The BBC: are claims of political bias justified? Part 2.

[Old Cloud Puncher]

I wonder how the BBC feel their 'verify' is going?
Such is the arrogance and naivety of the BBC, one gets the distinct impression they did not expect their 'verified' stories to be verified by others, with very different results.
I expect a quiet withdrawal of all things 'verify and verified' by the BBC in the coming weeks/months, done in such a way they hope no one will notice. But of course. we will.

I think the BBC thought it could do one better than the likes of Bellingcat, who are robustly independent but also very skilled researchers. Its a bit like a magazine or newspaper trying to outdo Which? when you know they have given a favourable review because they got a free toaster.

Basically BBC Verify is the BBC marking it's own homework.

 

[Burnham]

Good grief.

Posted by @PhotEx on the Hamas Attack thread.

 

[Auld-Yin]

I think the BBC thought it could do one better than the likes of Bellingcat, who are robustly independent but also very skilled researchers. Its a bit like a magazine or newspaper trying to outdo Which? when you know they have given a favourable review because they got a free toaster.

Basically BBC Verify is the BBC marking it's own homework.

It is not so much marking their own homework, it is more like giving out grades based on previous work, as was done in schools during Covid.

BBC are living on the reputation built up over the decades up to the start of this century. Since Y2K the BBC standards have not just been slipping, they have been in free fall.

 

[76mill]

It is not so much marking their own homework, it is more like giving out grades based on previous work, as was done in schools during Covid.

BBC are living on the reputation built up over the decades up to the start of this century. Since Y2K the BBC standards have not just been slipping, they have been in free fall.

The presenters on those higher numbered channels flogging dubious jewellery, colouring in books and over priced pies have far more integrity and honesty than any bbc "talent ".
At least they know they're flogging crap but have to be credible to keep the money coming in.

 

[Old Cloud Puncher]

St Jeremy of Bowen has spoken - he doesn't believe the Israelis:

Bowen: Ceasefire demands will grow without proof of Hamas HQ at al-Shifa

Israel's rhetoric had suggested the Gaza City hospital was a nerve centre for the Hamas operation.

www.bbc.co.uk

'The evidence Israel has produced, so far, I do not believe to be convincing in terms of the kind of rhetoric Israelis were using about the set-up at the hospital, which suggested this was a nerve centre for the Hamas operation.'

Any news organisation ceases to be one when it makes the news instead of reporting it.

Who cares what Bowen thinks? Where's the balance?

 

[Old Cloud Puncher]

Good grief.

Posted by @PhotEx on the Hamas Attack thread.

Er, it's totally inconceivable.

Why would a hospital have a security department armed with automatic weapons? They might, at a stretch, have some pistols, just maybe, but I can't see why. But rifles? What scenario exists in Gaza that requires hospital security to have rifles? Who are they going to shoot at? Hamas?

Drop the Dead Donkey was a comedy show, not a training course.

 

[28th/LX1]

Cousin ******* on the decline in Bradford is front page news apparently.

Fewer cousins marrying in Bradford's Pakistani community

Cousin marriage has dropped among the city's Pakistani community - with a few possible reasons.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[finnisharrse]

And Auntie again first leads mentioning illegal crossings, then has a fit of the vapours and changes it...

Before:

Finland closes four crossing points on Russia border​

18. Nov 2023 at 1.25
Helsinki said it was trying to halt a surge in illegal crossings from Russia, mostly of third-country citizens.

And now:

Finland has closed four of its border crossings with Russia to try to halt a surge in asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow.
Helsinki accused its neighbour of channelling migrants to the crossings in retaliation for it joining Nato.

Nothing substantive in the story has changed to warrant this, other than political meddling from within.

 

[AsterixTG]

I see Harry Whiteguilt's contract is up for renewal.

I wonder if they'll attach an impartiality clause to the millions of your money they pay him.

 

[finnisharrse]

Why would a hospital have a security department armed with automatic weapons? They might, at a stretch, have some pistols, just maybe, but I can't see why. But rifles? What scenario exists in Gaza that requires hospital security to have rifles? Who are they going to shoot at? Hamas?

What is it like in Septic-land [genuine question]. I think I recall seeing some documentaries with [overweight, sloppy] security around a U.S. hospital, but I'd probably not trust them with a pea shooter rather than the sidearm in their holster. I don't know if they are stationed there, but I hope they really don't get automatic weaponry. Anyone know if it would have been isolated, or standard. Thank F we don't have that nonsense over here where I live

 

[Splatt]

Had Radio 2 on my evening run earlier (im across the world) and the news bulletin had me swearing at random people on the beach.

Report started with "The IDF denies it told people to evacuate the Shifa hospital" followed by 2 minutes interviewing everyone from Oxfam downwards about how bad it was of the IDF to tell them to evacuate a hospital.

No attempt to say its a non-story, nothing happening. After the initial sentence just finding people to say how bad it was.

So again, the average listener will take from that "Israel said evac hospital and they're bad people".

 

[Splatt]

Sums up the Hamas Broadcasting Corporation.

 

[finnisharrse]

Journalists used to be taught to be very careful about using emotive words such as claim, deny, admit or allege unless they were in a legal and justifiable context.

Old school type here, now retired, puts his hand up [oo-er]. The BBC output is a shitshow in general, but sadly the state of journalism/churnalism today... And then you have the calibre of the average reader to comprehend something. People used to joke about the SUN being for people who read with their fingers, but the SUN had - like it or not - a tremendously hard job [it might have changed since the 90s] summarising an often complex story, to a varied audience (ISTR it also had one of the highest, if not the highest, ABC1 demographic readership too] in as little as a couple of hundred words, obviously next to Samantha and her massive mammaries, but still...

 

[exiledblue]

"Coming soon to BBC: Sir David Attenborough hunts down the Lesser Spotted BBC Apology, believed to be extinct, due to climate change, until one was recently sighted struggling to escape from a huge mound of bullsh1t in the Middle East, etc."

Fixed that for you

 

[stanley_bomb_squad]

WHO says Gaza's al-Shifa hospital a death zone, as hundreds leave

The UN health agency examines al-Shifa after last week's raid by Israeli troops looking for a Hamas bunker.

www.bbc.co.uk

'Following an evacuation which the hospital director said was ordered by the Israeli army but which the army said was requested by the director, 300 critically ill patients remain in al-Shifa'
Earlier, the Hamas-run health ministry said 120 patients remained at the hospital, as well as an unspecified number of premature babies.

So 180 premature babies then. Must be all that marrying your Cousin thing.

Silly BBC.