John Roughan must really HATE the new and stratospherically improved Q+A on TV One.
This morning I watched Shane Taurima make the Rt. Hon. Paula Bennett perspire with anxiety as he refused to let her evade his questions, and then later in the programme he reduced “Sir” Roger Douglas to a frothing display of incoherence.
Even better was the sight of Nicky Hager (!!!!!!??!?!?) and Prof. Raymond Miller challenging and disputing every cliché uttered by the floundering former National minister Paul East, who was reduced to a petulant, baffled sulk.
Holmes—GONE. Therese Arseneau—GONE. Michelle Boag—GONE. Q+A finally has some moral fibre and a bit of intellectual heft. Things are looking up.
The situation at the BBC, however, is altogether more depressing. Did anyone hear the egregious right wing rant posing as a Reith Lecture this afternoon?
Populuxe12.1.1
Niall Ferguson might be a prat, but the BBC is dedicated to balanced coverage of viewpoints, as amply evidenced by previous left-wing Reith lecturers. That’s freedom of speech for you.Colonial Viper2.1.1.1
The cheering on of the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war put me off the BBC somewhat. As was their coverage of the riots in the UK where they tended to take the view of the 1% in charge.- I demand that you cite reliable evidence that they took an unjustifiable stance on anything. I am open to verifiable evidence, not your subjective POV.
- Oh frak off. “Demand” lol. Who do you believe you are, Mr Self Proclaimed “OPen Minded” Editor-Judge Supreme.
- Yeah, that’s pretty much your attitude in a nutshell CV – “This is my opinion. You must believe it as fact or you are an idiot. No I don’t have to substantiate it because I say so” !
- Actually, my opinion is that I do not work for you or report to you, and that you are in no position to “demand” jack shit.By the way, please read what I actually wrote, because I think your reading comprehension is way off:The cheering on of the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war put me off the BBC somewhat.That’s a description of my opinion and reaction, in case you didn’t notice.
- Funny that, I don’t remember much cheering. Perchance you mean reporting on military successes
and failures :'( – I seem to recall a lot of that. I believe they call it journalism.
No need to have a hissyfit, CV, but your opinions are subjective and mean “jack shit” (what a quaintly gung-ho Americanism) in the broader scheme of things. Why the allergy to evidence?- Meh. You’re not my boss mate.
Jokerman…
even my Lord acknowledged in the gospels that gods had been raised up amongst men
(judges) a round here anyway, lprent, CV, DTB and many others are amongst them
Been wanting to articulate that since i began following your thought processes nearly a year ago. Thanks
- Too much credit mate, just figured there must be some way out of here, and it’s nice to have good people here at The Standard helping suggest the way ahead.
Morrissey2.1.1.2
Niall Ferguson might be a prat,“Might be” a prat? “Might be”?but the BBC is dedicated to balanced coverage of viewpoints,That’s not true. You need to watch and listen to the BBC a bit more often, and a lot more carefully.as amply evidenced by previous left-wing Reith lecturers.When did you hear a Reith Lecture series as partisan as this one? In his first lecture, Ferguson went out of his way to praise the boldness and vision of…. (wait for it)…David Cameron and George Osborne.That’s freedom of speech for you.That’s the state-controlled BBC for you.- I think you mean you want me to listen to the BBC through a certain set of ideological prejudices rather than impartially – which is what “listen more carefully” usually means. And as for partisan Reith lecturers with various tubs to thump, take your pick:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Reith_Lectures- I think you mean you want me to listen to the BBC through a certain set of ideological prejudices rather than impartially – which is what “listen more carefully” usually means.Well, you think wrong—yet again.More to the point, you have not answered the question I gave you, viz., which of the commentators on that list was as partisan as Ferguson?And here’s another one for you: which one of the other Reith lecturers was as intellectually threadbare as Niall Ferguson?
Herodotus2.1.1.2.2
I found his 2 doco’s that I have viewed on the history channel both entertaining and informative: Accent of Money and War of the World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_Ferguson
joe902.1.2
Did anyone hear the egregious right wing rant posing as a Reith Lecture this afternoon?No. Same old fantasy?.- Same old fantasy?Same old right wing cant, I’m afraid. Ferguson set the moral and intellectual standard of the series in Lecture No. 1, when he saw fit to praise David Cameron and George Osborne.At the fourth and last lecture, in Glasgow, he suffered the indignity of open derision and laughter from the audience. That embarrassment no doubt contributed to his truculent tone.
- I never said he wasn’t a twit, a prat, and/or a buffoon, but it was kind of the BBC to let him be so in public because I needed the laugh. I did think, however, he made one or two valid points in his London lecture about Common Law and Civil Law, even if he largely ruined it with the rest of his nonsense and was rightly Pwned by the questioners at the end.
- And this morning Bomber has a go at Roughan too:First the NZ Herald came for the bloggers, then they came for John Campbell.With their relaunch as a tabloid butterfly, the neo-liberal opinion shapers at the NZ Herald which Gordon Campbell refers to in his brilliant and must read take down of John Armstrong’s criticism of bloggers, have sharpened their attacks on those Society see as providing an alternative narrative to the Planet Key fantasy the NZ Herald subscribes to.
…
What planet does John Roughan live on? Oh, that’s right. Planet Key.
…
What is occurring in Christchurch is nothing short of a political coup. The drum beat to sell city assets, the taking of democracy from Environment Canterbury, Charter Schools and the enforced rebuild with minimum community input combine with this latest slap in the face over school closures.Note it wasn’t the Government’s inept manner of ‘consultation’ that’s the problem. It’s not the Government’s inept Hekia Parata screwing up another education announcement. It’s not a communication strategy that has ended up spreading public panic.Oh no, it’s none of those things. It’s that bloody John Campbell and his one sided television.When the newspaper of choice for conservative kneejerks and beige bigots starts publicly hunting the bloggers and the few journalists prepared to critique the Planet Key narrative, you know there is a PR struggle going on for the hearts and minds of NZers.I like the way Bomber most often presents a sound analysis using colourful turns of phrase…. although I don’t always agree with him…. just mostly.But, it’s rationale, Bomber, not rational- great post Carol ta.
Christchurch-the NZ lab rat for disaster and/or anarcho capitalism
liquifaction-the gift that keeps on giving
