MP's, bloggers, politicians, journalists, The Daily Mail and anyone with the slightest hint of paranoia about them has it it for the BBC these days. The Corporation's wish to have a 24 hour news service to rival that of CNN and Sky has often been ridiculed by these people who claim that there is no need for a state run news channel when we have alternative media groups who will do the job. However, Sky news today showed us exactly why we need the BBC.
In what was a clear attempt to embarrass the BBC and show how useless they were, Sky news went with the exclusive story that Alan Johnston had won the race to be deputy leader of the Labour Party. They went with this story for the best part of an hour in what appeared at the time to be an amazing scoop over the BBC.
What transpired though was that Alan Johnston didn't win. Instead, he was beaten by the rather hopeless figure of Harriett Harman.
So well done and thanks Sky News. We know you want to show the BBC up and that in order to win over advertisers you have to show viewers that you offer something the BBC don't. And you certainly did that today.
You show us all that you report gossip, rumour and lies, not facts. I guess with Sky being part of Rupert Murdoch's empire, we shouldn't be surprised.
10 comments:
You show us all that you report gossip, rumour and lies, not facts. I guess with Sky being part of Rupert Murdoch's empire, we shouldn't be surprised.
Yeah, you'd never catch the Beeb doing that, would you? You know, something really stupid, like airing an interview with an arrested suspect in the case of the Norfolk prostitute murders, even though he gave it on the condition it wasn't for broadcast, and he subsequently turned out to be completely innocent. No, sir. Never.
However, when you way that 'we' need the BBC, you're right, if you mean 'we', on the liberal left. Without it, you might just have to put up with a bit of balance, and we couldn't have that, eh?
Ipswich = Suffolk, not Norfolk.
Do you not see the difference between reporting on the next Deputy Prime Minister and interviewing someone.
Whatever he said in the interview, it was an interview, not specualation. Sky reported speculation as fact.
What did you say about the "paranoid".
Of course we need the BBC because it set minimal standards.
just aas a comparison, two identical shows on BBC and ITV recently.
On ITV, Grease is the word. What was it liek ? Cheap tripe. utter rubbish.
on BBC, Any Dream will do ? What was it like ? Well it had twice the viewers of ITV's offering and it was a good show too.
Leave it all to the market and our TV will go the way of Euroep and America. Downhill fast.
It was given as background, specifically not for broadcast. The Beeb thought they had an exclusive, so chose to disregard the agreement, as, hey, he was off to the nick for a while. As it turned out, this was untrue. That is very similar to reporting 'gossip, rumour and lies' IMHO, probably worse, as an innocent man was effected.
Apologies for the geographical mix up. Consider me told ;-)
Yes, there is something of a rivalry between Norfolk and Suffolk (particularly Ipswich and Norwich).
It's bad enough that my wife is from Suffol !
Twas the Tories that politicised the BBC under Thatcher, having the board made up of her placemen.
Good idea. For those of us who have digital cable there is now nolonger any Sky News.
Found that the BBC is more on the ball.
That's not a function of the BBC being a state owned broadcaster - its a Sky News cock up - for which - in the market they operate int - they will be punished.
To make this an argument for the need for the BBC is disingenuous and just a propping up of your personal view.
Erm, well that's what my blog is - "My" blog of "My" opinions.
I'm absolutely stunned that Sky News could think that Alan Johnston had won the Labour Deputy Leadership election, as he was at that very moment appearing on the BBC with a bomb vest strapped to him.
Unless you mean Alan Johnson, of course, in which case it just goes to show how easy it is for media sources to make mistakes.
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