this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2023
500 points (98.6% liked)

World News

32353 readers
323 users here now

News from around the world!

Rules:

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

THE BBC has been asked to explain why it has not reported on a large-scale anti-Brexit rally in the centre of London ...

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Except that's not how it works.

They're not state-owned they're state-funded, there's a difference.

If the state owns a public park like a national park they're not allowed to just say oh will we own it so we can tear it all down and build a shopping mall on it. Funding it is not the same as owning and controlling it.

So yeah there is something for them to answer. Because they are violating their mandate.

[–] teamonkey@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

The government do appear to have a hand in picking board members and executives though, and it’s regulated by the govt-appointed body Ofcom.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64383742

(And yes, I’m aware of the irony of posting a BBC news link)

[–] Armen12@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, so government owned

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes but it's not supposed to, it's not expected to be a government mouthpiece.

[–] teamonkey@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Its reputation for impartiality is also working as expected.

Just because that's not how it works hasn't prevented conservatives from trying to control them.

See Stephen Harper's efforts to control the CBC in Canada when he was PM, and Pierre Poilievre's (same party) promise to scrap it entirely.

[–] purahna@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ah yes, because funding never comes with any strings attached.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk -1 points 1 year ago

Not legally.

They are supposed to be impartial if the government do something stupid (I know hard to believe) They're supposed to report on it.

There's a whole thing where the conservatives have put Stooges in place. Trying to turn the BBC into agovernment propaganda platform isn't actually legal. So yeah it's a surprise it is happening.

The original comment seems to suggest that no one should be shocked that the BBC is government controlled but actually it is pretty awful and shocking. It is a surprise, and it isn't something to be expected as the comment seems to suggest it should be.