Newsnight @30

>> Sunday, January 24, 2010

David Hughes in the Telegraph:

Few organisations do self-congratulation better than the BBC and this week the Corporation is pulling out the stops for its current affairs flagship Newsnight...

...the programme today has a drawback for political junkies and that is its general view of the world. If you took all the trendy liberalism that makes up the BBC and bubbled it over the Bunsen burner until you were left with the purest residue, the irreducible core of metropolitan Left-wingery — well, that’s Newsnight.

It regards Right-wing politicians as some alien species, necessary (just) to the political process but viewed with either curiosity or contempt, depending on their demeanour. I’m sure this is not deliberate, that people aren’t consciously trying to present politics from a Left-wing standpoint.It happens because that’s the programme’s mindset.
I'm not so sure that the bias is always subconscious, but I do like the phrase "irreducible core of metropolitan Left-wingery".

33 comments:

George R 1:15 PM, January 24, 2010  

BBC 'Newsnight's pervasive 'multiculturalist' ideology is, I think, well captured here:

"Multiculturalism -merits and debits" (by Paul Weston)

http://paulweston101.blogspot.com/search/label/Multiculturalism

NotaSheep 1:17 PM, January 24, 2010  

Snap - http://notasheepmaybeagoat.blogspot.com/2010/01/as-long-as-bbc-is-publicly-funded-state.html - but I thought this extract was just as revealing "Take last year’s stunt by the programme to set up a panel to identify candidates for public spending cuts. The four members were Greg Dyke (a former Labour donor); Deborah Mattinson (Gordon Brown’s pollster); Lord Jones of Birmingham (a former Labour minister), and Matthew Taylor (a former adviser to Tony Blair). Didn’t it strike anyone, anyone at all, that this looked just a little rum? Probably not.

This is never going to change, of course. As long as the BBC is a publicly-funded state broadcasting organisation, its leading current affairs programme is going to take a Leftist view of things. It’s the way of the world, pointless complaining about it. But it’s still a shame."

Martin 1:29 PM, January 24, 2010  

<span>Do you have views on how the BBC portrays lesbian, gay and bisexual people?

The BBC is currently taking an in-depth look at how its services reflect the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people as part of both its wider Diversity Strategy and its responsibilities under the Charter to reflect the diversity of the nation.</span>


http://www.perceptor.com/perceplive/survey/BBC_LGB_Portrayal/default.asp?key=default&fill=&pcaction=0&opsys=na&jsenabled=2

North Northwester 1:34 PM, January 24, 2010  

"f you took all the trendy liberalism that makes up the BBC and bubbled it over the Bunsen burner until you were left with the purest residue, the irreducible core of metropolitan Left-wingery"

Actually, 'core' is th ewrong metaphore here.
It should be 'scum.'

Arron Clements 1:51 PM, January 24, 2010  

It's funny how the right moan about the BBC being too far left and the left moan about it being too far right. 

I'd trust the BBC over the likes of the Sun, Faux News, Sky News, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express or CNN any day of the week. 

George R 2:31 PM, January 24, 2010  

Say it often enough and people might be brainwashed:

BBC: 'we're impartial; we prefer Labour to Tories so we're impartial; we prefer Islam to Christianity, so we're impartial;we prefer mass immigration to immigration limits, so we're impartial; we prefer Obama to Bush, so we're impartial;we prefer  Islamic jihad Hamas to Israel, so we're impartial; the British people can't stop us from using their money to be impartial in all these wonderful ways.'

Asuka Langley Soryu 2:34 PM, January 24, 2010  

I've got better things to do at that time of the night than sit and watch a bunch of handwringing lefty cocksmokers whinge on about other people should be subject to their perverted, ill-thought-out ideas. But to its credit, the last time I did watch Newsnight, John 'The Moustache' Bolton was on, smacking the jabbering, feeble-minded propaganda monkey (Sopel, I think it was) around live on air. That was good.
So Newsnight, apart from being a hive of left-wing bollocks most o the time, does have the potential for lulz every once in a while. That doesn't come anywhere near to justifying the Licence Tax though.
Kill it with fire.

gud 4:11 PM, January 24, 2010  

<span>"....the likes of the Sun, Faux News, Sky News, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express or CNN any day of the week...."</span>

None of which anyone is forced to pay for, on pain of imprisonment.
For the love of Mary... how many times must this fact be repeated to beeboid lovers?

gud 4:14 PM, January 24, 2010  

I have a overwhelming urge to unload a handheld ballistic weapon into the head of anyone who spouts such a pile of wank as "Diversity Strategy"

Paddy 4:39 PM, January 24, 2010  

Same crap trotted out again and again. Only the swp would describe the beeb in any way as right wing. You are living in a strange islington bubble. Just because Rose west made her kids supper doesnt mean she was mother of the year. Just because auntie has a few token tories on ghetto slots at night doesnt mean they are balanced.

Name a right wing comedian who has appeared on the Beeb in a primetime show in the last 10 years. Go on name one.

How many tory supporters could you name who work for newsnight or any BBC news outlet apart from Port-a-loo and his jock side kick.

Name a single BBC employed radio presenter that hasnt/doesnt work for labour or isnt married to an activist.

Honestly tories get no more respect than a black bloke at a klan rally.

Paddy 4:43 PM, January 24, 2010  

Oh and BTW you have shown your political view point by your dig at Fox. At least foz doesnt pretend to be centrist. At least it doesnt lie about its point of view. Why do you think its become the number one news network beating CNN? Why because it shows a different point of view to the leftwing luvvues that infest the media

Martin 6:31 PM, January 24, 2010  

Oh look a beeboid troll appears. Can I ask if you're a leftie by chance?

Martin 6:33 PM, January 24, 2010  

You know perfectly well the BBC is a cesspit of leftie scum, addled on Cocaine and up the arse of the Labour party.

He's an idea and I just know you will agree with me, if the BBC is SO GOOD why not make the licence fee a subscription instead and block digital access to those who don't want to pay. I jusy know you will agree with me on that.

Ed (ex RSA) 6:36 PM, January 24, 2010  

Oh dear, not the hoary old Fox News chestnut. You'd think for all the lef-wing whining that G Dubya himself was going into American homes and forcing people to watch Fox at gunpoint.

What the left cannot accept is that given a free choice the public find left-wingery about as popular as herpes and would rather have the right-of-centre option. That is why we hear so much whinging about Fox news and why hardly anyone reads the Grauniad.

Jack Bauer 7:24 PM, January 24, 2010  

I'd trust the BBC over the likes of the Sun, Faux News, Sky News, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express or CNN any day of the week. 

1. Bully for you. But why exactly should I give a crap over who YOU trust? I don't know you, never heard of you, and could care less about you.

2. Do you think you are going to change the mind of anyone who is familiar with the BBC's output and have made up their minds as to its trustworthyness? Seriously, you must know that has to be a no.

So the more interesting question is: why do you feel compelled to defend the institutional leftism of the BBC-Guardian Media Industrial Complex?

Heads on poles 8:26 PM, January 24, 2010  

Scott, you managed to name one right wing comedian in the BBC's pay in the last ten years.
Well done.
Can you name any more?
Can you think of any left wing comedians in the BBC's pay (make that the licence payers pay)?

Now are you starting to get the point?

Lloyd 9:53 PM, January 24, 2010  

<span> sensible Tories who treat others with respect get respect in return.</span>

Whereas there is no need for Lab/Libs to be sensible or respectful.

Lloyd 9:57 PM, January 24, 2010  

.......and a gay.

Martin 10:05 PM, January 24, 2010  

HOP I can't think of any right wing comedian that is on the BBC in a regular position. Shits like Marcus Brigestoke are never off the BBC are as the usual luvvies like Stephen Fry. Wankstains like Ken Livingturd (yet another failed Labour politician) is given a regular platform on the BBC. Why?

hippiepooter 10:07 PM, January 24, 2010  

No matter how personable a biased BBC reporter may be  and no matter how well they have mastered the Clintonesque 'wounded innocence' routine, it is very naive to believe their bias happens by accident.

hippiepooter 10:09 PM, January 24, 2010  

Any examples of this moans about it being far too right would be greatly appreciated.

hippiepooter 10:17 PM, January 24, 2010  

Oh dear Scott, how delusional you are.  I have heard 1,000's of interviews in which Tories are being very respectful and forebearing yet are relentlessly harangued and harried by the likes of Humphrys, Naughtie and Paxman.

I do like the way you sieze upon stray examples of someone possibly overstating their case to pretend that the blindingly obvious about the BBC isn't true.  Thirty years ago I was a Tribunite member of the Labour Party and thought the only real bias at the BBC was towards the Left.  It is now endemic.  Any tips and advice you're going to offer them?

As a Labour leftist I was against BBC bias as it was bad for democracy.  I guess that's the difference between me then and you now.

Reassuring that the Thought Police at the BBC feel so threatened by this site they feel the need to assign someone to post here.  Anyone lined up for after you've done your stint?

hippiepooter 10:20 PM, January 24, 2010  

Oh dear Scott, how delusional you are.  I have heard 1,000's of interviews in which Tories are being very respectful and forebearing yet are relentlessly harangued and harried by the likes of Humphrys, Naughtie and Paxman.  
 
I do like the way you sieze upon stray examples of someone possibly overstating their case to pretend that the blindingly obvious about the BBC isn't true.  Thirty years ago I was a Tribunite member of the Labour Party and thought the only real bias at the BBC was towards the Left.  It is now endemic.
 
As a Labour leftist I was against BBC bias as it was bad for democracy.  I guess that's the difference between me then and you now.  
 
Reassuring that the Thought Police at the BBC feel so threatened by this site they feel the need to assign someone to post here.  Anyone lined up for after you've done your stint?  Any tips and advice you're going to offer them?

DP111 10:55 PM, January 24, 2010  

In a normal society, the one we had not so long ago, based on a common culture and language, one has one’s share of virtues and vices. This is normal, and is true for all societies – you get what you deserve. In a multicultural society though, particularly the one we have, the imported virtues of an imported people, are hardly any, or we have them anyway, but the vices that they bring, are far too many. The more diverse the imported cultural group, the more varied and diverse are the vices. In addition, they are of a sort that our society is unable to comprehend - like polygamy, honour killings, FGM, murder those who criticise Islam, etc.



In effect, in a multicultural society, the host's virtues are diluted or suppressed, while in exchange we have all the diverse vices, and hence the crimes, of diverse imported groups. If we import the entire world, we do not get all the virtues of the rest of the world, but all the vices of the rest of the world. Just looking at present day Britain or any Western country, must make this obvious,

This is one of the reasons that our police and judiciary are unable to cope, as there are no norms that are acceptable or unacceptable.<span>  </span>It is the reason why our education system is failing, or has failed. It is leading to a breakdown of society, unable to defend itself at home or abroad, as it has no idea what it is, and what it is supposed to defend. Just as flies wax strong and prosper over a decaying carcass, so it is that "Diversity" managers prosper over a dying multicultural failed nation. Celebration of cultural diversity is thus a celebration of the death of a nation, the equivalent of Turkeys celebrating Christmas.

Scott M 11:30 PM, January 24, 2010  

Ah, I see. Paddy asks questions, I answer them. Suddenly, the goalposts change.

It wouldn't be a Biased BBC conversation without inconsistencies, arrogance and general name-calling from the usual suspects. It's not as if the likes of Martin have any other weapons in their debating arsenal, though, I suppose.

gud 1:01 AM, January 25, 2010  

fabulous insight DP111!
... couldnt agree more

Dazed-and-Confused 4:10 AM, January 25, 2010  

<span>"Oh look a beeboid troll appears. Can I ask if you're a leftie by chance?"</span>

Follow the link to his blog and it will answer the questions that he has summarily ignored.

http://matthewman.net/2009/10/30/observer-tv-remakes/

hippiepooter 10:02 AM, January 25, 2010  

And as per above Scott M, your usual selectivity in choosing only to respond to 'broadsiders' instead of substantive critques making you guilty of what you accuse others of.

Mr Monday 11:20 AM, January 25, 2010  

Scott (who works at that brilliant magazine "The Stage" if memory serves me well),

Tell you what: you like the stinking BBC, you pay for it.

Jack Bauer 12:19 PM, January 25, 2010  

The Stooge, surely?

Kevin Humes 7:55 PM, January 25, 2010  

Every broadcaster is biased. It is completely impossible to be neutral. The BBC "PROGRAMMES" peoples minds and has been given the right to do so by the Government.

What is needed is the complete destruction of the BBC. It's staff need to be thrown into the street and its assets sold of in very small lots.

Following that there should be a complete de-regulation of the media.

No broadcast outlet should or would EVER become as Large and Evil as the BBC.

The BBC is the spawn of SATAN. I wouldn't trust it to tell me what time it was.

George R 8:48 AM, January 26, 2010  

"Jeremy Paxman and Co still don't tell the whole story" (Charles Moore).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/charlesmoore/7077445/Jeremy-Paxman-and-Co-still-dont-tell-the-whole-story.html

Guest 12:46 PM, January 26, 2010  

One wonders how such as Newsnight will enhance the narrative of today's political 'events':

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100023701/david-cameron-is-a-unionist-remember/

Antony Jay

"But we were not just anti-Macmillan; we were anti-industry, anti-capitalism, anti-advertising, anti-selling, anti-profit, anti-patriotism, anti-monarchy, anti-Empire, anti-police, anti-armed forces, anti-bomb, anti-authority. Almost anything that made the world a freer, safer and more prosperous place, you name it, we were anti it."
Antony Jay, Telegraph, July 2007

Andrew Marr

"..the final answer, frankly, is the vigorous use of state power to coerce and repress. It may be my Presbyterian background, but I firmly believe that repression can be a great, civilising instrument for good. Stamp hard on certain 'natural' beliefs for long enough and you can almost kill them off."
Andrew Marr, The Guardian Feb. 1999

Jeremy Paxman

"But the bigger question is whether the BBC itself has a future. Working for it has always been a bit like living in Stalin’s Russia, with one five-year-plan, one resoundingly empty slogan after another. One BBC, Making it Happen, Creative Futures, they all blur into one great vacuous blur. I can’t even recall what the current one is. Rather like Stalin’s Russia, they express a belief that the system will go on forever."
Jeremy Paxman, The James McTaggart Memorial, 24th August 2007

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