The BBC under threat from the government

I can't believe I'm actually "both sides-ing" this, but it's totally possible for lets say, a right-wing person to be able to sprout incorrect facts on Politics Live and the presenter unfortunately doesn't have the correct statistics to hand, or it happens right at the end of the show and they have to go off air without a rebuttal, which people could then perceive as right-wing bias.

Meanwhile on Question Time the panel may, for that week, be slightly more biased towards left-wing or remain views due to who they could book.

Just because there's equal amounts of claims of bias from both sides in a week doesn't mean that the BBC were unbiased during those programmes. Both shows could have had a slight bias one way or the other.

But these are things Ofcom need to investigate first. Not be plastered all over Twitter and other social media, or national newspapers.

The question is how is bias measured though? Does each edition of a programme have to be absolutely impartial? Or is it OK for the BBC to skew slightly one way on one edition and the other way on another edition? As long as the BBC airs all views at some point, then isn't that doing its job? Sometimes you have to take the long view of these things. These days too many people are only concerned about themselves and being outraged about everything they see, even on the basis of one incident. Nobody has any time for debate and a resulting compromise anymore. It's their way or no way. It's quite sad really.

I'd say the BBC is doing a fine job in the long term. It's certainly far more impartial than some rival media outlets. The trouble is that it can't win because in being impartial it doesn't please everyone - only those of us who are balanced individuals open to other opinions.

On a more general note, I feel that something has gone drastically wrong in this country over recent years. Whatever happened to 'love thy neighbour' and 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'? It's time more people realised that there is more than one point of view and that just because someone holds a different opinion, it doesn't automatically mean they're wrong.

Sorry, that turned into a little bit of a rant. I just think with everything that's happened lately from Brexit to BBC bashing to Caroline Flack, something has to be done to reset society.

Or what also happens is clips taken out of context.

Left wing person talks for ages on the subject, right wing person says a bit, left wing person comes back in. Fiona shuts them down as she’s heard enough from that person and the rest of the panel needs to get a word in.

Cue the last part of the exchange being clipped up and spread far and wide across social media showing how biased the BBC are not letting the left wing view get heard.

"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

Isn't the Daily Mail showing support for the BBC one of the signs of the apocalypse? Or at least a sign that someone is trying to wind up Paul Dacre, even though he's now retired.

Although on Monday, they still ran an article repeating everything in The Sunday Times article, along with the headline about 200,000 people "ditching" their BBC TV licences, so I doubt we can say the Daily Fail is best friends with the BBC any time soon.

Seems half the stories in the tabloids nowadays are just reruns from rival publications, usually with absolutely no fact checking before they republish them.

"Jonathan Pie" hits the nail on the head about the BBC in his latest video.
WARNING ... Contains strong language and adult humour. Viewer discretion is advised.

Sorry for the source guys, but I felt this should probably also go in this thread

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8034375/Boris-Johnson-confirmed-plan-sell-Channel-4-boycotting-left-wing-broadcaster.html

(The important part so you don't have to go there)

Channel 4 exists entirely self funded and so I doubt the government will ever move to change much of that company. Unlike the BBC, Channel 4 receives not a penny from the licence fee, and sells its own advertising. Not much the Johnson government can do to twist that channel's arm, apart from the on going speculation of privatisation which is so far down on their list of priorities.

Also reading that article again, it is empty of any content at all. Most of it is actually about the BBC, not much on Channel 4 apart from a headline grabber, so complete nonsense I guess. It is the Daily Mail after all, the newspaper that hates newspapers.

Aren't most news articles nowadays?


The Sunday Times also on the attack of the BBC Scotland channel this weekend. Now I agree it's been a massive waste of cash and launched for political rather than practical purposes, where viewers would have benefitted more from more investment in content on BBC1/2 than launching a whole channel - but it's clearly this weeks bash the BBC article so I won't link to it.

As for C4 - surely it's the model the licence fee haters want the BBC to take. Maybe for that to happen C4 needs to be sold. It would be a shame for it to be taken out of public ownership, but given the government attitude to the PSBs in recent years I probably trust it more in the hands of a commercial enterprise than the Tories.