Post by Teddy Bear on Jun 14, 2011 20:22:33 GMT
It's great to see the increasing awareness of how the BBC masquerades as a quality media outlet, while in reality are third rate. Only the salaries they award themselves match anything like first rate.
'The BBC has learned…' Cue 'exclusive' news story nicked from the papers
By Cristina Odone Politics Last updated: June 14th, 2011
29 Comments Comment on this article
Two BBC hacks head to the newsagents in search of stories
I was on the Jeremy Vine show (Radio 2) at midday, defending the Coalition’s U-turns as a mark of flexibility rather than weakness. As I waited for my turn, I listened to the news – a melodious female voice which announced that “the BBC has learned” that Eric Pickles had been forced into a U-Turn over the bin collection service because of local councils.
The BBC has learned. My blood pressure rose. Those words have come up again and again lately, from the Today programme to Newsnight, and they rile me. Inevitably, they are referring to a news story that has already appeared in print: for instance, the Eric Pickles U-Turn is a story that has appeared in several national newspapers. Yet here it was being touted as the BBC’s very own investigation. And this happens repeatedly, over radio and television.
Part of the problem is that the BBC needs to make licence fee payers think they’re getting value for money. No one is happy to pay £142 a year for a service that runs repeats of Only Fools and Horses and The Sound of Music every Christmas, plus some second-hand news reports; but start portraying the BBC as an investigative giant crawling with Woodwards and Bernsteins and viewers and listeners will feel they’re getting a big bang for their bucks.
The pressure is on – so no wonder that the media magpie is appropriating other news outlets’ stories left right and centre. Who cares if this seems morally equivocal: the Beeb needs good PR because it wants our money. Even at the cost of intellectual property theft.
By Cristina Odone Politics Last updated: June 14th, 2011
29 Comments Comment on this article
Two BBC hacks head to the newsagents in search of stories
I was on the Jeremy Vine show (Radio 2) at midday, defending the Coalition’s U-turns as a mark of flexibility rather than weakness. As I waited for my turn, I listened to the news – a melodious female voice which announced that “the BBC has learned” that Eric Pickles had been forced into a U-Turn over the bin collection service because of local councils.
The BBC has learned. My blood pressure rose. Those words have come up again and again lately, from the Today programme to Newsnight, and they rile me. Inevitably, they are referring to a news story that has already appeared in print: for instance, the Eric Pickles U-Turn is a story that has appeared in several national newspapers. Yet here it was being touted as the BBC’s very own investigation. And this happens repeatedly, over radio and television.
Part of the problem is that the BBC needs to make licence fee payers think they’re getting value for money. No one is happy to pay £142 a year for a service that runs repeats of Only Fools and Horses and The Sound of Music every Christmas, plus some second-hand news reports; but start portraying the BBC as an investigative giant crawling with Woodwards and Bernsteins and viewers and listeners will feel they’re getting a big bang for their bucks.
The pressure is on – so no wonder that the media magpie is appropriating other news outlets’ stories left right and centre. Who cares if this seems morally equivocal: the Beeb needs good PR because it wants our money. Even at the cost of intellectual property theft.