REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

BBC bias

POSTED BY: KANEMAN
UPDATED: Friday, November 3, 2006 19:17
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Thursday, October 26, 2006 3:33 AM

KANEMAN


"Yes, we are biased on religion and politics, admit BBC executives" More Here....
"Senior figures admitted that the BBC is guilty of promoting Left-wing views and an anti-Christian sentiment.

They also said that as an organisation it was disproportionately over-represented by gays and ethnic minorities.

It was also suggested that the Beeb is guilty of political correctness, the overt promotion of multiculturalism and of being anti-American and against the countryside.

During the meeting, hosted by Sue Lawley, executives admitted they would happily broadcast the image of a Bible being thrown away - but would not do the same for the Koran."



Is this the main source of news and information in England or is it still The Sun? Explains a lot.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 3:48 AM

DREAMTROVE


It's the media, what else is new?

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 5:48 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


Link please? I already have one, and I read the ENITRE story which consists of a random bits of quotes from people who have no ax to grind. But a link would allow people to put your 'news' in context.

For example, while the story says 'senior executives' there are only three actual quotes from low level employees.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:16 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Here's the best link I could find. Still seems that they are admitting to bias. In this, they are admitting that they're like every other news outlet in the world. I stll enjoy the BBC website, I just know I have to accept that they have a viewpoint they're supporting.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23371617-details/We+are+bia
sed%252C+admit+the+stars+of+BBC+News/article.do


"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:30 AM

KANEMAN

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:36 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


And here is a list of the BBC's "crimes":

'It (a 'leaked account') reveals that executives would let the Bible be thrown into a dustbin on a TV comedy show, but not the Koran, and that they would broadcast an interview with Osama Bin Laden if given the opportunity. Further, it discloses that the BBC's 'diversity tsar', wants Muslim women newsreaders to be allowed to wear veils when on air.'

You have to wonder when they fail to link or make original sources available - like the 'leaked account'. And if this is the most damning stuff they could cull from the entire account, it's pretty lame. I mean - really. Which broadcaster wouldn't interview bin Laden? it'd be a ratings coup.


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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:44 AM

KANEMAN


"At the secret meeting in London last month, which was hosted by veteran broadcaster Sue Lawley, BBC executives admitted the corporation is dominated by homosexuals and people from ethnic minorities, deliberately promotes multiculturalism, is anti-American, anti-countryside and more sensitive to the feelings of Muslims than Christians."

"The BBC is believed to be taking a more critical look at itself because it fears if it does not, its regulation could be removed from its board of governors and handed over to the independent regulator Ofcom."

Again, it sounds like a little more is going on then if a news anchor can wear a vail..They seem to be addressing "their" problem, and seem aware they have one. And you, the ruse, try to down play it. Like it's made up..They are admitting it, maybe you should to.....Well, it's true.......


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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:49 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


The fact that they hire gays and minorites makes the BAAADDD. OOOHHHHhhhh ... And the former empire acknowledges other cultures .... GASP ! UNTHINKABLE!
"They are admiting it" or, some people report they had a meeting, or perhaps three low level people were airing their prejudices ... it's really hard to tell without THE ACTUAL REPORT.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:53 AM

KANEMAN


Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
The fact that they hire gays and minorites makes the BAAADDD. OOOHHHHhhhh ... And the former empire acknowledges other cultures .... GASP ! UNTHINKABLE!



No, the fact that they allow those groups to totally infect British news and information with their bias...is. Sad that you can't see that...Ah, nothing like drinking Koolaid while wearing blinders.......Right, Ruse?

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:55 AM

CITIZEN


In a secret meeting with FOX executives they admited they were biased:
"Yes we hate everyone except the religious right, and we want them dead, what's wrong with that?" They were quoted to say by some guy.



More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
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Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:59 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


"In one of a series of discussions, executives were asked to rule on how they would react if the controversial comedian Sacha Baron Cohen ) known for his offensive characters Ali G and Borat - was a guest on the programme Room 101.

On the show, celebrities are invited to throw their pet hates into a dustbin and it was imagined that Baron Cohen chose some kosher food, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Bible and the Koran.

Nearly everyone at the summit, including the show's actual producer and the BBC's head of drama, Alan Yentob, agreed they could all be thrown into the bin, except the Koran for fear of offending Muslims."

This does seem to convey an impression of either bias or cowardice.



"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 9:00 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


"Totally infect ..."

Uhm, let's see. Wearing a veil, interviewing bin Laden and allowing a bible to be thrown in the trash. Totally infect, no I didn't see that phrase anywhere. Hmmm .... perhaps canker sore made that up ... could it be that HIS reporting of others' reporting is BIASED ??!!

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 9:03 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


"'Nearly everyone ... agreed they (kosher food, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Bible and the Koran) could all be thrown into the bin, except the Koran for fear of offending Muslims.'
This does seem to convey an impression of either bias or cowardice."

What would be more offensive to a christian - throwing a bible in the dustbin or using a crucifix as a dildo? You have to pick your examples to make sure they are equivalent.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 9:32 AM

CITIZEN


I don't think anyone doubts that the BBC is biased, it is however less biased than any American news source, and less biased than ITN or Channel Four news over here.

Even to the point where the BBC will admit it's own failings, where as their contemporaries would just say "we are always right, sometimes reality is incorrect".



More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
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Thursday, October 26, 2006 9:38 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


As a US observer, I find the BBC int'l coverage to be focused on ex-colonies. So when I want news on Central and South America I tend to go elsewhere. Otherwise I think it has a much better world persepctive than US news.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 10:25 AM

KANEMAN


"In a secret meeting with FOX executives they admited they were biased:
"Yes we hate everyone except the religious right, and we want them dead, what's wrong with that?"

Ah, nothing better than a little misdirection from a liberal to know there is truth to something. Jesus Citz, I thought better of you. Who knew you would stoop so low, you little dog. What a wiley coyote you are becoming, so sneaky and hard to get a bead on... wow! Say hello to Ruse while you are down there.......

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 10:31 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
"'Nearly everyone ... agreed they (kosher food, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Bible and the Koran) could all be thrown into the bin, except the Koran for fear of offending Muslims.'
This does seem to convey an impression of either bias or cowardice." - Geezer

What would be more offensive to a christian - throwing a bible in the dustbin or using a crucifix as a dildo? You have to pick your examples to make sure they are equivalent. - Rue



I have no doubt that there are plenty of Christians who would be as offended by someone throwing the Bible in the dustbin as Muslims would be if the Koran were being treated the same way. Is there then some secret ratio of offense which would let us know when it's OK to offend and when we have to fear that we are offending too much? Is it that the offended Muslims are considered more likely to cause trouble? Is that actually bias against Muslims?

BTW. "Crucifix as a dildo"? Now why did that example pop into your head first? Experience? Naughty Rue!

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 10:39 AM

KANEMAN


Quote:

Originally posted by kaneman:
"At the secret meeting in London last month, which was hosted by veteran broadcaster Sue Lawley, BBC executives admitted the corporation is dominated by homosexuals and people from ethnic minorities, deliberately promotes multiculturalism, is anti-American, anti-countryside and more sensitive to the feelings of Muslims than Christians."

"The BBC is believed to be taking a more critical look at itself because it fears if it does not, its regulation could be removed from its board of governors and handed over to the independent regulator Ofcom."





Ruse, these are not my words. I'm sorry to have brought it to your attention. Like you don't think big media is biased. Come on now, aaah.. sure you do. Trying to act all flabbergasted and "oh, they would never do such a thing"ish....Did you and Citz talk by phone and make a pact to act all "oh, its nothing" and evasive? Pretty gooooood, it's a cute little act.. you two are a couple of little snakes. I got by eye on you..make sure you behave.......

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 11:07 AM

DANFAN


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:

"BTW. "Crucifix as a dildo"? Now why did that example pop into your head first? Experience? Naughty Rue!



Perhaps he saw "The Exorcist" at a tender age back in the 1970's (as did I). Never read the book... so I can't say whether that scene was in the novel.

That said, Rue seemed to be claiming (if I understood correctly) that a visual representation of someone using a crucifix as a dildo would provide an outrage to Christians that would be more closely equivalent to a Muslim watching a Koran being defaced.

The crucifix/dildo thing was done in theaters all over the country about 30 years ago. I do remember some outcry from the Christian community. But I don't remember any firebombings, beheadings, or even criminal arrests.

Edited to Add: I went back and reread Rue's original post. He didn't say that crucifix/dildo = koran/trash can. He indicated that crucifix/dildo > bible/trashcan and followed that with a comment (something)about choosing equivalent insults. So my statement that Rue means crucifix/dildo = koran/trashcan is my inference, not Rue's explicit claim.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 12:19 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


The problem is in this paragraph:

"The BBC is believed to be taking a more critical look at itself because it fears if it does not, its regulation could be removed from its board of governors and handed over to the independent regulator Ofcom."

The problem is the wording crafted to imply much but be actionable for little. With such careful wording, and such pathetic specifics, I'd be cautious about drawing any conclusions.

"Is believed" puts everything into the hypothetical. IS it taking a closer look at itself? IS that look more critical? DOES it fear loss of self-regulation? IS that why it may or may not be taking what might or might not be a more critical look at itself? And so on.

PS The crucifix thing was from a movie with echoes from a sci-fi book "Shikasta - the Broken One".

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 12:34 PM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Ah, nothing better than a little misdirection from a liberal to know there is truth to something. Jesus Citz, I thought better of you. Who knew you would stoop so low, you little dog. What a wiley coyote you are becoming, so sneaky and hard to get a bead on... wow! Say hello to Ruse while you are down there.......
I made a joke, pointing at the absurdity of your statements based on nothing more than an article in the Daily Fascist Mail. Come on Kaney-Boy, can't take a bit of funnin'?

What is your problem here anyway? That the BBC isn't perfect? Because they're not as biased as nearly if not all of their competitors and more besides, yet you let that slide. Why is that? Is it okay to be biased as long as you're preaching racial hatred and daemonising non-republicans? Is that why we can bring the BBC to task but FOX is sacrosanct despite being worse? Are biases only okay as long as they're your biases?

I add that I could tell you the BBC is biased, all news sources are. FOX is the most biased news source I've seen, but you give it a free pass. FOX puts out the view that the sun shines out of the republicans collective orifices, and the Democrats eat babies, the BBC pretty much takes any politicians to task regardless of political allegiance. So they're pretty unbiased as news sources go, but like with all news sources you need balance and you need to look at different perspectives. I'm not down playing it, you're blowing it out of proportion. You're acting like all of a sudden the BBC is the most biased news source on the planet, when really they're one of the least.



More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
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Thursday, October 26, 2006 1:06 PM

KANEMAN


"FOX is the most biased news source I've seen, but you give it a free pass"

Not true at all. No free pass from me.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 1:10 PM

CITIZEN


So you accept it's the most biased news source? Then why such the slanted view of the BBC? Why make out the BBC to be the worst ever because they have some biases (that aren't as great as their competitors).

In fact I don't see much in the way of News bias for the BBC here at all, there's some for an entertainment program, but none as far as I can see for the news programming. So isn't it kind of dishonest to equate the two?



More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 4:14 PM

GINOBIFFARONI


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
Here's the best link I could find. Still seems that they are admitting to bias. In this, they are admitting that they're like every other news outlet in the world. I stll enjoy the BBC website, I just know I have to accept that they have a viewpoint they're supporting.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23371617-details/We+are+bia
sed%252C+admit+the+stars+of+BBC+News/article.do


"Keep the Shiny side up"




As does Fox news, any media source these days needs to be taken with a grain of salt...

or better yet, read many of them and form your own opinion. It would be rare to find two individuals with identical viewpoints on everything... the contrast makes life interesting.



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Thursday, October 26, 2006 6:31 PM

DREAMTROVE


Saying "the media has a left slanted bias" is not saying anything at all, just like saying "the church has a right slanted bias" Sure, the counter argument "the media does not have a left slanted bias" is sillier.

But this was all dealt with in an earlier thread where we concluded that the cause of slants is where people put their effort

Media: Left
Education: Left
Church: Right
Business: Right

etc.

Conservatives tend to take up faith and business and other pursuits which fit their interests. Liberals take up teaching or reporting and things which fit their interests. Presto bias-o. It's not a big conspiracy, it's self-fulfillment.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006 7:28 PM

SOUPCATCHER


Quote:

Originally posted by dreamtrove:
Saying "the media has a left slanted bias" is not saying anything at all, just like saying "the church has a right slanted bias" Sure, the counter argument "the media does not have a left slanted bias" is sillier.

But this was all dealt with in an earlier thread where we concluded that the cause of slants is where people put their effort

Media: Left
Education: Left
Church: Right
Business: Right

etc.

Conservatives tend to take up faith and business and other pursuits which fit their interests. Liberals take up teaching or reporting and things which fit their interests. Presto bias-o. It's not a big conspiracy, it's self-fulfillment.


This is how I would rewrite your statements to be more accurate...

Saying "the media has a left slanted bias" based solely on one study that looked at the political leanings of reporters is not saying anything at all, just like saying "the church has a right slanted bias" based only on looking at religious leaders who spend a lot of time talking on camera. Sure, the counter argument "the media does not have a left slanted bias" is sillier partly because it goes against a hallmark golden calf of modern day American conservatism and also because of comments by people who work for the BBC.

Hmmm. That works better for me . And while I'll give you a pass on your reference to this getting settled in an earlier thread (which I find hard to believe since we've rarely ever settled anything on RWED ), I think your breakdown loses a lot. Just to give one example:
Business runs the media. So by your logic that's right in charge of left. And the bosses win out. When you throw into the mix that there are for profit educational institutions and churches that are both left and right running educational institutions it further muddies the waters.

I think one of the only generalizations you can make is that a majority of the most powerful and wealthy individuals and corporations support the Republicans because they know they get more welfare that way. Oh, and that a majority of African American voters support the Democratic Party because they know where all the racists ended up after the sixties. And that the media which isn't actively working for a permanent Republican majority (which is most of talk radio, Fox, the publications of the Reverend Moon, the Wall Street Journal and now Disney and ABC among others) is so scared of being labelled as "liberal" that they will bend over backwards to pass along conservative talking points.

American conservatives have this whole "victim" schtick down cold. How you equate that with controlling all branches of the federal government and bankrolling a huge infrastructure from think tanks on up to media outlets is beyond me. But maybe that's because I'm not a conservative. I just see people who have been in absolute power a little too long corrupted absolutely.

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Friday, October 27, 2006 2:30 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
As does Fox news, any media source these days needs to be taken with a grain of salt...

or better yet, read many of them and form your own opinion. It would be rare to find two individuals with identical viewpoints on everything... the contrast makes life interesting.



I find the least bias in local TV newscasts and the local newsradio here, which basically quotes the AP news feed. They are pretty careful to separate editorial content from straight news.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Friday, October 27, 2006 3:36 AM

DREAMTROVE


Soup,

You've chosen the silly argument.

The US media supports G.W.Bush, who imho, is a commie, and that's the closest thing to conservative they've gotten outside the Rupert Murdoch empire, which is really the only major right-slanted. Sure there's CSM and a few finanical publications, some small press. But the MSM is a left slant, and it creeps through absolutely everything produced. Any random program is filled with liberal bias. Even the new Dr. Who has a fair amount of it, but fortunately it's willing to ask the tough questions. Some non-PC problems come up like "cybermen's rights." :)

Quote:

Business runs the media.

Not so much. The media *is* a business, and is largely funded by advertising, but the statement "the media is run by academia" is closer to the truth. If you look for example, Time/Warner, CBS, Viacom, are all run essentially out of Yale.

But Hollywood and Telewood are a vast network of guild-like societies unto themselves, with a very strong liberal bias. If you go through that population and do a poll you're going to find about 80% of them are liberals. I remember Emma Caufield said in an interview that working as a republican in this town was something like being the black guy at a klan rally - i don't think that was the exact analogy, but it was something pretty similar.

Not saying there's no muddy waters, but ultimately the rank and file are the ones creating the product, and they were driven their by their own proclivities.


I think one of the only generalizations you can make is that a majority of the most powerful and wealthy individuals and corporations support the Republicans because they know they get more welfare that way. Oh, and that a majority of African American voters support the Democratic Party because they know where all the racists ended up after the sixties. And that the media which isn't actively working for a permanent Republican majority (which is most of talk radio, Fox, the publications of the Reverend Moon, the Wall Street Journal and now Disney and ABC among others) is so scared of being labelled as "liberal" that they will bend over backwards to pass along conservative talking points.

Quote:

American conservatives have this whole "victim" schtick down cold.


And liberals don't? I mean really, be fair. The left does control hollywood and most of the media and just about all of academia, basically the major portion of all the information that everyone hears, and yet to read their political intra-liberal communications it's all "we're struggling to get the word out" sorry, but give me a break.

The problem, imho, with your position, is that you're calculating everything in dollar terms. This isn't how the world works. Those thinktanks didn't come into existance because someone had a bunch of dollars and said "hey, lets create a think tank." They came into being because a bunch of academics said "let become a think tank" and then they went around and cut deals with people until they found someone to fund them.

Quote:

I just see people who have been in absolute power a little too long corrupted absolutely.


Sure, don't you think I see that too? But it's not "the right." There's some cabal in power which has right wingers and lefties in it. But I really don't think you can look back at eight years of clinton and four years of carter against eight years of reagan and four years of bush sr. and see an imbalance. And sure, we have eight years of bush, and soon we'll have eight years of obama/hillary. Your side has been in power half the time, more than half from a congressional perspective.

Quote:

I think one of the only generalizations you can make is that a majority of the most powerful and wealthy individuals and corporations support the Republicans because they know they get more welfare that way.


I don't even think this is factually accurate. Democratic presidents give away tons of cash to their friends. Back in the days when republicans were fiscally responsible, democrats were getting fat. That's what really happened to the the concept. Democratic backers stuffed their faces in the clinton era, so now republican backers are doing the same thing. Sure, it's bad for all of us below, but it's become an economic arms race. Ban charging for political campaign work and campaign ads is really the only way to stop this monster, imho.

Quote:

Oh, and that a majority of African American voters support the Democratic Party because they know where all the racists ended up after the sixties.


I think democrats/liberals are making a huge mistake here. You guys *think* all of the racists are on this side of the line. Your absolutely convinced of it. But go talk to your local skinheads or klan chapter, and you'll find they're registered democrats. Sure, there are racists on the republican side, but we have no monopoly on them. I've noticed that lately the third party movement has been actively courting them, which shows a shift in strategy, they must not be trying to win, but changing towards "playing the splitter." I admit the mexican thing is unfortunate. Still, the GOP is really trying, you have to at least give them credit for that, they're really trying to recapture the black vote, they're not just writing them off as dead. And not just in cabinet appoinments, either. They've picked up a fair number of larger than life black personalities and they're running large local operations to get black republicans organized. If I were the democratic party I'd stop taking the black vote for granted. Remember, the GOP doesn't have a bad history on race. They may have dropped the ball in the 60s because conservatives don't like change, but they have Eisenhower's civil rights reforms, and blacks having the vote wasn't just 'incidentally' a republican thing, it was planned from within the GOP. If democrats had had their way, there would be no black vote. Another thing to bear in mind: christianity and conservative family values are very strong in black communities.

I think that the left does take them for granted and they've misinterpreted the reasons why they have black support. Blacks are and have been economically weaker than whites since the days of slavery, when white people profited from black labor, and passed those profits on to the children, buying them education, businesses, etc. Blacks know that "hard work and dedication" by themselves won't balance the scale. The want reparations. Democrat's social welfare programs are the best close compromise to that. What you have is an economic alliance, not a fear-based one.

Quote:

And that the media which isn't actively working for a permanent Republican majority (which is most of talk radio, Fox, the publications of the Reverend Moon, the Wall Street Journal and now Disney and ABC among others) is so scared of being labelled as "liberal" that they will bend over backwards to pass along conservative talking points.


Interesting. I see the same media, and think that they are terrified, even in the right press, of violating the cannon of liberal and "PC" that even the right is left. Sure, there are more conservatives now than there were, but it's still a liberal message machine.

Remember, if we're talking "liberal" vs. "conservative" here, George W. Bush is no conservative. I'd label him as closer to liberal, but you are free to disown him, and we can call him something else, and do the same for clinton. If you listen to fox, they aren't averse to the obama/hillary situation. Sure, Sean Hannity is, and O'Reilly might have a problem with it, but when the age of Obama/Hillary rolls in, you're going to see these people either adapt or disappear. They will have to become the Jon Stewarts and Bill Mahers of the Obama years, or be replaced by someone who will.

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Friday, October 27, 2006 5:51 AM

ERIC


Quote:

Originally posted by dreamtrove:
I see the same media, and think that they are terrified, even in the right press, of violating the cannon of liberal and "PC" that even the right is left. Sure, there are more conservatives now than there were, but it's still a liberal message machine.



Not trying to cross-contaminate from the Michael J. Fox thread, but

http://mediamatters.org/items/200610260008

Echoing Limbaugh, [ABC News political director Mark] Halperin greeted [CNN Headline News' Glenn] Beck to discuss Michael J. Fox by stating: "Glenn, first of all, megadittos. And I just need you to know, I'm not doing this segment on my meds, so watch out." "Megadittos" is a term used by Limbaugh's callers and fans to express strong support for Limbaugh and agreement with his views.
(+ vid of same)



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Friday, October 27, 2006 6:41 AM

RIGHTEOUS9


Really Dreamtrove? Really?

First of all, sure a lot of shows tend to have a liberal angle. Liberals tend to be in hollywood, yada yada.

But watching a fiction show that deals with election fraud is not the same thing as watching the news, which is supposed to be our information outlet.


Pandering to at least half of their viewership by not totally lambasting gays, or not totally ripping pro-abortionists on their news programs, is hardly a measure of liberalness.

What you should be looking to when you try to tell me that our media is liberally biased is why it continued day after day to not touch the most damning stories out there of this president, and his Fascist policies. And no, he's not a Commie, he is a Fascist.

Why did it take over a month for any of the main-stream media to even touch the downing street memo, while we were screaming about it on the internet? And when they finally touched the story it was begrudgingly?

Why did the NY Times not break the damned story about the wiretapping during 2004 when it could have actually swayed the election?

Why did nobody save Olbermann even talk about the possibility of election fraud, while voter fraud was repeated as a concern over and over?

Why did only like 2 people cover the details of this last bill that the president signed giving him the right to torture whomever he wants and the right to suspend habeus corpus, in the guise of stopping terror? The news itself only talked aobut a compromise reached by him and moderates, which isn't even the truth...it was a cave to Bush. They did not go into detail about what this law actually meant, and don't tell me that isn't news-worty.

Why has nobody even talked about PNAC in the mainstream news? I absolutely agree that to do so as evidence of wrongdoing would be slanderous, but the talking heads on the right slander all day long. just look at what they've said about Murtha's service, Michael J Fox, Sheehan, Ritter,Kerry with the swift-boat ads, the 16 year old pages for christ sakes...

You should also consider these...
Why did ABC fund commercial free, a hugely expensive project of anti clinton propaganda?

Why did NBC just admit that it isn't airing an ad for "shut up and sing" because it is disparaging to President Bush?


tell me that there's a well oiled machine working on the left like that. It's pretty much bullshit man, and I doubt you could put together a comprehensive list to the contrary.

Again, yes, there are a lot of liberals in hollywood, but our News outlets are not run by liberals, and the news itself is not the major cash crop of the companies that own the news. Keeping neocons in office has been a windfall for giant companies. Don't tell me that their only interest is to make money by getting you to watch the news. The news is one big commercial these days to sell to the public a persepctive that will continue to bring them profits.

Seriously consider this...if liberals control the media and republicans pretty much get little representation in it,

then why do both sides tend to fight against their own best interests? Why do liberals want net neutrality? Why do many of us want the fairness doctrine back? Why do we want the big news companies to be regulated and their choke holds on the media loosened, if to do so would be against our interests?

Why on the other side of the fence, are Neocons so intent on deregulating the media further, when such an action would as you see the mainstream media run by liberals, give them even less voice? Why do they want to do away with net neutrality when the danger there is that the major companies with choke holds on the web could then make it hard for people to get to conservative web pages. They are 'liberal companies' after all...right? Why did Reagan let the Fairness Doctrine lapse if it was going to do his party so much harm? Why don't neocons who have all of the power right now, reinstate it?
..............................


Oh, and what had Bush done that you consider liberal? You don't like him so you'd rather put him in the political spectrum you like to hate, but other than making government bigger(which has nothing to do with liberal agenda but may be a liberal side-effect), what else can you possibly site that qualifies him?







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Friday, October 27, 2006 7:10 AM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Originally posted by Righteous9:
Oh, and what had Bush done that you consider liberal? You don't like him so you'd rather put him in the political spectrum you like to hate, but other than making government bigger(which has nothing to do with liberal agenda but may be a liberal side-effect), what else can you possibly site that qualifies him?

Come on, it's obvious.

He doesn't like George Bush, he has to be one of...
THEM...



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Friday, October 27, 2006 9:56 AM

SOUPCATCHER


dreamtrove,

There are times when I have a hard time taking you seriously. This is one of those times. The main reason is because you make these blanket statements that have absolutely no basis in reality. Now I realize that you're a conservative. And that one of the hallmarks of modern American movement conservatism is that conservatives are not wrong, therefore anyone who makes a statement they disagree with must not be conservative. I see this time and again when someone that movement conservatives have supported makes a statement that challenges one of the core beliefs of modern American conservatism. All of a sudden, they're now liberals. When conservative policies fail, as they have throughout this Presidency, conservatives never admit that the policy itself (and the underlying theory behind it) may have been in error. It's always the fault of those who implemented the policy because they weren't conservative enough. Modern American conservatism has been remarkably consistent over the past many years concerning one bedrock belief: what is good for the corporation is good for the country.

With that in mind, let's look at one of your more outrageous claims:
Quote:

Originally posted by dreamtrove:
The problem, imho, with your position, is that you're calculating everything in dollar terms. This isn't how the world works. Those thinktanks didn't come into existance because someone had a bunch of dollars and said "hey, lets create a think tank." They came into being because a bunch of academics said "let become a think tank" and then they went around and cut deals with people until they found someone to fund them.


This couldn't be further from the truth. If you look at the top twenty think tanks in the country, they are all advocates for conservative policies. And most of them got their start after the Vietnam war. In fact, you can trace the genesis of the modern conservative think tank movement to the 1970 Lewis Powell memo to the National Chamber of Commerce. The call to action outlined in that memo was for conservatives with money to fund professorships, campus institutes and think tanks that would spread a business friendly conservative message.

The call to action was put out. And the business community answered. The Heritage Foundation, probably the most important and influential think tank in the country, started in 1973 with money from Joseph Coors. Seven years later they plunked a book down on Reagan's desk telling him what they wanted him to do. He implemented almost three-quarters of their recommendations early on in his Presidency. More than fifty conservative think tanks were started after the Lewis Powell memo funded by prominent businesses and foundations (Richard Scaife and the Olin Foundation are just two that come immediately to mind).

None of this is a secret. There's no conspiracy to hide how these think tanks got started. And why they were started. And who the driving players were in their formation and where the money came from. None of this is in doubt. It's been well documented. So for you to say that it was all a case of academics getting together and running around looking for money is just plain wrong.

Maybe the best argument I can think of is to ask you to remember your time in college. Have you ever known academics to organize anything that had an immediate impact? I say this as someone with more than a passing familiarity with academe, there's no way in hell an organization founded by academics goes from nothing to having huge influence on Presidential policy in seven years. It just doesn't happen. There are however, scores of examples of businesses starting from scratch and having a profound impact in seven years. Which is more likely in your opinion, that a group of wealthy businesses and conservative idealogues created organizations with the sole purpose of influencing policy and shaping thought and that these organizations have become tremendously influential in just a few decades (something supported by all the evidence) or that a group of academics decided to create think tanks and then went around looking for funders who would simply give them money (something supported by nothing more than your say so)?

Well, that's longer than I was expecting. I just wanted to add one more thing in regards to African American voters and the Republican party. Of course Republicans are trying to get African American voters to vote for them. It's a target group that overwhelming supports Democratic politicians. And Republicans are amazingly successful at campaigning for votes. But getting elected by making promises and actually doing something are two different things. The Republican Party is hugely successful at getting elected and a huge failure at governing. Especially where it concerns issues that have a disproportionate impact on minority communities. The proof is in the pudding.

And another pudding to look at... How many Republican members are there in the Congressional Black Caucus? Hell, how many African American Republicans have been elected to Congress since the Congressional Black Caucus was created? (hint, more than one and less than five - and that's in thirty years). One option is that Republicans do not think the core of their party will support electing African Americans to Congress. And, based on the types of ads that Republicans run and the types of policies they support and the way they use race baiting to fire up some of their core support, I think that option is pretty accurate.

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Friday, October 27, 2006 1:48 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


So, what happened to "is the BBC biased?"

Based on the responses so far, we have these options.

1. Yes

2. I don't trust the source of the allegations, so I won't believe them.

3. Maybe, but that's all right 'cause other media is more biased.

4. Let's change the subject to Republican vs. Democratic levels of media influence. It has nothing to do with the BBC, but then we don't have to consider the question of BBC bias anymore.

Haven't seen anyone state the opinion that they are entirely free of bias.





"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Friday, October 27, 2006 1:54 PM

SOUPCATCHER


Geezer,

Put me down for:

5. All of the above

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Friday, October 27, 2006 2:00 PM

FELLOWTRAVELER


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:

Is it that the offended Muslims are considered more likely to cause trouble?



My guess, that's where the smart money is. And everyone is biased. Including the BBC.

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Friday, October 27, 2006 11:26 PM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
1. Yes

Of course they are. Everyone is. They're still just about the best single source out there.

A more pertinent question (and one you continue to ignore I might add) is why you give other sources (NBC, ABC, FOX et al) a free pass despite being worse and despite not caring whether they are biased or not (which by virtue of saying nothing on them and making out this to be such a big deal is exactly what you are doing).

Remember that this is the BBC expressing concerns about the BBC about their PROGRAMMING not their news service.

Why are you implying that BBC News is biased? Why are you giving free passes to the biases you agree with?



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Saturday, October 28, 2006 4:41 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
1. Yes

Of course they are. Everyone is. They're still just about the best single source out there.

A more pertinent question (and one you continue to ignore I might add) is why you give other sources (NBC, ABC, FOX et al) a free pass despite being worse and despite not caring whether they are biased or not (which by virtue of saying nothing on them and making out this to be such a big deal is exactly what you are doing).



From my first post above (emphasis added, so you don't miss it this time)

"Still seems that they are admitting to bias. In this, they are admitting that they're like every other news outlet in the world. I stll enjoy the BBC website, I just know I have to accept that they have a viewpoint they're supporting."

I don't say anything about Fox, ABC, NBC, etc. Because I don't watch their news. I do listen to BBC World News and frequent their website, so I have more interest in them.

"Of course they are. Everyone is." Interesting rationale. So if, say, the US were torturing a few prisoners(But not to death or permanent physical injury, mostly), and many other countries routinely tortured and killed many prisoners, it would be OK for the US to continue it's lesser torture program?

Maybe, as you so often do for the US, the BBC should be held to a higher standard, since it is one of the oldest and most respected news organizations in the world. Guess it just depends on whose ox is gored.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 4:45 AM

FELLOWTRAVELER


Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:

A more pertinent question (and one you continue to ignore I might add) is why you give other sources (NBC, ABC, FOX et al) a free pass despite being worse and despite not caring whether they are biased or not (which by virtue of saying nothing on them and making out this to be such a big deal is exactly what you are doing).



Could it be that, for the most part, American broadcasters are biased towards money and that is acceptable, even encouraged, over here.

Where as the BBC is much like PBS, right? Some kinda' hybrid, semi-public, semi-state owned corporation?

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 5:16 AM

CITIZEN


You obviously missed it first time round so I'll restate it:

Nothing here is talking about the BBC's news coverage. That is this bias is about the BBC television programming, with specifically room 101 as a comedy show, not a news program, that's the bias they're talking about. Nothing to do with their journalism, so why, despite me pointing it out twice before and a third time here do you continue to say otherwise?
Quote:

"Of course they are. Everyone is." Interesting rationale. So if, say, the US were torturing a few prisoners(But not to death or permanent physical injury, mostly), and many other countries routinely tortured and killed many prisoners, it would be OK for the US to continue it's lesser torture program?
Interesting, though psychotic, rationale. Please tell me that you don't equate having a point of view with torturing another human being? I believe I would be giving this statement more credence than it deserves to actually answer it. Please retry this with something a little less ridiculous.
Quote:

Maybe, as you so often do for the US, the BBC should be held to a higher standard, since it is one of the oldest and most respected news organizations in the world.
Back to equating having a point of view with torture. Everyone has a point of view, most people don't torture, these statements seem to insinuate that you think everyone does torture, which would imply that torture is an everyday activity for you. So is torture an everyday activity for you or was yours a rather poorly thought out analogy?

But before we let you get away with any more ridiculous silliness lets just restate something: I do hold the BBC to a higher standard. Their news reporting is still uncoloured by political and economic pressures, unlike their contemporaries. They still report what is happening, rather than reporting what they want us to think about what is happening, unlike nearly all their contemporaries.
Quote:

Guess it just depends on whose ox is gored.
Careful, I'm not the one twisting evidence into something it isn't, i.e. I'm not the one equating the content of a comedy program with the content of a news service.

Really, although you are attempting to discredit me with an under the table accusation of anti-Americanism you're apparent position of "If it's okay for the BBC to be Human rather than Super-Human then it's okay for the US to torture people" is not only ridiculous but also speaks more about you than I.



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Saturday, October 28, 2006 5:50 AM

KANEMAN


"you are attempting to discredit me with an under the table accusation of anti-Americanism "

HEEhee..You, anti-American.....never.

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 5:56 AM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Originally posted by FellowTraveler:
Could it be that, for the most part, American broadcasters are biased towards money and that is acceptable, even encouraged, over here.

Where as the BBC is much like PBS, right? Some kinda' hybrid, semi-public, semi-state owned corporation?

The BBC is a Public sponsored corporation. It is paid for by the TV licence.

The BBC does make profits from sale of footage, programs, DVD etc., but I believe the proceeds from this are, by law, prevented from being used to pay for news services or programming, at least within British Territories. I assume things like BBC America and possibly the world service could be funded by advertising revenue and/or merchandise sales, but to be honest I really don't know.

The idea is that for vital media such as news those that hold the purse strings can have no say in what the BBC News service reports. It's not a bad idea really, I can't see a corporate owned news service reporting a story that questions the parent company and possibly effects their profits, but since BBC news income is protected by law they are free to question even those that hold the purse strings.

I think this was proved involving a motoring program top gear sometime ago. They had some rather unkind statements to the effect of "this new Peugeot is crap" which Peugeot weren't happy with. They demanded that the segment be removed or they'd stop advertising with the BBC, the BBC said "Okay, we don't run adverts".

Of course Top Gear isn't news per se, but the basic idea holds up I think.



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Saturday, October 28, 2006 5:57 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
You obviously missed it first time round so I'll restate it:

Nothing here is talking about the BBC's news coverage. That is this bias is about the BBC television programming, with specifically room 101 as a comedy show, not a news program, that's the bias they're talking about. Nothing to do with their journalism, so why, despite me pointing it out twice before and a third time here do you continue to say otherwise?



From (emphasis added)

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23371617-details/We+are+bia
sed%252C+admit+the+stars+of+BBC+News/article.do


Quote:

Political pundit(edit:And BBC journalist) Andrew Marr said: 'The BBC is not impartial or neutral. It's a publicly funded, urban organisation with an abnormally large number of young people, ethnic minorities and gay people. It has a liberal bias not so much a party-political bias. It is better expressed as a cultural liberal bias.'

Washington correspondent Justin Webb said that the BBC is so biased against America that deputy director general Mark Byford had secretly agreed to help him to 'correct', it in his reports. Webb added that the BBC treated America with scorn and derision and gave it 'no moral weight'.

Former BBC business editor Jeff Randall said he complained to a 'very senior news executive', about the BBC's pro-multicultural stance but was given the reply: 'The BBC is not neutral in multiculturalism: it believes in it and it promotes it.'

Head of news Helen Boaden disclosed that a Radio 4 programme which blamed black youths at a young offenders', institution for bullying white inmates faced the axe until she stepped in.



Perhaps you should actually read the article I linked prior to spouting off about it. There is plenty of discussion, in the article, about the news operation.

Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Please tell me that you don't equate having a point of view with torturing another human being?


No, and you know it. You're just trying to change the subject. And it's interesting how bias in broadcasting has drifted into the benign "having a point of view." So I guess Fox isn't that bad, since they just have a point of view?

Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Their news reporting is still uncoloured by political and economic pressures, unlike their contemporaries.


Not according to their newspeople, as noted above.
Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Careful, I'm not the one twisting evidence into something it isn't, i.e. I'm not the one equating the content of a comedy program with the content of a news service.


Neither am I. I'm the one actually reading the statements by newspeople about bias in the news organization and managing to avoid going off half-cocked.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 6:23 AM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
No, and you know it. You're just trying to change the subject. And it's interesting how bias in broadcasting has drifted into the benign "having a point of view." So I guess Fox isn't that bad, since they just have a point of view?

Actually dear you're the one who pulled torture into the mix, not me. You changed the subject I replied.

But we're still on the "having a bias is the same as torture" nonsense dressed up convieniently as apparently my problem for not accepting that.

Ok, I suppose it's okay for me to torture you, since it's the same thing as having a bias, how's a week next tuesday for you? What do you want first the stress position or the Iron Maiden?

And as I already said and you continue to ignore the BBC of course has bias, everyone has bias, point of view is part of that. It's unreasonable to expect different, or down right dishonest.
Quote:

I'm the one actually reading the statements by newspeople about bias in the news organization and managing to avoid going off half-cocked.
You're the one being intentionally baiting and intentionally attempting to paint the BBC as the most bias source, for reasons known only to yourself.

Yeah the BBC is biased, I said that from the off, all news sources are and no source can not be, that's the why you should look at different sources, preferably higher quality ones, which doesn't include FOX news, and does include the BBC and Reuters as two examples.

Also I was replying to you, not the artical, and the only thing you've had to say on the subject so far was:
Quote:

"In one of a series of discussions, executives were asked to rule on how they would react if the controversial comedian Sacha Baron Cohen ) known for his offensive characters Ali G and Borat - was a guest on the programme Room 101.

On the show, celebrities are invited to throw their pet hates into a dustbin and it was imagined that Baron Cohen chose some kosher food, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Bible and the Koran.

Nearly everyone at the summit, including the show's actual producer and the BBC's head of drama, Alan Yentob, agreed they could all be thrown into the bin, except the Koran for fear of offending Muslims."

This does seem to convey an impression of either bias or cowardice.

equating a comedy show to be the same as a news service.



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Saturday, October 28, 2006 7:35 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Actually dear you're the one who pulled torture into the mix, not me. You changed the subject I replied.


No. Just applying reducto ad absurdum to your contention that "if everyone does it, it must be all right."
Quote:

You're the one being intentionally baiting and intentionally attempting to paint the BBC as the most bias source, for reasons known only to yourself.

If you can provide any quote that indicates that I am "...intentionally attempting to paint the BBC as the most bias source." please do so. I am saying that they are biased, you apparently agree (see below). I respect them as a news source, so I'm more disappointed than I would be if,say, the Washington Times admitted they might show bias.
Quote:

Yeah the BBC is biased, I said that from the off, all news sources are and no source can not be, that's the why you should look at different sources, preferably higher quality ones, which doesn't include FOX news, and does include the BBC and Reuters as two examples.

Also I was replying to you, not the artical



If you're not going to take the time to read the background information on which the entire thread was based, maybe you shouldn't play.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 7:40 AM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
No. Just applying reducto ad absurdum to your contention that "if everyone does it, it must be all right."

I never said it was all right, I said the continuing posturing by certain people here that makes out that the BBC is somehow the worst culprit, and that it is entirely possible for anyone to not be at all biased is crap.

So geezer you say torture and bias are equivelent, which you use as proof that what I say false, it's still a logical fallacy.

If you can't stop lying and intentionally trying to wind people up with your petty wise cracks maybe you shouldn't play.



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Saturday, October 28, 2006 8:53 AM

FELLOWTRAVELER


So, maybe comparing the BBC (news) to NBC, ABC, FOX, etc, isn't really fair. They're not playing on the same field. The news divisions of US broadcasters have been somewhat reduced to line items on a P&L. One could argue that objectivity is now a close second to ad. sales and profitability. And info-tainment is born.

Perhaps a more apt comparison would be the BBC and PBS (or NPR) and interestingly, both often face the same accusations of a leftist slant.

In the case of our public broadcasters, I can begrudgingly admit that the accusations are well founded, though conservative contempt for everything thats purpose isn't profit might exacerbate their ire.

But, so what? What the Hell is wrong with a little (obvious) bias? Even if all the accusations are correct, it's not like the BBC (or PBS) is advocating genocide, or child molestation, or suicide bombings. Aren't tolerance and multi-culturalism good things?

As to the most most damning accusations to us Americans, those of anti-Americanism and treating Islam with more respect than Christianity, our broadcasters rountinely behave similarly.

Just a few short years ago, was there not a palpable anti-French/anti-German atmoshpere all over American television? Is not being called French the equivalent to being called a pussy? How many times were those Danish Mohammed cartoons shown on TV? But, material that Christians find offensive is shown with some regularity, right?

I think we've got a little pot & kettle thing going here...

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 9:29 AM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Originally posted by FellowTraveler:
I think we've got a little pot & kettle thing going here...

I think that is sentiment similar to what I was trying to say.

Though the anti-American thing I really don't get. Whether this is feeling held by those in the BBC I certainly have never seen it in the news programming.

But I'm still not seeing any real bias in the news programming. There's some mention of News readers possibly being allowed to where veils but not Christian crosses, which depending on situation could be a bias (I refer to the recent thing with BA being accused of bias because they didn't give preferential treatment to a Christian wishing to wear her Jewellery), is hardly a bias in news reporting. The only real biases in news reporting raised here seem to be anti-Americanism and the threat to possibly maybe remove a non-news current events program from BBC Radio 4. The first I'm not sure of it's reality and the second is not actual news and it wasn't pulled anyway. So the obvious incredible bias being pointed to here seems so far to have had zero effect on the end news product.



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Saturday, October 28, 2006 9:56 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
No. Just applying reducto ad absurdum to your contention that "if everyone does it, it must be all right."

I never said it was all right...



In answer to my question, "Is the BBC Biased"

Citizen:"Of course they are. Everyone is."

Sure seems to excuse them of bias, since "everyone is".

Quote:

I said the continuing posturing by certain people here that makes out that the BBC is somehow the worst culprit...


And I once again ask you to provide one quote in this thread indicating that BBC is "the worst culprit".

Quote:

So geezer you say torture and bias are equivelent, which you use as proof that what I say false, it's still a logical fallacy.


...or a quote stating I think torture and bias are equivalent.

Quote:

If you can't stop lying and intentionally trying to wind people up with your petty wise cracks maybe you shouldn't play.

Hmm, you're the one claiming I state, "...that the BBC is somehow the worst culprit." and that "... torture and bias are equivelent." Both demonstrably lies to anyone who takes the time to read this entire thread.

Sorry, Citizen, you're just making smoke and firing chaff to try and make a clean getaway.


"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 3:40 PM

CITIZEN


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
No. Just applying reducto ad absurdum to your contention that "if everyone does it, it must be all right."

I never said it was all right...



In answer to my question, "Is the BBC Biased"

Citizen:"Of course they are. Everyone is."

Sure seems to excuse them of bias, since "everyone is".

Quote:

I said the continuing posturing by certain people here that makes out that the BBC is somehow the worst culprit...


And I once again ask you to provide one quote in this thread indicating that BBC is "the worst culprit".

Quote:

So geezer you say torture and bias are equivelent, which you use as proof that what I say false, it's still a logical fallacy.


...or a quote stating I think torture and bias are equivalent.

Quote:

If you can't stop lying and intentionally trying to wind people up with your petty wise cracks maybe you shouldn't play.

Hmm, you're the one claiming I state, "...that the BBC is somehow the worst culprit." and that "... torture and bias are equivelent." Both demonstrably lies to anyone who takes the time to read this entire thread.

Sorry, Citizen, you're just making smoke and firing chaff to try and make a clean getaway.


"Keep the Shiny side up"

Is this where I scream at you or something? Just tell me when you want me to embaress myself by losing my temper at your baiting, ok?

Or.

Maybe we can start again, how's that. So What's this mean to you? We agree that the BBC has bias, lets go from there.



More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, October 28, 2006 4:04 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by citizen:
Maybe we can start again, how's that. So What's this mean to you? We agree that the BBC has bias, lets go from there.


That's pretty much all that I said, that the BBC seems to have admitted that they have certain biases. If the London Calling article I linked to is to be believed, (I have no reason to doubt it), Some of their senior news staff believe this has an impact on their news coverage, at least of the US. They also seem to be more concerned about offending Muslims than Christians, at least on some of their non-news shows. I'm disappointed, because I have always considered BBC News a pretty authoritative source, and wish they didn't have any bias to be concerned about.

I doubt (and never said) that they have any more bias than any other news organization. I recognise that they have less than many. This does not absolve them from censure for having bias.

Now, if you would kindly ask your attack dog to remove his jaws from my ankle, we could have a civilized discussion about media outlets and standards for news reporting. Perhaps tomorrow, as it approaches bedtime for aged Geezers.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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