Tuesday, October 09, 2007

BBC News grovels : ITV news reports

Thank goodness for ITV news.

I couldn't believe how brazen the support for the Labour party and its government was on the BBC's Six o'clock news today.

If there was any possible way of giving Gordon Brown a helping hand the BBC found it. From starting with a quote of inheritance tax threshold for couples going to £700k ( rather than the actual £600k through to finding the only financial expert in the UK not to point out that you can get the full £600k before Alistair Darlings con job this afternoon ).

Only Nick Robinson calls a spade a spade, and we can assume he's still pissed of at Andrew Marr taking the day off to work as the prime minister's spokesperson on Sunday.

Compare to ITV news - the full works. They point out its a bit of a trick. They point out that Labour are in effect delivering a Tory budget, when we had Gordon Brown telling everyone he didn't want an election so he could outline his so called Vision for the country.

They even described Alistair Darlings statement as intellectual theft. They also didn't down play the effect of the failing economy and increase in borrowing ( the Brown Broadcasting Cooperation by contrast run pictures of all the places where more money was to be spent ).

The BBC then went on to show that sad excuse for a politician Ed Balls showing Tanya Byron round and internet suite. More good publicity for Labour.

I'll say it again - the BBC is a direct threat to democracy in this country. It is institutionally left wing and unprofessional in its news coverage with blatant bias. 12% cut in staff - who cares if this is the low grovelling quality of their output.

7 comments:

Elliott said...

Couldn't agree more! I might have to watch the Ten to share the outrage myself .... Maybe if the Conservatives advocate privatization of the Beeb Labour might copy that too?

Anonymous said...

I didn't see the BBC News, but I did see the ITV one, and agree it was balanced, and pointed out all the points that had been stolen from Conservatives.
I, too, must make a point of looking at the BBC at 10.00.

Man in a Shed said...

Now that's an idea...

All this is very serrious - we can never win the battle of ideas unless they are given a fair understanding.

ITV have a watch again facility that might have the ITV 6:30pm now.

The BBC 6 O'clock news can be watched here (link not doubt will go out of date soon).

If the BBC haven't done something about their coverage by 10pm then they are beyond all hope.

The Shaved Ape said...

I agree, and I'm not even there. Here (USA), most Big Media lean far to the left. New York Times, Los Angeles Times, all three broadcast TV news outfits, and CNN, are all far-left.

It seems that the "cultural revolution" of the 1960s made journalists consider themselves agents of change rather than people who churn out news. They're confusing the words "journalism" and "activism".

Survey after survey show that 80-85% of journalists / reporters vote Democrat, which is the left-wing party. Not surprisingly, around 80% of media endorse Democrat candidates for office and recite their talking points as absolute fact and goodness.

I believe the BBC is afflicted with the same disease.

People make fun of Fox News, and much of it is warranted. It's kind of over-the-top, and very obviously right-wing. Yet it's far and away No. 1 for cable news ratings because it's the only Big Media outlet that doesn't lean so far left it's about to fall over. People are tired of the constant barrage of left-wing-socialist propaganda.

CNN talks constantly about how Barak Obama (Democrat presidential candidate) is a "rock star" and how Hillary Clinton is leading the polls, while running one story after another about how strange it is that Republican candidates feel the way they do. It's ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Fair point. The BBC is a ridiculously expensive floating wreck - it's time to strip it down to a few core services that the public actually needs and privatise the rest.

Loz said...

So I take it you were all tucked up in bed by the time Newsnight spent half an hour laying in to Labour for stealing Tory policies?

Man in a Shed said...

Loz - nope saw Newsnight. The headline was fine - and frankly justified given Labour's approach, but as always the commentators can't help themselves.

Example: Stephanie Flanders:- They only politician she challenged was the Tory ( I don't mind her question about how can you be committed to Labour spending plans and compalan about the deficient - its a fair question ), but she interjected only against the Tory.

Again news night played down the slight of hand over the fact that IHT allowance could already be efficiently used, and failed to show the damage that the changes to CGT have inflicted on the UK Economy.

Jeremy Paxman has the Labour minister over a barrel on the NHS funding increases but then strangely - in a way he would never have allowed with Michael Howard - to get off by not pushing the point.

Conclusion Newsnight - more professional than 6 O'Clock news, but no less biased.

If you compare their output to ITV News at 6:30pm there is just no comparison.

I'd like to see objective information on the political views of the people the BBC employs. Many of us suspect its a hot bed of lefties.

Perhaps Dispatches could finally issue the coup-de-grace to BBC current affairs by doing an undercover investigation ?

The truth is many of us have no confidence in the BBC. We see it as state funded left wing propaganda which we are forced to contribute to under the full force of the law. Democracy and freedom cannot properly exist in this country while that is the case.lqqe