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Advice on accessing BBC News

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Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#71

Post by the_other »

rvieira wrote: post #37
LAC-Tech wrote: post #15

I'm always a bit perplexed when people hold up the BBC as an example of a respectable, unbiased news source - a lot of their stuff is ham-fisted, and some of it is flat-out propaganda. I wouldn't say they are noticeably worse than other media staples - everything is biased - but they don't deserve to be on the pedestal they are put on.

There are two BBCs. BBC News and BBC TV programmes. BBC TV programmes (from fiction to documentaries) are among the best of in the world in terms of productions. BBC News is incredibly biased pro-government. IMO, this all stems to the changes David Cameron did to its structure and funding, making it effectively averse to "upset" the government. They also have this view of "balance" that is best exemplified by invitin…

It’s really not “incredibly pro-government”. It’s anti-rapid change; pro-middle class; pro-a-comfortable-quality-of-life; anti “changing the system” whilst still “improving on the details”.

Some of its reporting feels pro-government because it’s telling the story of what the government is saying it’s doing. Watch any of the “just off the peak time” broadcasting and it’s very keen to hold politicians to account, to point out unfairness and hypocrisy, regardless of which party holds more power. It’s had gentle leans towards, and against various governments over the past 20 years, and not in sync with the party in power.

All of this is fairly centrist.

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#72

Post by afavour »

LAC-Tech wrote: post #15

I'm always a bit perplexed when people hold up the BBC as an example of a respectable, unbiased news source - a lot of their stuff is ham-fisted, and some of it is flat-out propaganda. I wouldn't say they are noticeably worse than other media staples - everything is biased - but they don't deserve to be on the pedestal they are put on.

I find their domestic coverage to sometimes be problematic but their world service is in a league of its own.

But to each their own, I suppose.

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#73

Post by AniseAbyss »

LAC-Tech wrote: post #15

I'm always a bit perplexed when people hold up the BBC as an example of a respectable, unbiased news source - a lot of their stuff is ham-fisted, and some of it is flat-out propaganda. I wouldn't say they are noticeably worse than other media staples - everything is biased - but they don't deserve to be on the pedestal they are put on.

There is a lot of history with the BBC for Europeans. Their foreign language service in WW2 is the stuff of legends.

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#74

Post by zo1 »

usr1106 wrote: post #34
LAC-Tech wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your attitude is a little bit perplexing to me. You have so much faith in your media that you trust them to accurately summarise what other media says? Though thinking further I kind of get where you are coming from - there's English language media from a certain country that's so bad at propaganda I cringe just reading the headline. Guess I'm not as open minded as I thought I was.

> You have so much faith in your media that you trust them to accurately summarise what other media says? Yes, I trust them in that respect. I do disagree with quite many positions of Western society and their media. But I do trust them that they correctly summarize what Russian report about the war, which they are not allowed to call a war. As a foreigner who speaks Finnish I am aware of the weird myths that can be…

They look exactly the same as CNN except CNN is being forced to call it the "Ukraine war". E.g. in your example, RT toes the line to this "it's not a war" mandate by saying:

   Moscow maintains its military offensive in Ukraine is a “special operation” aimed at the [...]
Quotes included, they're not saying it's Fact but that Moscow claims it is. Here is another one:

   Russia *attacked Ukraine* last week, *arguing that it was defending the DPR* and the neighboring Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), which broke away from Ukraine shortly after the 2014 coup in Kiev. *Moscow also said* it was seeking the “demilitarization and denazification” of the country.

   Meanwhile, Ukraine said the attack was entirely unprovoked and has appealed to the international community for help.
Honestly, comparing the two front-pages of CNN and RT, I am positively shocked. Most of CNN's articles are skewed to portray Russia in a bad light, and the RT one seems to be a big list of sanctions and retaliations by the West against Russia. We need to see both.

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#75

Post by AniseAbyss »

kebman wrote: post #62
mytailorisrich wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Within the UK the "anti-BBC narrative" as you call it is indeed political, but I don't think it's posturing or a business plot, at least at grassroots level. I think it's based on the perception that the BBC itself tends to have a political and geographical bias.

Most European public broadcasters have a deep political bias, so much so that many advocate for their privatization. Previously in Norway you at least had the option to not pay the mandatory subscription by claiming that you didn't own a TV, but then the leader of the party with the most voters who wanted it privatized, the Progress Party (FRP), made sure that it came on the tax bill instead...

Those people who advocate for privatisation just want to replace it with their own bullshit. You'll be amazed how few actually want unbiased reporting.

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#76

Post by VictorPath »

smackay wrote: post #30
bhobs wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They go out of their way to try and represent both sides of a coin, to a fault. If it’s clearly raining, and they have a guest on to talk about the rain, they will also have a guest on who will try and argue “oh these precipitation levels don’t constitute rain” etc. A bit contrived but you get the idea.

Except for viewers in Scotland.

Or when the Irish elected Sinn Féin MPs to parliament and the voices of the MPs were banned from the BBC.

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#78

Post by rvieira »

Angostura wrote: post #67
rvieira wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are two BBCs. BBC News and BBC TV programmes. BBC TV programmes (from fiction to documentaries) are among the best of in the world in terms of productions. BBC News is incredibly biased pro-government. IMO, this all stems to the changes David Cameron did to its structure and funding, making it effectively averse to "upset" the government. They also have this view of "balance" that is best exemplified by invitin…

> BBC News is incredibly biased pro-government. If anything it's pro status-quo or pro establishment it has a bias towards liberal democratic values and the norms. As politics swings about, the BBC has a dampening effect which is valuable. So if you look at the extreme of Johnson's incompetance, you will see the BBC scrutinising it quite heavily - but similarly with Corbyn in the past. The fact that government cultur…

I gave my opinion on Dorries' approach further down on the thread.

Interestingly, the heavy scrutiny only came after the govt's threat of "defunding" the BBC in 2021. It was never there for the 2019 election, for instance or the Brexit referendum.

Also, the Tory party never accused the BBC of political bias, but rather "wokeness", so this is just an attempt to shift to the public debate to "culture wars", rather than other issues, in my view.

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#79

Post by rvieira »

the_other wrote: post #71
rvieira wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are two BBCs. BBC News and BBC TV programmes. BBC TV programmes (from fiction to documentaries) are among the best of in the world in terms of productions. BBC News is incredibly biased pro-government. IMO, this all stems to the changes David Cameron did to its structure and funding, making it effectively averse to "upset" the government. They also have this view of "balance" that is best exemplified by invitin…

It’s really not “incredibly pro-government”. It’s anti-rapid change; pro-middle class; pro-a-comfortable-quality-of-life; anti “changing the system” whilst still “improving on the details”. Some of its reporting feels pro-government because it’s telling the story of what the government is saying it’s doing. Watch any of the “just off the peak time” broadcasting and it’s very keen to hold politicians to account, to po…

I agree the editorial line is not uniform. But realistically, how many people watch Politics live or Newsnight? Mostly politics buffs. The vast majority of the population watches peak time news (which is mostly repeating the governments line).

Re: Advice on accessing BBC News

#80

Post by yabatopia »

LAC-Tech wrote: post #15

I'm always a bit perplexed when people hold up the BBC as an example of a respectable, unbiased news source - a lot of their stuff is ham-fisted, and some of it is flat-out propaganda. I wouldn't say they are noticeably worse than other media staples - everything is biased - but they don't deserve to be on the pedestal they are put on.

I'm getting sick and tired of baseless comments like this being the top comment.

I want to read about the real topic, additional information, different insights, ... a real discussion about the original article, link, project.

Too many discussions are getting hijacked and turned into irrelevant clickbait and a waste of time.

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