POLL: Would you watch interviews with opposition MPs on social media, just to find out their views?

Last Updated: February 13, 2018By

Andrew Gwynne: He had a grilling from Andrew Marr on Sunday (February 11).

There’s a lot of animosity against the mainstream media over their treatment of anybody who isn’t a Tory at the moment.

It came to a head on Sunday, after Andrew Marr grilled Labour’s Andrew Gwynne and then, after giving Penny Mordaunt (Conservative) a respectful hearing told her, sotto voce, “That was very good”.

Every week – sometimes every day – opposition politicians are subjected to humiliating attempts at “gotcha” journalism, with presenters and reporters including Mr Marr, Robert Peston, Andrew Neil, Jo Coburn and a host of others trying to either catch them out in a contradiction or make it seem they don’t know their subject. I include all opposition parties in that, not just Labour.

Unless the matter is a national scandal, it seems Tories get an easy ride every time. The current story about Oxfam is a classic example. Tories are pontificating for all they’re worth about the immorality of the allegations – and nobody is challenging them about their own behaviour, as exposed via the “sex spreadsheet” and other revelations late last year. They are not qualified to take a “holier than thou” attitude, but they aren’t being challenged about it.

It occurs to This Writer that, if opposition politicians are getting short shrift on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News and the other mainstream channels, perhaps they – and we – should migrate to the social media.

Perhaps Evolve Politics, Novara Media or any of the many other London-based non-Tory social media organisations would like to take up the slack and broadcast interviews that give opposition politicians a fair hearing.

But would you – the public – visit their sites to get that kind of balanced reporting?

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14 Comments

  1. frann leach February 13, 2018 at 4:34 pm - Reply

    “Become the media”

  2. rollo57 February 13, 2018 at 4:50 pm - Reply

    This isn’t tied to just opposition politicians, anyone with a different viewpoint is ‘slagged off’ on social media. They can’t / wont debate the subject, simply retort to; racist, antisemite, bigot, xenophobe.

  3. hedgehogwise February 13, 2018 at 5:01 pm - Reply

    Much respect to you for your strong response to the recent attacks on your integrity.
    We lefties really need some regular, online content which is honest lively and thorough. (suppose I mean well researched). If Novara Media, Evolve, Steve Topple, Chunky Mark and others pooled resources so much could be done!
    It would be blissful to have some shortish output in the evenings and a compendium programme on Sunday mornings.
    We also need an honest, balanced and relevant alternative to Question Time. Tom London had some ideas …..

  4. Wanda Lozinska February 13, 2018 at 5:21 pm - Reply

    The Canary is based in Bristol. Not everything is in London!

    • Mike Sivier February 13, 2018 at 9:44 pm - Reply

      I know. Sadly, all the Westminster politicians are based in London.

  5. Roland Laycock February 13, 2018 at 5:54 pm - Reply

    There is no way you can trust any media in the UK

  6. Florence February 13, 2018 at 9:14 pm - Reply

    I would and I do. I also watch US shows like the Jimmy Dore show (YouTube) for non-Trump views, satire etc. BTW such shows and channels are now also having problems with their followers being unsubscribed by the media.

    • Mike Sivier February 13, 2018 at 9:41 pm - Reply

      What, you mean a third party is unsubscribing them?

      • Florence February 14, 2018 at 10:17 am - Reply

        Channels like Jimmy Dore and other political vlogs claim large numbers of subscribers are being unsubscribed by YouTube. Subscribers find themselves unsubscribed and not getting alerts or new material in their subscription list.
        Like the new FB algorithm that drops your blog off my alerts, and instead sends me “humorous” videos of cute dogs surfing. That sort of thing.

        • Mike Sivier February 14, 2018 at 11:59 am - Reply

          Right. Pernicious.

  7. wildswimmerpete February 14, 2018 at 1:15 pm - Reply

    Mike, Facebook still serves me your posts first before others.

  8. rotzeichen February 14, 2018 at 3:22 pm - Reply

    brilliant idea, I also think it is important to have people of authority with opposing debating issues, such Europe which is currently losing all sense of reality. My recommendation would be an half hour debate between Professor Bill Mitchell and Chuka Umunna.

    Professor Mitchell has totally opposite views on Europe to Chuka Umunna and speaks from evidence based information, unlike Chuka who uses this issue to foment dissent in the party.

    Eurozone Dystopia – Edward Elgar Publishing
    https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/eurozone-dystopia
    Eurozone Dystopia. Groupthink and Denial on a Grand Scale. William Mitchell, Professor of Economics, Centre of Full Employment and Equity, University of Newcastle, Australia. Eurozone Dystopia traces the origin of the Eurozone and shows how the historical Franco-German rivalry combined with the growing dominance …

    The whole debate around Europe persists to be one of loss and gain instead of a balanced view of who is governing Europe and to what ends, since the Maastricht treaty Europe has been transformed from a business club, into a full blown corporate states of Europe. That is the real issue and should at least be aired.

    I would also be interested to see if Chuka would entertain a real debate with someone of Professor Bill Mitchell’s standing.

  9. aunty1960 February 15, 2018 at 6:19 pm - Reply

    I get feeds from other groups and parties just to keep abreast of what they are saying.Uproarious laughter in my house when LibDems come through with their proposals when they think we have forgot and have short term memories. Interesting how Conservatives put a spin on things. GobSmacking!!

    Yes keep ahead keep abreast

    I have to watch out for what I watch ie QT or Sunday Politics shows or Radio 4 Today or go into psychotic ranting meltdowns

    Such bias and media manipulation.

    I get my news from such as you and views from social media feedback as everyone has a rant at QT etc. It gets too much sometimes.

    • Mike Sivier February 16, 2018 at 2:39 pm - Reply

      Mrs Mike watched about five minutes of the BBC lunchtime news today (February 16, 2018) and went into just the kind of psychotic ranting meltdowns you mention, I reckon.

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