Does BBC = Biased (or Brown) Broadcasting Corp?

[dxg]

elster said:

dxg said:

Jasandjules said:

I no longer watch the BBC news in any way, it disgusts me with it's bias. Used to be known worldwide as an impartial and honest broadcaster. No more.

I agree. I find myself watching Sky News and NEWS24 on freeview and making my own mind up somewhere inbewteen. I just can't stomach their "news" website anymore...

For example, right now NEWS24 is presenting the Government's policy on health insurance as fact, with no debate or alterantive view. Sky News is doing a critique of the state of the cabinet in light of today's(?) resginations. Now which one seems credible?

Edited by dxg on Tuesday 14th July 23:14

I just tend to read what is on Reuters.

Well don't get me wrong, I think everything just has to be watched these days with a sceptical mind.

Sky News, for example, have now switched into their "let's make the Murdoch conglomerate obvious" mode by broadcasting Katie Couric's evening news from Fox News (with the Fox badging conveniently cropped off the bottom of the screen...). Fox scares me. At least news coverage in the UK isn't so blantently baised, just yet.

Edited by dxg on Wednesday 15th July 00:33

[andymadmak]

Halb said:

I think the bias is overblown. Bias comes down to the reporters. When the BBC tackled Blair over the war, it wasn't siding with New LAbour/government.
I think in most cases anyone look for (and so then find) bias in most areas to prop up their own self-beliefs and bias.
Use a good range of sources for your news, don't over rely on one. Beeb is good enough to be used as one source.

edit. I liked CSPAN

Edited by Halb on Tuesday 14th July 15:13

Is your middle name gullible?

I don't even know where to start with this.

[DWP]

andymadmak said:

Halb said:

I think the bias is overblown. Bias comes down to the reporters. When the BBC tackled Blair over the war, it wasn't siding with New LAbour/government.
I think in most cases anyone look for (and so then find) bias in most areas to prop up their own self-beliefs and bias.
Use a good range of sources for your news, don't over rely on one. Beeb is good enough to be used as one source.

edit. I liked CSPAN

Edited by Halb on Tuesday 14th July 15:13

Is your middle name gullible?

I don't even know where to start with this.

Halb has a point, if you have ever seen the Duty Log of viewers complaints, the foaming at the mouth comments, from all sides, is very illuminating. The cynicism in any news room leaves little doubt that most journos have no time for politicians. The fact many viewers and listeners just want the reporters to shout fk off Brown constantly is understandably. But somewhat unrealistic. The Government would have nothing to do with SKY if it wasn't for Murdoch's power via the Sun, Quid pro quo. That's not to say I don't believe the BBC has dumbed down, that's very obvious. But biased, far from it. Just listen to Paxman ripping some Labour wonk, very enjoyable.

[andymadmak]

DWP said:

andymadmak said:

Halb said:

I think the bias is overblown. Bias comes down to the reporters. When the BBC tackled Blair over the war, it wasn't siding with New LAbour/government.
I think in most cases anyone look for (and so then find) bias in most areas to prop up their own self-beliefs and bias.
Use a good range of sources for your news, don't over rely on one. Beeb is good enough to be used as one source.

edit. I liked CSPAN

Edited by Halb on Tuesday 14th July 15:13

Is your middle name gullible?

I don't even know where to start with this.

Halb has a point, if you have ever seen the Duty Log of viewers complaints, the foaming at the mouth comments, from all sides, is very illuminating. The cynicism in any news room leaves little doubt that most journos have no time for politicians. The fact many viewers and listeners just want the reporters to shout fk off Brown constantly is understandably. But somewhat unrealistic. The Government would have nothing to do with SKY if it wasn't for Murdoch's power via the Sun, Quid pro quo. That's not to say I don't believe the BBC has dumbed down, that's very obvious. But biased, far from it. Just listen to Paxman ripping some Labour wonk, very enjoyable.

Please let me tell you, that just because the BBC occasionally asks a tough question at times when it would be utterly glaringly obvious that they are biased if they did not, does not make the beeb unbiased!
The tone of tough questions can be gentler, the answer can be accepted without challenge, the supplemental questions can be omitted,..... There are all sorts of ways of making it look like its not biased when it is.
You need to look at the comparrison work that has been done between interviews with top tories and interviews with Nu labour guys.
Its stunning, - types of question asked, interruption rates, tone of questionning, even in the same issues do show clear bias.
James Naughtie is amongst the worst. He barely manages to conceal his bias. In fact, in the run up to the last election I remember him interviewing a senior NL figure and starting a question with the line "so, when we win the next election......." Yeah, Jimmy's really going to press to the core of the issue. Just look at the easy ride Mandellson gets - he's allowed almost uninterrupted airtime to spout whatever he likes whilst the beeb reporter looks on lovingly.
Compare and contrast. Paxman & Mandellson, and Paxman and Michael Howard for example.....

Really, please look closer

Andrew

Edited by andymadmak on Thursday 16th July 12:03

[tank slapper]

DWP said:

Halb has a point, if you have ever seen the Duty Log of viewers complaints, the foaming at the mouth comments, from all sides, is very illuminating. The cynicism in any news room leaves little doubt that most journos have no time for politicians. The fact many viewers and listeners just want the reporters to shout fk off Brown constantly is understandably. But somewhat unrealistic. The Government would have nothing to do with SKY if it wasn't for Murdoch's power via the Sun, Quid pro quo. That's not to say I don't believe the BBC has dumbed down, that's very obvious. But biased, far from it. Just listen to Paxman ripping some Labour wonk, very enjoyable.

Paxman is one of the few who speaks plainly at the BBC. There most certainly is an intrinsic left-liberal bias in almost everything the BBC does, and especially their news programming. That doesn't mean they are necessarily pro-Labour, but more often than not their views do coincide.

The BBC are adament that they are not biased, but bias does not have to be deliberate. Groupthink means that they can quite happily believe they are neutral, but because there is no internal dissent be very far from neutral.

What will be extremely telling is that when there is finally a change of government, is whether they suddenly find their teeth and start questioning things more vociferously.

[turbobloke]

There is indeed a left-liberal 'cultural' bias (as the BBC admit to it).