Comments on: Left-wing bias and the British Broadcasting Corporation

By: Liberal Conspiracy » The logic of the ‘left-wing’ BBC

Liberal Conspiracy » The logic of the ‘left-wing’ BBC — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:33:00 +0000

[...] that makes perfect sense to a journalist from the notoriously ‘leftwing’ BBC. · About the author: This is a guest article. Paul Cotterill is Labour Councillor for rural [...]

By: The logic of the left-wing BBC « Though Cowards Flinch

The logic of the left-wing BBC « Though Cowards Flinch — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:08:19 +0000

[...] Yes, that makes perfect sense to a journalist from the notoriously ‘leftwing’ BBC. [...]

By: charliemarks

charliemarks — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:30:06 +0000

Sure. On the one hand the BBC doesn’t exist as a monopoly and so must compete with for-profit companies for “talent”, imported shows, etc, but in terms of journalists it has far more than ITN or Sky and so can better cover local, national, and international stories with original material.

By: Dave Semple

Dave Semple — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:54:19 +0000

I don’t think churnalism can be put solely down to the profit motive: Nick Davies has some harsh words for the BBC for example – and they aren’t bound by the profit motive.

By: charliemarks

charliemarks — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:48:45 +0000

Murdoch junior must be a clone of his father, albeit with a Yank accent. All very well talking of profit as freedom if you’re living off it, I suppose.

The suicidal move that his father has taken with respect charging for online content will only work if the BBC is taken out. Let’s face it, the profit motive forces companies to shed journalists and resort to “churnalism”.

By: Dave Semple

Dave Semple — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:48:06 +0000

Well, I suppose one of the benefits to such a broad-ranging broadcasting remit is that there’s room at the BBC for nearly everything – which allows everyone to pick out what they hate most and get all riled up about it.

That said, however, I think it should be possible for a nuanced and well-informed observer to work out which ideology or group of ideologies has most influence: I certainly wouldn’t leave it up to Hitchens, who enjoys using the term “cultural Marxist” far too much to know what it actually means.

By: raincoatoptimism

raincoatoptimism — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:14:03 +0000

Its a Rorschach test isn’t it, all this talk of the BBC. James Murdoch says its throttling the market, nicer people like Sunny say its pro-est/pro-BB (I tend to agree with the latter). But nonetheless its interesting to see that people will see in the BBC their own pet-hates and peculiarities. I suppose if there was such thing as human nature, contrarianism would be it.

By: Dave Semple

Dave Semple — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:04:13 +0000

I think you are wrong there: Channel 4 also has programmes about benefits ‘scroungers’ – it’s not simply the BBC. http://harpymarx.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/its-all-about-scroungers/

On that basis, therefore, I think it’s difficult to attribute the blame for such a programme to trying to ensure they keep the license fee.

As for the correlation between government green papers and BBC programmes, you’ll find that all broadcasters like to talk about topical issues. Capitalist crash and the BBC ran multiple programmes where they entertained the notion that capitalism was going to have to change radically.

By: treborc

treborc — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:58:51 +0000

I’ve know for a while the BBC is a piss poor broadcaster, Labour first green paper on welfare, the BBC does a program about benefits scroungers, the second green paper the BBC does another one, now we have a green paper on whether it’s better to get rid of DLA, out comes the BBC with Saint or Scrounger, the cheeky bastards asked me to be a saint.

The BBC works for whom ever is power to ensure the license money goes up. I said make it pay for view, then if you do not want it to do not pay

By: Dave Semple

Dave Semple — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:19:43 +0000

Do you mean me or Hitchens?