The BBC

[tinostongue]

I think you may need to check your facts.
Chairman - was an advisor to Johnson, a multi millionaire and a major donor to the Tory party.
Director General - ex Tory MP
Laura Kuensberg - ex Chair of the Conservative Society at university
Many of the BBC news team, past and present (Nick Robinson, chair of the Tories at Oxford, Robert Peston, John Humphrys etc etc), have Tory backgrounds.

All appointments to the various BBC boards in recent years have been Tory supporters or donors.

Could have been worse, Labour supporters,donors

[toptoon]

I think you may need to check your facts.
Chairman - was an advisor to Johnson, a multi millionaire and a major donor to the Tory party.
Director General - ex Tory MP
Laura Kuensberg - ex Chair of the Conservative Society at university
Many of the BBC news team, past and present (Nick Robinson, chair of the Tories at Oxford, Robert Peston, John Humphrys etc etc), have Tory backgrounds.

All appointments to the various BBC boards in recent years have been Tory supporters or donors.

You are right but these are recent changes made to personnel in reaction to decades of the situation I mentioned. The new Director General claimed that it was time that the BBC reflected the views of the majority of the British people again and stopped following the agenda of a few (or words to that effect).

It’s certainly clear to see that the BBC has not been and still isn’t pro Tory.

[ronandtet]

Kuensberg hates the tories - few weeks ago she said something which had everybody up in arms and was disproved - any apologies for getting it wrong ? nope instead she did a long diatribe attacking boris

[KemptownMag]

Kuensberg hates the tories - few weeks ago she said something which had everybody up in arms and was disproved - any apologies for getting it wrong ? nope instead she did a long diatribe attacking boris

She conducted an aggressive interview with Johnson and was criticised for it.
If you think journalists should go soft on our political leaders, then fair enough I suppose.
The fact is that Johnson doesn't like forensic questioning because it shows up the fact that he is a blatant liar.
He lies in the Commons and gets away with it because he refuses to answer the questions.
He was the only party leader who refused to be interviewed by Andrew Neil (a Tory, but a tough interviewer) or to debate with the other party leaders. And hid from journalists in a fridge!!!

She does not hate the Tories. As I said above she chaired her student Conservative Association and the list of official complaints against her as a broadcaster for anti-Labour bias are as long as my arm.
Remember her reporting that a Labour activist had punched a Tory? Which was untrue.
I do believe she dislikes Johnson, but then wasn't it Max Hastings who said that the only people who like him are those who haven't met him?
Several of my friends are Conservatives and they cannot stand the man.

[KemptownMag]

You are right but these are recent changes made to personnel in reaction to decades of the situation I mentioned. The new Director General claimed that it was time that the BBC reflected the views of the majority of the British people again and stopped following the agenda of a few (or words to that effect).

It’s certainly clear to see that the BBC has not been and still isn’t pro Tory.

It’s certainly clear to see that the BBC has not been and still isn’t pro Tory.[/QUOTE]

Well as Johnson's man, he would say that wouldn't he?
These are indeed recent appointments, but look up the list of chairmen, DGs and board members over the past 20-odd years and you will find the vast majority are Tory supporters or businessmen as were many of their political editors (Peston, Robinson...).

"Reflecting the views of the majority of the British people" frankly means nothing, as I suspect it was meant to be.
What are those views? Which British people?
I strongly suspect he means the views of the Tory party.
Biggest party at the last election, but a minority of the votes.

Johnson has made it very clear that he is intent on packing public bodies with as many of his people as possible.
Lord Dacre as head of Ofcom?
Lady Dido as head of the NHS?

Independent research on BBC bias over the years has tended to show that the bias, if anything, tends towards the government of the day, whatever the colour.

Two things stand out for me though - one from years ago and one more recent.

The Orgreave confrontation during the miners' strike in the Thatcher era.
BBC news footage showed the miners attacking the police.
It was later discovered that the BBC had reversed the footage, the police had attacked the miners, who then fought back.
Years later the BBC admitted it and apologised.

Two years ago at the live coverage at the Cenotaph - Johnson is there looking like a tramp and clearly either pissed or suffering from a serious hangover.
BBC News that evening - shows a clip of him laying a wreath from years earlier when he was Mayor.
"A mistake" says the BBC.

By the way - I also think it was disgraceful that they continued to show the footage from the stadium as long as they did.
Totally uncalled for and the editor should have his arse kicked.

[toptoon]

It’s certainly clear to see that the BBC has not been and still isn’t pro Tory.

Well as Johnson's man, he would say that wouldn't he?
These are indeed recent appointments, but look up the list of chairmen, DGs and board members over the past 20-odd years and you will find the vast majority are Tory supporters or businessmen as were many of their political editors (Peston, Robinson...).

"Reflecting the views of the majority of the British people" frankly means nothing, as I suspect it was meant to be.
What are those views? Which British people?
I strongly suspect he means the views of the Tory party.
Biggest party at the last election, but a minority of the votes.

Johnson has made it very clear that he is intent on packing public bodies with as many of his people as possible.
Lord Dacre as head of Ofcom?
Lady Dido as head of the NHS?

Independent research on BBC bias over the years has tended to show that the bias, if anything, tends towards the government of the day, whatever the colour.

Two things stand out for me though - one from years ago and one more recent.

The Orgreave confrontation during the miners' strike in the Thatcher era.
BBC news footage showed the miners attacking the police.
It was later discovered that the BBC had reversed the footage, the police had attacked the miners, who then fought back.
Years later the BBC admitted it and apologised.

Two years ago at the live coverage at the Cenotaph - Johnson is there looking like a tramp and clearly either pissed or suffering from a serious hangover.
BBC News that evening - shows a clip of him laying a wreath from years earlier when he was Mayor.
"A mistake" says the BBC.

By the way - I also think it was disgraceful that they continued to show the footage from the stadium as long as they did.
Totally uncalled for and the editor should have his arse kicked.[/QUOTE]

I read the BBC website almost everyday not because I like its (clearly slanted) viewpoint but because they don’t tell outright lies, jump the gun, or take wild guesses like many other journos.
So, my view on this has been formed over many years. Anyone can cherry pick examples.

If you read today, you’ll see an article about the Chief Constable of Manchester saying he would not take the knee. (Rather obvious, no, for a policeman) but the BBC make it a headline and also tell us what the knee means and what BLM is. Read it and see.

[Kal]

To anyone who thinks the BBC aren't left wing, I've a bridge to sell and can recommend a football manager recently described by the BBC's highest paid employee as "excellent"

[toptoon]

Certainly the BBC has a hidden agenda - pushing LGBT and BLM issues, for example, disproportionately compared to ‘bigger’ news items (live covid).
Many years ago it was THE beacon of impartiality in world media and was widely respected for it. Those days are long gone.

[Zippity]

I think one thing we can all agree on is that the BBC have an agenda-we just differ on what we think that agenda is.

[ex_pat_magpie]

The BBC happens to have an agenda to suit certain people which suits certain other people.