Quote Originally Posted by mistaram View Post
You have probably either watched it read the news this weekend . Every paper and News Channels I've either watched it read has been full of the Extinction Rebellion blocking the printing presses by lying in the street Now there is a way to protest and I don't think that is the right way But a completely over the top reaction from the media accusing extreme left wing agitators from organising it .Well I always thought climate change was a concern for all political persuasion s or is that just at election times . Now Johnson is going to rush a bill through to protect the Newspapers making them "critical national infrastructure " few
Meanwhile at the same time there was a protest at Dover which you probably never read or saw on the news . At protest by the far right against migrants , This consisted of a number of far right groups some from banned groups the police said there were members from Britain First , Pie and Mash ( football hooligans )fomer Combat 18 and EDL members . They blocked the A20 with a sit in during off Dover docks . Leader Nigel March with his megaphone screaming " Take a knee for the brethren of this f**king country Wonder what PM is going to do about this
IMO there's two aspects, biased reporting of stories and 'controlling the narrative'.

In respect of the former, the printed press most definitely do, reading a Guardian and Daily Mail spin on the same story makes amusing reading. I don't think the broadcast media are quite as bad but there is IMO a clear left (BBC, CH4, Sky) / right (LBC, RT) 'inclination'.

In respect of the latter though, I think there's a definitely a level of control being exercised, or maybe the media are just trying to recover the level of control they had before social media punched a hole in their bubble.

A very current example is the way the news of the Birmingham stabbings has been reported. Two of my family DJ in that area and are therefore fairly well connected, and a broad description of the perp was circulating on their social media around 3am - yet the media (maybe in some respects led by the police) declined to mention his colour throughout yesterday, and as far as I'm aware still haven't despite now showing a video. Forgetting all other reasons, that's out of order from a public safety point of view, because how can the public help the Police or keep themselves safe if they don't know who/what to keep themselves safe from?