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'Can we trust the BBC? According to .. Aitken, the short answer is no. Aitken's is a sceptical question. The straight-talking, right-thinking Aitken is the man to administer it.'Times Literary Supplement, 16 May 2008--, "Times Literary Supplement "
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This book asks a big question: can we trust the BBC? The BBC is the most famous media brand in the world and it is growing bigger and more powerful every year. Its reputation depends on honest and accurate journalism. But this book argues that the Corporation's own pervasive left wing political culture imperils its impartiality. It demonstrates how some groups and viewpoints get favourable treatment while others are left out in the cold. The book examines the concept of 'public sector broadcasting' and asks if that has come to mean simply radio and television free of commercial bias. It argues that there are other 'hidden persuaders' that we the audience should be alert to. Drawing on the author's twenty five years as a BBC reporter and executive, the books blends analysis and sharp polemic to paint a vivid picture of life inside the news machine from a uniquely privileged point of view. It also tells the story of how the BBC responded to a dissident in its own ranks. With the future of the BBC now the subject of a government White Paper, this book will be a timely contribution to the debate about public broadcasting.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
86 of 94 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reading for anyone who pays the TV licence fee,
By Mark Stockwells (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Can We Trust the BBC? (Hardcover)
Bearing in mind the sheer size and influence of the BBC, and the manner in which it is funded, this book is very important. It is thoroughly researched, well-referenced yet easy to read. Many sections of my well-thumbed copy are now heavily underlined. Excellent.
Chapter headings are: 1. The best broadcaster in the world? The beginnings of the Beeb. Its transition from upholder of the establishment, to the post-1960s era when "the BBC joined in the new mood until it became a battering-ram in the hands of those who wanted to see the old order crumble" 2. A reporter's progress The author's career in the BBC, starting in the 1980s, when there was still some objectivity in news bulletins. How this changed under "Birtism" from 1987 onwards, when "the task was to make sure reality conformed to our preconceptions." 3. Blowing the whistle Mr Aitken raised his concerns about institutional left-wing bias at the BBC with his bosses and was told that, as he was so "disaffected" he should consider leaving the BBC. 4. Who are these people? Profiles of many of the big bugs and head honchos of the Beeb. Most of whom have links with the Labour party, or have worked for The Guardian, etc - all facts are backed up with full references so you can research more if you wish 5. The best European The obsessive pro-EU bias of the BBC, in stark contrast with the majority view of the UK. The 1970s "mini-purge of editorial staff who were 'ideologically unsound' on Europe". Pretending that Labour Eurosceptics don't exist so that the BBC could present Labour as united on Europe. An overall airtime bias towards Europhile speakers of 2:1. 6. The despised tribes A difficult topic, this, but Mr Aitken shows the BBC's total disregard for objectivity in this area as well. They demonise certain groups of whom they disapprove: Northern Irish Unionists, Christian fundamentalists, conservative Roman Catholics, UKIP, most Americans - a wide-ranging list "usually categorized, in the sloppy shorthand of progressivism, as 'right-wing'". The pro-IRA stance of the BBC is examined. 7. "Today" at war The suicide of Dr David Kelly and how this tragic event provided "incontrovertible proof that the BBC takes a definite editorial line on major stories." 8. The moral maze - the moral "values" of the Beeb. The difficulty the BBC has with hearing, let alone facing, any criticism, owing to it's intrinsic sense of moral superiority. 9. Testimonies: "A foghorn bellowing at the nation" - evidence from previous and current employees of the BBC, given entirely in their own words. Some of the interviews from these witnesses pepper the rest of the chapters as well. The fact that these people are too afraid to be named speaks volumes - they are not saying anything illegal or libellous - the Stalinism of the BBC is very evident here. 10. Conclusion - for your own reading pleasure!
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and Important.,
By Stephen "1982" (Northern Ireland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Can We Trust the BBC? (Paperback)
As an Ulster Protestant I can say that the BBC is clearly biased against the Unionist community in Northern Ireland. Thus Robin Aitken's chapter "The Despised Tribes" struck a deep chord.
I can give a brief recent example: this years Orange Twelfth of July parades were the most peaceful, family friendly and cross-community in years. However on the 11th night small groups of Roman Catholic rioters were involved in minor scuffles with the police. The national BBC coverage reported this as trouble at the Protestant Orange parades and showed footage of vicious rioting from three years ago! The chapter on Europe is also damning in the blatant favour shown by the BBC to both the Labour party and the "Europhiles". An important book about a revered British institution that needs to sort it's act out.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Truth,
By Random Task (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Can We Trust the BBC? (Paperback)
From a one time supporter of the BBC over the years reality has been kicking in. The BBC is deeply biased. reading this book really showed me not just that they are, but why and how. The licence fee must go.
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