Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC

Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (Full Version)

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stellauk -> Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 4:13:48 AM)
Last week Shanene Thorpe got a call from her manager at work asking her if she would be prepared to be interviewed by BBC Newsnight about working as a young single parent. Shanene said that she would, but she didn't expect what was coming next. The interview which went on air on BBC2 last Wednesday was edited to make Shanene look like an unemployed scrounger. There was no mention made of Shanene's job with Tower Hamlets council but instead the reporter focussed on Shanene getting Housing Benefit (because her rent is so high) and the fact that she didn't live with her parents. See the interview for yourself. I personally can't help wondering whether the reporter is one of these working mothers (working of course for a large broadcasting organization which relies on handouts from people up and down the country itself in the form of TV licences) who expect an Eastern European au pair to do all their cooking, cleaning and childcare full time for something like £80 a week. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter - to me the hypocrisy stinks. Do you agree?

PeonForHer -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 4:39:05 AM)
Duly signed. The BBC is looking increasingly supine with governments' agendas these days.

Moonhead -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 6:49:46 AM)
When has it ever not?

Marc2b -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 6:52:55 AM)
I often have to work with newspapers and other local media in my line of work... that, combined with a lifetime of observation has taught me something that everybody needs to know: the media is a business that, like any business, seeks profit (in this case, by selling advertising space). That in and of itself I have nothing against but what most people don't understand is how the media sees itself. They are NOT in the business of relying information... they are in the business of telling stories... and the best selling stories that bolster people's worldview by appealing to their prejudices about others. I take ALL media reporting with a grain of salt. I believe that they usually get basic facts right but everything else is suspect. Example: When Saddam Hussein was captured we were told that he was hiding in an underground shelter and the first thing the G.I. said to him was "George Bush says hello." They captured Saddam... I'm pretty sure they got that right. He was probably found in an underground shelter... I'll grant that. As for the first words the soldier said to him? Bullshit. That, I'm quite certain was something some reporter made up because he thought it sounded good. Given the circumstances, the first thing Saddam heard from an American soldier were probably more along the lines of: HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM! GET 'EM UP! GET 'EM UP NOW OR i BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!" I could be wrong... but I doubt it. Another example: Tim McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, grew up in small town just south of where I live. A&E did a biography of him and when they started talking about where he grew up they showed only a couple of pictures of my town, not his. One of the pictures was of an outdoor and hunting supply shop with a close up on the sign that advertised guns. The narration made it sound like we were all a bunch of bible thumping, gun toting, inbred hicks... which doesn't even come close to an accurate description. Never trust the media.

Moonhead -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 8:09:46 AM)
You do know that the BBC is publicly funded rather than funded through advertising?

lazarus1983 -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 8:15:37 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Moonhead You do know that the BBC is publicly funded rather than funded through advertising? Through non voluntary donations, no less. Taxes. So there's plenty of irony to be had here. An entity living off the people attacking another entity for doing the same.

Marc2b -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 11:36:17 AM)
quote: You do know that the BBC is publicly funded rather than funded through advertising? They still got to please the fucking public though, don't they?

stellauk -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 12:22:08 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: lazarus1983 Through non voluntary donations, no less. Taxes. So there's plenty of irony to be had here. An entity living off the people attacking another entity for doing the same. Not quite. The woman being interviewed works for the local council. She's probably receiving Housing Benefit because if you're renting privately anywhere in or around London the rents are likely to be quite high. Furthermore it's for the local authority to decide whether she's eligible for Housing Benefit or not, not the BBC, not the media, and certainly nobody else. I don't think you can quite call it 'living off somebody else'. The irony for me here is that so many people get upset when it's someone on welfare benefits receiving pretty much the minimum the State says you can live on, but when it's a bank or a major corporation getting out of paying hundreds of thousands or even millions in taxes nobody says a dicky bird.

Moonhead -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 12:39:04 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Marc2b quote: You do know that the BBC is publicly funded rather than funded through advertising? They still got to please the fucking public though, don't they? They don't, actually. That isn't their mandate and never has been.

Moonhead -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 12:41:08 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: stellauk quote: ORIGINAL: lazarus1983 Through non voluntary donations, no less. Taxes. So there's plenty of irony to be had here. An entity living off the people attacking another entity for doing the same. Not quite. The woman being interviewed works for the local council. She's probably receiving Housing Benefit because if you're renting privately anywhere in or around London the rents are likely to be quite high. Furthermore it's for the local authority to decide whether she's eligible for Housing Benefit or not, not the BBC, not the media, and certainly nobody else. I don't think you can quite call it 'living off somebody else'. The irony for me here is that so many people get upset when it's someone on welfare benefits receiving pretty much the minimum the State says you can live on, but when it's a bank or a major corporation getting out of paying hundreds of thousands or even millions in taxes nobody says a dicky bird. And try to get somebody in the media to say a word about tax evasion rather than benefit fraud, which is stiffing the taxpayer vastly more than somebody claiming that they're entitled to a couple of loads of JSA at once...

LadyHibiscus -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 12:48:56 PM)
I swear all countries are the same place now.

Moonhead -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 12:55:10 PM)
Not until you guys start spelling "colour" correctly they ain't. [sm=ubanana.gif]

Marc2b -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 12:57:02 PM)
quote: They don't, actually. That isn't their mandate and never has been. Mandates don't mean shit. My point was, and remains, being reporters they are not interested in telling the truth but in telling stories. Media people have no problem in blatantly lying to people, saying that they will say X and then, with a little clever editing, turn around and present them as Y. It isn't about telling the truth, it's about getting people to watch.

Moonhead -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 1:03:04 PM)
Your point: quote: I often have to work with newspapers and other local media in my line of work... that, combined with a lifetime of observation has taught me something that everybody needs to know: the media is a business that, like any business, seeks profit (in this case, by selling advertising space). That in and of itself I have nothing against but what most people don't understand is how the media sees itself. They are NOT in the business of relying information... they are in the business of telling stories... and the best selling stories that bolster people's worldview by appealing to their prejudices about others. was that the fourth estate are only interested in whoring for advertising. I pointed out that the Beeb are publicly funded, which means that argument doesn't apply in this case. Still waiting for a rebuttal of that one. [;)]

Marc2b -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 1:15:38 PM)
quote: was that the fourth estate are only interested in whoring for advertising. I pointed out that the Beeb are publicly funded, which means that argument doesn't apply in this case. Still waiting for a rebuttal of that one. So instead of whoring for advertisers they whore for the government. What's the difference?

Moonhead -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 1:17:43 PM)
It's defence of a privileged position rather than profit margins.

LadyHibiscus -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 1:18:40 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Moonhead Not until you guys start spelling "colour" correctly they ain't. [sm=ubanana.gif] I DO SPELL IT CORRECTLY! HAH!

Marc2b -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 1:24:44 PM)
quote: It's defence of a privileged position rather than profit margins. Because high profit margins can't be used to buy a privileged position, right? Look, I don't get a flying two-fisted fuck where they get there money from (at least not as far as this thread is concerned) because that is not the issue. The issue is whether the media can be trusted to give objective information. I'm not so much of a cynic to say that it never happens but, people being what they are, I would say that it is rare. If the media tells you that two plus two equals four... get a pencil and a piece of paper and do the math, just to be sure.

stellauk -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 1:48:37 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Moonhead And try to get somebody in the media to say a word about tax evasion rather than benefit fraud, which is stiffing the taxpayer vastly more than somebody claiming that they're entitled to a couple of loads of JSA at once... Exactly.. This is mainly the media getting upset over this. Though I can't think why.. coughs

hardcybermaster -> RE: Another disgusting attempt at social engineering by the BBC (5/31/2012 2:04:28 PM)
I love the BBC and I am proud of it. I happily pay my license fee every year and believe it is money very well spent. What do I get for my money? Four fantastic tv channels that are free to produce pretty much what they like as they don't HAVE to chase ratings. I can't remember the last time I watched anything on ITV, the BBC's traditional competition, because it is all cheap shit. Ok I grant you that apparantly Corrie is quality but I don't do soaps. I get all of the fucking fantastic stuff that Sir Dave of Atts does which is worth the fee by itself. I get BBC news and news 24 which I believe generally presents the news in an unbiased way. I don't believe that the beeb is politically biased, they would never get away with it, whoever was in opposition would be all over them like a tramp on chips.Sure they get things wrong sometimes but for a company of that size you can't expect perfection, and there is always going to be the occasional person with an agenda. I get dozens of top quality radio stations that again do what they like, and like the tv stations they are full of passionate, high quality people. I get the beeb's internet service aswell which is also high quality. So hands off my BBC OP. Your title implies that the BBC is constantly and deliberately misrepresenting the facts, that is a lie in my opinion. No it isn't perfect but I will take it hands down over any commercial station any day

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