It’s not just Harry and Meghan, we are all paying the price for a dysfunctional, corrupted established media – opposition politicians must take action, writes Brian Cathcart
Jan 16, 2023Liked by Heidi Cuda, Byline Supplement
It is of utmost importance that the media be held to account for false or misleading news. I would like to see our government ruling with more intelligent debate and much less point scoring. Baying MPs should be ejected from any debate.
One day one paper had, in huge block capital letters covering its whole front page: BORIS TELLS EU: STOP THE BULLYING OR WE QUIT TALKS While another one simply said in lower case: Johnson’s charm offensive.
Jan 16, 2023Liked by Heidi Cuda, Byline Supplement
This is a (mostly) good set of suggestions. I would prioritise Leveson 2. I’m not quite convinced about public funding because of the potential for political meddling but I can see an Axios style model. Heh - perhaps ByLine could pick up the baton, adopting an NPR/Axios model? I can imagine certain charitable trusts would welcome such an approach.
But I do wonder about the real influence of the likes of the Mail etc. Aren’t these media seeing precipitous falls in numbers which, in turn, impacts their ad based business model?
Under the Blair Government the BBC was asked why it had a down on Labour, the reply "there's no effective opposition, we have to be it". Different story in the last 12 years. Likewise under Brown sombre tones when mentioning Labour, upbeat tone when mentioning Cameron. Years ago I said the BBC news should be prefixed with "now follows a party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative Party. The right always accuse the left of what they themselves do.
Freedom is not freedom to lie: it is freedom from lying. The far right network of super wealthy power holders sincerely believe they have the freedom to lie: it is us who require the freedom from their lying.
Baying MPs should be ejected for a week or a month and named and shamed so that their constituents can see that they have been failed by their childish, bullying MP.
Until we have a population that is politically active and not prepared to be led by donkeys achieving changes in the press are unlikely. Im not aware of any political party that will risk taking the press to task. We need siesmic change of attitude amongst the population - Im afraid most most would follow the pied piper offering free scratch cards.
We absolutely must have Leveson 2, no matter how much kicking and screaming The Mail etc does about it. We need a fully accountable media, and the revolving door for advisory Government roles etc for journalists and proprietors must stop also.
Here in France, there is no equivalent of the British national popular tabloid press. There are national broadsheet newspapers such as Le Monde (Left) and Le Figaro (Right) but these have none of the insane scurrilous and misleading bias of the British tabloid press.
The national French Press is supplemented by well respected regional newspapers, some tending left politically and others right or centre, that largely reflect the majority political views of their regions.
I believe that this fact alone improves immensely the level of political debate in France, especially among those who like to have their thinking done for them.
One very easy one... Any falsehood, lie or innacurracy, witting or unwitting, to be redacted on the same page in the same typeface using the same space as the original piece. And the entire text put in a red box, with the words REDACTION OR CORRECTION. at the top, followed by an apology.
Secondly, have the security services find Murdoch, and hang the cunt from Tower Bridge...send a message..
The media lost Labour the last election by demoniizing Jeremy Corbyn who represented a real solution to the challenges of this broken country .A country with a total absence of morals and compassion.
…...and the winner is …AndyB….for the thought that is born of common sense…. ..the second prize must belong to Jacky Smith…the answer is obvious, but, as yet, not admitted…..
…..the Bronze is taken by Tim Ashby……who knows the solution!!
The evidence for much of the malaise is the verbal incontinence from Daryl Cowan and Ian Hill, whose comments, I am sure, come from the heart and mean well but illustrate the self-importance of the daily hogwash, published only to divert any possibility of reality sneaking in to the political consciousness of the profit producing population!
I'd agree with all of that and Brian Cathcart knows his stuff.
At the moment we are in a Catch-22, hostage situation where none of the political parties dare commit to these kinds of actions because they know that they would be monstered by the press as it is.
The crooked media are there to keep the bigots & xenophobes happy in the UK and a small minority in Northern Ireland with its narrative on people in small boats and disinformation. It’s now imperative that there’s change but no political party wants to talk about it because of the power that they have!
The media basically control what far too many people think. Too many don't think for themselves and just adopt what the media tells them. Murdoch's media is anti-democratic in the extreme, and this must change before Britain can change in any meaningful way.
It is of utmost importance that the media be held to account for false or misleading news. I would like to see our government ruling with more intelligent debate and much less point scoring. Baying MPs should be ejected from any debate.
One day one paper had, in huge block capital letters covering its whole front page: BORIS TELLS EU: STOP THE BULLYING OR WE QUIT TALKS While another one simply said in lower case: Johnson’s charm offensive.
I have a lot more evidence on this sort of thing
This is a (mostly) good set of suggestions. I would prioritise Leveson 2. I’m not quite convinced about public funding because of the potential for political meddling but I can see an Axios style model. Heh - perhaps ByLine could pick up the baton, adopting an NPR/Axios model? I can imagine certain charitable trusts would welcome such an approach.
But I do wonder about the real influence of the likes of the Mail etc. Aren’t these media seeing precipitous falls in numbers which, in turn, impacts their ad based business model?
Under the Blair Government the BBC was asked why it had a down on Labour, the reply "there's no effective opposition, we have to be it". Different story in the last 12 years. Likewise under Brown sombre tones when mentioning Labour, upbeat tone when mentioning Cameron. Years ago I said the BBC news should be prefixed with "now follows a party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative Party. The right always accuse the left of what they themselves do.
Freedom is not freedom to lie: it is freedom from lying. The far right network of super wealthy power holders sincerely believe they have the freedom to lie: it is us who require the freedom from their lying.
Baying MPs should be ejected for a week or a month and named and shamed so that their constituents can see that they have been failed by their childish, bullying MP.
Until we have a population that is politically active and not prepared to be led by donkeys achieving changes in the press are unlikely. Im not aware of any political party that will risk taking the press to task. We need siesmic change of attitude amongst the population - Im afraid most most would follow the pied piper offering free scratch cards.
Racial bias in the media is unacceptable. It impacts on people’s lives and contributes to continuing inequality in society. Enough.
We absolutely must have Leveson 2, no matter how much kicking and screaming The Mail etc does about it. We need a fully accountable media, and the revolving door for advisory Government roles etc for journalists and proprietors must stop also.
Here in France, there is no equivalent of the British national popular tabloid press. There are national broadsheet newspapers such as Le Monde (Left) and Le Figaro (Right) but these have none of the insane scurrilous and misleading bias of the British tabloid press.
The national French Press is supplemented by well respected regional newspapers, some tending left politically and others right or centre, that largely reflect the majority political views of their regions.
I believe that this fact alone improves immensely the level of political debate in France, especially among those who like to have their thinking done for them.
One very easy one... Any falsehood, lie or innacurracy, witting or unwitting, to be redacted on the same page in the same typeface using the same space as the original piece. And the entire text put in a red box, with the words REDACTION OR CORRECTION. at the top, followed by an apology.
Secondly, have the security services find Murdoch, and hang the cunt from Tower Bridge...send a message..
The media lost Labour the last election by demoniizing Jeremy Corbyn who represented a real solution to the challenges of this broken country .A country with a total absence of morals and compassion.
…...and the winner is …AndyB….for the thought that is born of common sense…. ..the second prize must belong to Jacky Smith…the answer is obvious, but, as yet, not admitted…..
…..the Bronze is taken by Tim Ashby……who knows the solution!!
The evidence for much of the malaise is the verbal incontinence from Daryl Cowan and Ian Hill, whose comments, I am sure, come from the heart and mean well but illustrate the self-importance of the daily hogwash, published only to divert any possibility of reality sneaking in to the political consciousness of the profit producing population!
I'd agree with all of that and Brian Cathcart knows his stuff.
At the moment we are in a Catch-22, hostage situation where none of the political parties dare commit to these kinds of actions because they know that they would be monstered by the press as it is.
The crooked media are there to keep the bigots & xenophobes happy in the UK and a small minority in Northern Ireland with its narrative on people in small boats and disinformation. It’s now imperative that there’s change but no political party wants to talk about it because of the power that they have!
The media basically control what far too many people think. Too many don't think for themselves and just adopt what the media tells them. Murdoch's media is anti-democratic in the extreme, and this must change before Britain can change in any meaningful way.