| So they want to defund the BBC 09:57 - Jan 17 with 3526 views | bluelagos |
In 2006 I was working in Monrovia, Liberia for an Irish development charity. Liberia was coming off the back of a 15 year civil war that had seen many human right abuses.
Charles Taylor had fled Liberia and was in a Nigerian prison awaiting extradition for "crimes against humanity", Liberia had recently held peaceful elections and the journey of reconstructing a devastated country was underway.
One day I went to work and met Arthur our Transport manager. Arthur was a quiet man, who had experienced traumas none of us could comprehend. During the war his home had been over run by rebel soldiers. He ran for his life and hid down a water well for hours, until the soldiers had left and the firing of guns stopped. He climbed out to discover his home ransacked and tragically his wife and only child macheted to death.
Arthur was not his usual quiet self this morning. This day he was physically shaking, his arms and hands uncontrollable as he relived a trauma that I could barely comprehend. I asked what had happened and he explained that Charles Taylor had escaped from prison in Nigeria. He told me he heard rumours that Taylor was coming back to Liberia, to restart the old war that had left 1 in 12 Liberians dead and 3/4 of the population displaced.
After chatting with Arthur and trying my best to reassure him these were only rumours I got his radio and we tuned into the BBC World service. For 48 hours that was Arthur's only reliable news service and it was on the BBC that Arthur heard the news that Charles Taylor has been recaptured, that he had been flown to Holland and that he would now be tried in an international court.
In places like Liberia, where there was no reliable local news sources, the BBC delivered trusted news, indeed the only widely available trusted news source for many.
For Nadine Dorries and the Tories to use the threat of defunding the BBC, to try and deflect attention away from Johnson and his many parties, is beyond contempt. These people are beneath contempt.
The sooner he goes, the sooner they all go, can't be too soon. |  |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:22 - Jan 17 with 1178 views | Ryorry |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:03 - Jan 17 by ElephantintheRoom |
On the other hand in the era of global streaming, subscription etc it is rather odd to handicap the national broadcaster by funding it through a small, easily avoided tax. I would imagine BBC salaries and pensions could be even more generous if they were allowed to self-fund. There might even be some money left over to make some programmes. |
Don't think there are many who'd buy into ad breaks mid-way through live relays of symphonies or PMQs from the HoC, tbh. |  |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:27 - Jan 17 with 1170 views | monytowbray |
Media companies chasing that right wing dollar. Who needs integrity and ethics anyway?!
Good news from bad practice I guess but a dip in the ocean of the problem. |  |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:33 - Jan 17 with 1157 views | MattinLondon |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 10:58 - Jan 17 by monytowbray |
I’d say it has a misguided view on impartiality now, which is the main problem. As the thread above linked says, a journos job is to look out the window to confirm if it’s raining or not. It is not to publish both sides of a debate about if it’s raining or not and let the reader decide.
This could be worth a read - https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2016/08/bbc-biased-against-jeremy-corbyn-l
On top of this, they favour inviting fringe right wing commentators for views in the clickbait era and largely ignore anything left of neoliberalism as a voice. A quick look at UKIP vs Green representation. They even reported this, but little changed: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39854951 [Post edited 17 Jan 2022 23:02]
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I agree with your comments regarding fringe right-wingers being invited onto their shows. Nigel Farage appears on the BBC far too many times. Maybe he’s seen as box office material when the BBC may well have to justify audience figures. |  | | |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:51 - Jan 17 with 1124 views | BlueBadger |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 10:13 - Jan 17 by BlueBadger |
I don't know about anyone else, but I find it strangely weird that a government which is at pains to shows how 'patriotic' they are are so keen on running down and/or attacking great British institutions. Over the past decade, off the top of my head, they've gotten the arse with the NHS, BBC, National Trust and RNLI amongst others.
It's almost as if they're dimwitted flag-shaggers mistaking bigotry and xenophobia for patriotism. [Post edited 17 Jan 2022 10:22]
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Fancy that, the deeply patriotic DaveU hates Brilliant British Things and loves bigots, xenophobes and dimwits. |  |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:55 - Jan 17 with 1111 views | Swansea_Blue |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:21 - Jan 17 by monytowbray |
Chicken and egg though for now. The BBC could save themselves but cowers in fear to power.
I'd sooner read The Byline Times. |
Sure, for now it's definitely in a bad place when it comes to current affairs. I wouldn't rely on it to get a realistic picture of what's going on for any politically related issue. Byline Times does a much better job of holding power to account. |  |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 12:02 - Jan 17 with 1086 views | Ryorry |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 11:55 - Jan 17 by Swansea_Blue |
Sure, for now it's definitely in a bad place when it comes to current affairs. I wouldn't rely on it to get a realistic picture of what's going on for any politically related issue. Byline Times does a much better job of holding power to account. |
The World Service does do that, extremely well, progs like Hard Talk. | |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 12:37 - Jan 17 with 1073 views | Darth_Koont |
Wow! Great rant from Monbiot and his conclusion is bang on: the BBC do share some of the culpability with where we’ve ended up and with which politicians.
Also reflects an opinion I’ve seen from many others. 10-20 years ago if the right wanted to defund the BBC progressives would have led the defence. Nowadays, I and many others are thinking why bother? Certainly when it comes to UK News and Current Affairs.
Like with our politicians, the BBC is an “alternative” to the right wing that is still more of the problem than the solution. And nowadays they’re more effective at countering and neutralising progressive voices and real issues (climate change, child poverty, low productivity, massive social, economic and political inequality, minority’s rights, the real global challenges of 2022 and beyond etc. etc.) than they are at countering and neutralising the predominant right-wing narrative. |  |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 12:51 - Jan 17 with 1056 views | monytowbray |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 12:37 - Jan 17 by Darth_Koont |
Wow! Great rant from Monbiot and his conclusion is bang on: the BBC do share some of the culpability with where we’ve ended up and with which politicians.
Also reflects an opinion I’ve seen from many others. 10-20 years ago if the right wanted to defund the BBC progressives would have led the defence. Nowadays, I and many others are thinking why bother? Certainly when it comes to UK News and Current Affairs.
Like with our politicians, the BBC is an “alternative” to the right wing that is still more of the problem than the solution. And nowadays they’re more effective at countering and neutralising progressive voices and real issues (climate change, child poverty, low productivity, massive social, economic and political inequality, minority’s rights, the real global challenges of 2022 and beyond etc. etc.) than they are at countering and neutralising the predominant right-wing narrative. |
Lowhouse basically but on a giant tax payer funded media entity scale. | |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:27 - Jan 17 with 977 views | lowhouseblue |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 10:27 - Jan 17 by Guthrum |
You have to look at the sheer volume of BBC output. Everyone ignores radio, which covers those topics in considerable depth. Not forgetting the network of BBC local stations and those in languages other than English.
The fact that both the right and the left complain about the other side being given too much leeway by the BBC suggests they are pretty neutral in reality. |
it's clear now that the only way we retain the bbc in a recognisable form is by electing a labour government at the next election. couldn't be simpler. |  |
| And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:35 - Jan 17 with 963 views | lowhouseblue |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 12:51 - Jan 17 by monytowbray |
Lowhouse basically but on a giant tax payer funded media entity scale. |
ah, so the hard left are against the bbc along with the tories. funny how that happens. nadine dorries and dk and co sitting in a tree. [Post edited 17 Jan 2022 17:38]
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| And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:41 - Jan 17 with 944 views | Darth_Koont |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:35 - Jan 17 by lowhouseblue |
ah, so the hard left are against the bbc along with the tories. funny how that happens. nadine dorries and dk and co sitting in a tree. [Post edited 17 Jan 2022 17:38]
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Yeah, because Dorries and I have the same criticism of the BBC ...
Let’s be absolutely honest here, your politics are an awful lot closer to Dorries than mine. | |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:44 - Jan 17 with 938 views | lowhouseblue |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:41 - Jan 17 by Darth_Koont |
Yeah, because Dorries and I have the same criticism of the BBC ...
Let’s be absolutely honest here, your politics are an awful lot closer to Dorries than mine. |
and yet you share her desire to wreck the bbc. and neither of you has any desire to see a labour government. funny that. | |
| And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:45 - Jan 17 with 935 views | Darth_Koont |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:44 - Jan 17 by lowhouseblue |
and yet you share her desire to wreck the bbc. and neither of you has any desire to see a labour government. funny that. |
You’re not that thick. Or are you? | |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:46 - Jan 17 with 928 views | lowhouseblue |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:45 - Jan 17 by Darth_Koont |
You’re not that thick. Or are you? |
intelligent come back. well done you. | |
| And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:48 - Jan 17 with 924 views | Darth_Koont |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:46 - Jan 17 by lowhouseblue |
intelligent come back. well done you. |
I’ve got my answer. | |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 21:18 - Jan 17 with 855 views | monytowbray |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 17:27 - Jan 17 by lowhouseblue |
it's clear now that the only way we retain the bbc in a recognisable form is by electing a labour government at the next election. couldn't be simpler. |
Funny that, you've changed your tune. I had no idea Corbyn was so against the BBC. | |
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 10:26 - Jan 18 with 766 views | GavTWTD |
I missed this tweet from Susie Dent yesterday.
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| So they want to defund the BBC on 10:51 - Jan 18 with 726 views | Lord_Lucan |
| So they want to defund the BBC on 10:26 - Jan 18 by GavTWTD |
I missed this tweet from Susie Dent yesterday.
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James O brien was talking about Sparple yesterday on his radio show so I guess he nicked it from her. |  |
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