A classic example of BBC mock balance on the news tonight as James Cook devoted apparently equal time to Douglas Alexander and Mhairi Black in Renfrewshire East.
Of Mhairi we were told by Cook that her opponents say that her youth shows, and that she carries fighting talk too far. Well, of Douglas his opponents say that he is a war criminal, and that he stabbed his sister in the back. That was not mentioned.
Whereas the “equal time” allowed the SNP candidate included BBC commentary giving direct personal criticism of her, there was no critical note in the Alexander side of the coverage. An interesting example of how the state propaganda system works.
You’ve known this for a long time Craig. The state machine is an awesome obstacle to progress. I’m not Scottish so I’m no going to say something like “Gi’ the wee lassie a chance”. Voters like the prospect of a new young candidate. All countries have hope in their young stars. Then when they themselves get old they can say I voted for him or her when they started out on their careers. A bit like I saw The Beatles before htey were famous.
Craig ……Prof John Robertson carries out a weekly analysis of BBC
Scotland’s teatime news slot…Reporting Scotland. Over on Newsnet.scot.
Think that it’s getting pretty unpleasant in the Pacific Quay Bunker. Rumour has it oor Jacky Burd’s ran out of hairspray. Last week three of them swam across the Clyde and made it into the anonymity of the shopping malls.
How odd that the BBC always mention Mhairi Black’s age in a derogatory manner but never mention that Pitt the Younger was only 21 when he got into Parliament. Nor do they mention all the other M.P’s elected while in their twenties.
Why is this I wonder
I Don’t watch the Ministry Of Truth any more. Only watch Disks now. And am kept informed by the internet. So save yourself the heartache, bin the TV. Save the telly tax, starve the beast, and buy more box sets. Or go to the flix. Visit a museum. Join a gym. Go hillwalking. Speak to your partner. Read more.
Its only because we were brought up watching Rolf and Jimmy and Stuart on the box – all much loved – that we ever got into the habit.
Try it for a week. Then a few weeks. Then cancel the licence and detune the channels.
Glad to see the scales have fallen off your eyes, and you can see the ugly truth for what it truly is.
The galling part is we all have to pay for propaganda tax too, all in best possible taste of course!
Dunchyou just luv the smell of freedumb in mornings?
The BBC has always served certain agendas. I think I always knew this but it became obvious during the Balkan conflicts. That it’s now obvious to even more people is due to those people being familiar with, even involved in, the latest ‘threat’.
Which makes me wonder what game the BBC is playing. Has it been promised a renewed Charter (from January 1st 2017) in return for ‘defending the Union’? Or is it simply trying to impress with its ‘loyalty’ in the hope of renewal?
The perfect outcome of course would be for the BBC to hang itself with the rope it’s been given and have its Charter renewal refused on the grounds of bias.
Meanwhile an intended BBC hatchet job backfires. I’ve copied my comment from earlier tonight on “The Gordon and Dougie Show” thread, since this one’s more appropriate …..
Did anyone else see Nicola Sturgeon on “The Leader Interviews”? Evan Davis spent 30 minutes trying to make her say something that could be construed as a Bolshie Scot telling the English how to run their country. She avoided every trap with charm, humour and straight talking. Davis’s intent was clearly to make non-Scottish voters fear and mistrust her. I would be surprised if it didn’t have the opposite effect. In re-butting his scaremongering, she made a convincing case that the interests of Scotland largely coincide with the interests of the rest of the UK.
I will vote SNP because I’m pro-Independence, or more precisely, anti-Westminster. However, even if the SNP didn’t already have my vote, I think she would have won me over with that interview. She was magnificent!
link to the above programme. She was magnificent, I tell ya.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05sfmcq/the-leader-interviews-nicola-sturgeon
“Of Douglas his opponents say that…that he stabbed his sister in the back.”
Excuse my ignorance, Craig. I take it that a metaphorical stabbing, like Ed’s fabled stabbing of brother David.
Whatever happened to Wendy? She got married and had twins… but I find it very hard to believe she has left politics for good. Not a cheep out of her. Has she left the country?
I listen to the radio, I hear the SNP getting plenty of air time, more than enough considering that even if they take every seat they stand for they will still only represent a small percentage of the electorate.
That doesn’t bother me, what bothers me is that it still isn’t enough for them, which makes me think that nothing will ever be enough for them except totalitarianism like so many Nationalists before them.
Craig; I feel compelled to say you are improving on the tendency to be monochromatic in your posts but this is not an example of same. At ease. Carry on.
I am not a nationalist of any description. I am an internationalist which is a lot different from a globalist. I love people. I want us all to get along together.
Unfortunately everybody does not share my vision. Scottish Nationalism could be good for England in leading the way in the right direction for more independence from the seat of power.
“Unfortunately everybody does not share my vision. Scottish Nationalism could be good for England in leading the way in the right direction for more independence from the seat of power.”
It could be a disaster for Scotland as well.
Node yes
Just seen that it
“The Leader Interviews”?
Whata Girl.
But Fuck the bbCnuts
Got rid of my Tv last year.
BBC are now beyond parody.
A joke,a total joke.
Jives
“Got rid of my Tv last year.”
Good idea. Mine has sat in the shed for 10 years and now looks like an antique. I occasionally see breakfast telly in a B @ B.
If they can animate dinosaurs galloping in Jurassic Park, couldn’t they tint their presenters’ faces so they didn’t have to rub them over with make-up?
Oh I see. the presenters are animations too.
“It could be a disaster for Scotland as well.”
It could. But they are saying that about Syriza. Many do not want anything different from what we’ve got. What we’ve got is not the best option where there are a few super-rich, some hangers-on and countless billions of ordinary people who are not represented.
As per the script. Knocking copy on Mhairi within.
Election 2015: Will Scotland follow Paisley pattern?
By James Cook
Scotland Correspondent, BBC News
27 April 2015
From the section Election 2015 Scotland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-scotland-32480121
No video. Just a few stills.
He’s obviously having a bit of bother.
https://twitter.com/bbcjamescook
His profile –
James Cook
James Cook has been Scotland Correspondent for BBC News since 2008, reporting from around the country for the One, Six and Ten o’clock news on BBC One as well as for Radio 4, 5 live and the BBC News Channel.
His brief ranges widely: covering the twists and turns of the independence debate one day; revealing a panda pregnancy the next.
Cook’s career in journalism began more than 20 years ago in local radio where he first read the news at the age of 15, going on to interview prime ministers and pop stars before moving to the BBC in 1998 as a sub-editor.
Since then he has presented programmes which include Reporting Scotland and Good Morning Scotland and has reported for the BBC from Australia, Asia, Latin America and the United States, where he covered the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the 2004 US presidential election.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4xDg9HCY3ZcVjxhwFKyFd64/james-cook
He attended Forfar Academy.
That reminded me of the Two Ronnies sketch on James Alexander Gordon’s Forfar 4 East Fife 5 but I cannot find a video.
I am an internationalist which is a lot different from a globalist.
Yet globalists insist they’re internationalists, don’t they? Funny, dat. Well worth a ponder.
Are The Lib Dems The Most Pointless Party? Russell Brand The Trews (E307)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ2pnJlH2Sw
27 April 2015
~~~~
Wintour has this today.
Ed Miliband spotted leaving Russell Brand’s London home
Speculation that comedian who has previously urged his fans not to vote may be considering endorsing Labour leader in UK general election
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/28/ed-miliband-spotted-leaving-russell-brand-london-home
28 April 2015
~~~~
There’s a whole lot of s**t going on. Will be glad when it’s over.
I enjoyed the Jeremy Paxman quote reported in the Guardian today…
He branded the choice at this election as being “between one man who was at primary school with Boris Johnson and one man who was at secondary school with him – both of whom did PPE at Oxford.”
Here’s some globalists.
http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2015/04/27/middle-east-violence-power-struggle-complicates-investing/
Note the continuing effort to demonise Iran, while steadfastly ignoring Saudi Arabia’s input to extremist groups. Note also that Blair’s poisonous rhetoric is still much in demand among globalising capitalists.
LOL. Paxman did English at St Catherine’s Cambridge….
On the Dougie and Gordon thread, I enquired about Wendy Alexander.
Came a reply from Republic of Scotland with this link.
‘Here you go Mary, an insight into what happened to Wendy Alexander.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/20/damian-mcbride-douglas-alexander_n_3959753.html
Her brother backstabbed her.’
Q. What have these notables got in common?
Peter Mandelson EU trade commissioner
Jonathan Powell Tony Blair’s chief of staff
Jeremy Paxman broadcast journalist and author
Mo Mowlam former Labour Northern Ireland secretary
Adair Turner head of pensions commission
Trevor Phillips chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality
James Naughtie broadcast journalist and author
Matthew Taylor Downing Street head of policy
Chris Smith former Labour culture secretary
Baroness Symons Foreign Office minister
Lord Robertson former Nato secretary-general
Douglas Alexander Foreign Office and trade minister
Geoff Mulgan former head of Downing Street’s policy and strategy unit
Baroness Scotland Home Office minister
Julia Hobsbawm public relations consultant
Steve Hilton Conservative special adviser
Benjamin Zephaniah poet and activist
Colonel Bob Stewart former commander of British forces in Bosnia
David Willetts Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary
Alan Sked founder of Ukip
Stephen Dorrell former Conservative health secretary
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown columnist and broadcaster
Charles Moore former editor of the Daily Telegraph
Nick Butler BP group vice-president, strategy and policy development
Lord Lipsey Labour peer and author
A.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/nov/06/usa.politics1
Baal
“Benjamin Zephaniah”
I tried to guess but Zephaniah threw me. I’m surprised. But not.
@Ba’al Zevul “What have these notables got in common?”
Benjamin Zephaniah? He has something in common with Craig – refused a Queen’s Honour!
Talking of celebrity left gatekeepers, the twitter thing is reporting that Milliband has been seen leaving Russell Brand’s house.