacSeoinin | October 02, 2008 at 18:00
Hello again resident leftie – and hello to Sally Roberts – I would like to confirm I suggested passing leftie becomes resident leftie as that’s a more accurate description.
I agree with others, I am happy to debate points with resident leftie. And I’d also like to say resident leftie is pleasant to debate with – unlike former Conservatives who post on here who often launch vicious – and often ad hominem – attacks on people who disagree with their disagreeable posts.
Posted by: Jill, London | October 02, 2008 at 18:07
unlike former Conservatives
Isn't that a standard technique of the rebuttal unit to say "I used to be a conservative for 87years..."
Posted by: Norm Brainer | October 02, 2008 at 18:09
COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO STOP ALL OF OUR POSTS INSTANTLY GOING INTO ITALICS!
Posted by: Jill, London | October 02, 2008 at 18:10
BBC World Service is I still think very respected. During time of Thatcher and Tebbitt, I think they misplayed media and have only themselves to blame. Maybe function of no opposition in Parliament, media had to take on that role.
But at present good question to ask:
Which News is :
(a) Best coverage of number of events?
(b) Balanced in presenting as many points of view?
(c) Accurate?
BBC, Channel 4, Sky , ITN US Channels
Which programmes produce best indepth:
Dispatches, Panorama, NewsNight US Channels
If in hurry, what is your quick briefer on "breaking news"?
Might be interesting answers.
Posted by: snegchui | October 02, 2008 at 18:10
Oh, yes, Norm Brainer, there are many new posters here who are obviously part of “Dolly” Draper’s rapid rebuttal unit – but I do think there are some genuine former Conservatives who – for whatever reason – are upset with the party, and post on here in the spirit of mischief making.
Posted by: Jill, London | October 02, 2008 at 18:14