Monbiot - why...
Discussion
...are the BBC treating him like some kind of authority?
To me, and most people who live in the real world, he's just a bigot with an opinion and a newspaper column.
However, if the way the BBC treat him is anything to go by, it wouldn't surprise me if he's their world affairs correspondant in a few weeks.
:shout: FFS, this man is a blinkered extremist with views that are as dangerously meddling and authoritarian as some of history's worst dictators, and yet you treat him as a level-headed authority when you're covering the G8 summit?
It's like making Clarkson the BBC's transport correspondant. In fact, it's more extreme than that.
Can someone please get this buffoon off the telly?
To me, and most people who live in the real world, he's just a bigot with an opinion and a newspaper column.
However, if the way the BBC treat him is anything to go by, it wouldn't surprise me if he's their world affairs correspondant in a few weeks.
:shout: FFS, this man is a blinkered extremist with views that are as dangerously meddling and authoritarian as some of history's worst dictators, and yet you treat him as a level-headed authority when you're covering the G8 summit?
It's like making Clarkson the BBC's transport correspondant. In fact, it's more extreme than that.
Can someone please get this buffoon off the telly?
JagLover said:
The BBC are treating him as an authority because their own agenda closely matches his.
Remember they are the BiasedBroadcastingCorporation.
I suspected that. I wonder quite what kind of forces pull the strings up at the BBC sometimes.
Also, I thought the BBC was always supposed to be impartial. The 'Africa Lives' season has produced some stunning programmes, often very thought-provoking and very worthwhile, but certainly not without agenda or impartiality.
Something very left-wing is going on in the BBC boadroom. They don't have to express an opinion themselves, but it seems that they are careful as to who they do get in to express different sides of each story.
I mean, not once, in their African series, have I seen any reference to the problems of hastily-democratised states being run by complex networks of corruption and extortion that prevents the people from benefitting from their country's assets and even foreign aid. According to the BBC, all Africas problems can be solved by 8 men sitting round a desk in Scotland.
Someone once said the problem with the BBC was 'institutionalised bias' they only recruit a certain type (they only advertise in the Guardian). So though their journalists might try to be unbiased, they will of course present what they deem, to be the acceptable middle ground ignoring extremists views (ie anyone to the right of the Liberal Democrats)
Do they only advertise in the Guardian?
That's unbelievable.
A sure way to get the sort of people with the sort of views they want.
Polly Toynbee used to report for the bbc and now writes for the Guardian. She's another one of the Monbiot ilk with views, and the ability to air them, that make your blood boil.
Not forgetting Greg Dyke of course who used to be a labour member then became chairman of the BBC. Unbelievable. Mind you, that backfired on them in a big way.
Imagine the uproar and cries of sleaze etc if the conservatives installed one of their own at the head of the BBC.
Bitter'n'twisted said:
Do they only advertise in the Guardian?
That's unbelievable.
A sure way to get the sort of people with the sort of views they want.
Polly Toynbee used to report for the bbc and now writes for the Guardian. She's another one of the Monbiot ilk with views, and the ability to air them, that make your blood boil.
Not forgetting Greg Dyke of course who used to be a labour member then became chairman of the BBC. Unbelievable. Mind you, that backfired on them in a big way.
Imagine the uproar and cries of sleaze etc if the conservatives installed one of their own at the head of the BBC.
John Birt was pretty close.
Look, it happened under the Thatcher/Major govt, and it's happenning now. And when Seb Coe throws his hat in the ring for leader of the Tories, it'll swing back the other way.
I do find the BBCs description of Macrobiot as "envirnmental campaigner" rather disingenuous. "marxist journalist" would be closer the mark.
The problem is probably less bias than lack of expertise.
For whatever reason there are some people who are seen to be knowledgable about particular subjects, largely through rampant self-promotion. When journalists need an 'informed opinion' they turn to a fixed set of sources for quotes and information. Sadly Monbiot is one of those sources. There's a guy called Kevin Warwick who is regularly asked to give similar quotes when it comes to robots and future technology. Some people are quite angry about him because they believe he is about as reliable in that field as Monbiot is in the environment.
The way to combat this is not to attack the BBC, but to promote a more credible expert in the given field.
For whatever reason there are some people who are seen to be knowledgable about particular subjects, largely through rampant self-promotion. When journalists need an 'informed opinion' they turn to a fixed set of sources for quotes and information. Sadly Monbiot is one of those sources. There's a guy called Kevin Warwick who is regularly asked to give similar quotes when it comes to robots and future technology. Some people are quite angry about him because they believe he is about as reliable in that field as Monbiot is in the environment.
The way to combat this is not to attack the BBC, but to promote a more credible expert in the given field.
JagLover said:
.
The way to combat this is not to attack the BBC, but to promote a more credible expert in the given field.
Not so Tuna, the BBC are very careful about who they CHOOSE to interview. It is by that choice that they get their message across.
I think we'll just disagree on that one
Personally, having met a few journalists and delt with specialist publications, I tend towards the feeling that most journalists are not experts (on anything) and look to others for expertise. Sadly, they often find the wrong people, simply because they have insufficient knowledge themselves to detect BS. Who hasn't read an article about their own profession and thought that is was completely innaccurate? It's not a conspiracy, the BBC isn't organised enough to manage conspiracies, it's just ignorance.
......Hello....I'm Georgy Moonbat and, god....I'm good 
..................
his site said:
ABOUT GEORGE MONBIOT
During seven years of investigative journeys in Indonesia, Brazil and East Africa, he was shot at, beaten up by military police, shipwrecked and stung into a poisoned coma by hornets.
He came back to work in Britain after being pronounced clinically dead in Lodwar General Hospital in north-western Kenya, having contracted cerebral malaria.....
My god...he's a bloody zombie.....
C C said:
Perhaps he’s rebelling against his upbringing.
Could be....
Meanwhile, down in loonyland.......
www.monbiot.com/archives/category/transport/
Brace yourselves, men.......excessive laughter can kill.
mybrainhurts said:
Perhaps he’s rebelling against his upbringing.
Could be....
Meanwhile, down in loonyland.......
www.monbiot.com/archives/category/transport/
Brace yourselves, men.......excessive laughter can kill.
That is quite the funniest website I have ever seen
"During seven years of investigative journeys in Indonesia, Brazil and East Africa, he was shot at, beaten up by military police, shipwrecked and stung into a poisoned coma by hornets. He came back to work in Britain after being pronounced clinically dead in Lodwar General Hospital in north-western Kenya, having contracted cerebral malaria."
Does he not think someone is trying to tell him something? I also note he gives career advice. God help us all...
Tuna said:
The problem is probably less bias than lack of expertise.
For whatever reason there are some people who are seen to be knowledgable about particular subjects, largely through rampant self-promotion. When journalists need an 'informed opinion' they turn to a fixed set of sources for quotes and information. Sadly Monbiot is one of those sources. There's a guy called Kevin Warwick who is regularly asked to give similar quotes when it comes to robots and future technology. Some people are quite angry about him because they believe he is about as reliable in that field as Monbiot is in the environment.
The way to combat this is not to attack the BBC, but to promote a more credible expert in the given field.
I agree about that t
t Monbiot but the other example doesn't really fit. I assume you mean Professor Kevin Warwick.
www.rdg.ac.uk/KevinWarwick/
"At 22 he took his first degree at Aston University, followed by a PhD and a research post at Imperial College, London. He subsequently held positions at Oxford, Newcastle and Warwick universities before being offered the Chair at Reading, at the age of 33.
He has been awarded higher doctorates (DScs) both by Imperial College and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. He was presented with The Future of Health technology Award from MIT (USA), was made an Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, St.Petersburg and received The IEE Achievement Medal in 2004. In 2000 Kevin presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, entitled “The Rise of The Robots”."
Hardly in the same league as Monbiot, is he ?
lunarscope said:
The problem is probably less bias than lack of expertise.
For whatever reason there are some people who are seen to be knowledgable about particular subjects, largely through rampant self-promotion. When journalists need an 'informed opinion' they turn to a fixed set of sources for quotes and information. Sadly Monbiot is one of those sources. There's a guy called Kevin Warwick who is regularly asked to give similar quotes when it comes to robots and future technology. Some people are quite angry about him because they believe he is about as reliable in that field as Monbiot is in the environment.
The way to combat this is not to attack the BBC, but to promote a more credible expert in the given field.
I agree about that t
I assume you mean Professor Kevin Warwick.
www.rdg.ac.uk/KevinWarwick/
"At 22 he took his first degree at Aston University, followed by a PhD and a research post at Imperial College, London. He subsequently held positions at Oxford, Newcastle and Warwick universities before being offered the Chair at Reading, at the age of 33.
He has been awarded higher doctorates (DScs) both by Imperial College and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. He was presented with The Future of Health technology Award from MIT (USA), was made an Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, St.Petersburg and received The IEE Achievement Medal in 2004. In 2000 Kevin presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, entitled “The Rise of The Robots”."
Hardly in the same league as Monbiot, is he ?
No, but he did implant a chip in his arm which enabled him to turn on and off lights when he went in the room, then called himself the first cyborg.... FFS they have been putting chips like that into pets for the last 10 years to record their owners details!
Both these guys are self-professed publicity hounds and seem to be thought of as such by their peers.
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff