The BBC exists to inform and educate – not to tweet clips of racist rants for viral hits

Last Updated: February 22, 2020By Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The BBC’s treatment of this far-right racist is a perfect demonstration of everything that’s wrong with its current affairs programming.

The woman was hand-picked to join the audience of the BBC’s Question Time on February 20, and delivered a fact-free rant during the show.

It was followed by an awkward silence, before panellists delivered the fact injection that the general public needed after being exposed to such nonsense.

But then the BBC acted really atrociously. Look at the way the Corporation portrayed the moment on Twitter:

I’m grateful to the Angry Yorkshireman of Another Angry Voice for his comment on this:

“The role of any responsible broadcaster should be to point out the lies, and the massive impracticality of just ‘closing the borders’, not to actively and uncritically amplify dangerously ignorant far-right diatribes like this.

“Uncritically amplifying this fact-averse nonsense adds to the toxic political environment in which bigots are encouraged to believe that their ignorance has as much value and importance as other people’s facts and evidence.”

Correct. It’s doubly-abhorrent in a week when Boris Johnson’s government was exposed as being stuffed with racists (including the prime minister himself).

Just to balance up, here’s panellist Ash Sarkar responding to the racist:

The tweet from Sam Bright is very interesting, as are his follow-ups:

That’s the heart of the matter – that the BBC is putting clips of extreme views onto the internet in order to get viral hits, as though that somehow validated its current affairs programming. It doesn’t.

Spare a thought also for the poor guy who had to sit next to the racist while she ranted. He looked uncomfortable at the time and he expanded on his demeanour on Twitter afterwards:

The reason for the racism can be summed up in this video which, ironically, was made for the general election campaign and if more people had paid attention, perhaps we would not be putting up with the increased bigotry and ignorance we’re experiencing now:

So there you have it. When politicians – or their mouthpieces, as on Question Time – blame immigrants, it’s because they’ve run out of excuses for the terrible decisions they’re making.

Lastly, isn’t it amazing how the mainstream news media have tried to normalise this?

Seriously.

Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/mike-sivier-libel-fight/


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4 Comments

  1. Mark Cunliffe February 22, 2020 at 11:58 pm - Reply

    I’d complain to the BBC but I have lost count of the number of complaints that I made during the election that are still ongoing, at least two of which specifically related to QT. After three months of waiting for a reply regarding why a Tory activist was allowed to appear for the FOURTH time to harangue Jeremy Corbyn, I finally got a reply this week saying, we can’t answer any further, please raise your complaint to the ECU. In other words, QT is golden. Why apologise for doing exactly what it some to do, namely spread lies, hatred and Tory propaganda?

  2. Jeffrey Davies February 23, 2020 at 7:15 am - Reply

    Only doing bojos work for him the British broadcasting for the Tory government while we the
    Peasants pay their wages it’s disgrace full they can and do get away with this day in day out I remember a night out long ago while me and my mates were having a discussion a bloke with a good suntan shouted a cross why were we mixing with coloured well my mate Lee said I see you been on holidays with that tan you have must have cost you and your family a prity penny while mines natural in which we peed our self’s silly he quickly left the pub has many of its locals were listening in oh dear

  3. kateuk February 23, 2020 at 12:49 pm - Reply

    Just goes to show how the government and the media have persuaded people that public services are under strain because of “immigrants” rather than chronic under funding for years. It’s about time people woke up to the truth and stopped blaming immigrants for everything.

  4. rotzeichen February 24, 2020 at 11:33 am - Reply

    The Tories will use every opportunity to divide the working class, and the more insecure life becomes the more potent their appeal does.In essence the question that should be posed to people, is what do they think government is for and as the government issues all money into the economy, why do we have to make rich people even richer whilst neglecting the rest? The answer of course is political will, the Tories want more poverty so that they can control working people and maintain the rich elites power.

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