Posted on 12/01/2006 2:47:23 AM PST by Mrs Ivan
The BBC triggered outrage yesterday by calling for the views of extremists and fundamentalists to be given the same weight as those of mainstream politicians.
The corporation's head of television news, Peter Horrocks, said groups such as the Taliban and the far-Right BNP need more airtime - at the expense of moderate opinion.
He said all views need to be treated with the same respect, describing his proposals as 'radical impartiality'.
But his comments prompted furious reaction, critics labelling them 'political correctness gone insane'.
Mr Horrocks came under fire in his former role as BBC2' s Newsnight editor - for demanding an end to the programme's aggressive dealings with ministers shortly after Labour came to office in 1997.
At the time, he told Newsnight staff 'the model of the five years of Tory coverage must be thrown away', leading to fears he was giving the Blair government special treatment.
In yesterday's speech given at Oxford University, Mr Horrocks said: 'The days of middle-of-the-road, balancing Left and Right, impartiality are dead.
'I believe we need to consider adopting what I like to think of as a much wider "radical impartiality" - the need to hear the widest range of views - all sides of the story.
'We need more Taliban interviews, more BNP interviews - of course put on air with due consideration and the full range of moderate opinions.'
He warned viewers: 'So get used to hearing more views that you dislike on our airwaves.'
The proposals raise the prospect of the BBC running reports of the deaths of British solders in Iraq and Afghanistan and then including comments from the Taliban or Iraqi insurgents about why their deaths were justified. Another possible outcome would see BBC reporters getting comment from terrorist supporters in the wake of events such as the 7/ 7 bombings.
Critics accused the corporation of throwing traditional British values of mainstream moderate opinion out of the window with a misguided sense of 'balance'.
Phil Woolas the minister for community cohesion and a former BBC producer, branded Mr Horrocks' plans 'dangerous'.
He said: 'Their job is to give a microphone to credible organisa-tions and people and to test those views against reality.
'Their role is not to take extremist views from the Right and Left and present them as balanced. That way lies madness.'
Conservative MP Philip Davies, who sits on the Commons culture select committee said: 'I don't think the BBC should be a platform for people to spout hatred against this country.' Another Tory MP, Greg Hands, accused the BBC of pursuing 'shock-jock journalism', adding: 'I don't think that's how licence fee payers want their money spent.'
Last month, the corporation was accused of broadcasting enemy propaganda after Newsnight ran interviews with Taliban members, who vowed to fight British troops 'to the death'.
Before that, Radio 4' s flagship Today programme gave 12 minutes of airtime to a Muslim extremist.
Reg Keys, whose son Tom was killed in Iraq in 2003, said: 'This is political correctness gone insane.'
Last night, a BBC spokesman said: 'The context of Peter's speech was the BBC's responsibilities of providing a universal service while British society is becoming increasingly fragmented.
'He calls for a more rounded view of impartiality, a need to hear the widest range of views if we're to maintain that universality.'
Don't think your country has a complete lock on idiocy? After all, it is inhabited by humans, as are most western christian nations. Hmmm? Did that come out right? Anyway, a belated welcome. Ivan must have been keeping you a secret, but now the secret is out. Maybe we can pull his chain when conversing, by interjecting, "So, what does Mrs. Ivan have to say about that".
No, idiocy and human beings go together!
Ivan must have been keeping you a secret but now the secret is out.
I delurked about two months ago, and now I spend altogether too much time here! :)
It's only a matter of time before one of our brilliant media outlets here in the US do the same thing.
I agree about the idiocy but the BNP are a legitimate political party and if more airtime was given to them this would make Labour awake from their sleep.
After the liberal vandalism that Blair and his goverment have done to this country I'd personally like to see him sweat, and the new Tory party under David Cameron as well.
The "Fairness Doctrine" will try to be revived by the braindead.
In general, I have found that despite my own version of, "entirely too much time here", I write and spell much better than before, and I certainly have a skepticism of the main stream media outlets that I might not have had, (a good thing, I believe). I have gone so far as to say, that what I have learned here far exceeds my college degree in value.
I would have to subscribe to publications too numerous to read, to gather all of the information that is viewable in just an hour or so on FreeRepublic. Had I not been on FreeRepublic on 9/11, I would probably not been a witness to the reminder of where the world is headed, or for that matter, Britain's own version of mindless Islamic destruction.
This is insanity.
However, I'm surprised that the MSM in the US hasn't already adopted this attitude publicly, too. I'm sure it's coming.
BTW, do they give conservatives the same airtime as liberals?
May God save the queen AND England.
At election time, for example, the media, if I recall my electoral law correctly, must give the main parties (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat) equal broadcast time.
I am unsure if this applies outside election time, but even so, I find political coverage, in terms of air time to be fairly balanced, which is more than can be said for many of the interviewers providing that coverage.
We've got our own version on this side of the pond. It's called CNN. You know, the news net that covered up for Saddamn and airs terrorist snuff films.
Not really, there is a lot of stupidity, but we haven't yet reached free-fall.
Every weekend, I see hoards of young British guys coming to Bratislava and making complete asses of themselves.
British holidaymakers abroad have long been a scourge on the countries they favour. Young British guys are possibly the worst sort of drunken lout on the planet. That said, they are only one part of British society, and by no means the majority.
Then I read the news and notice that political correctness in the UK is also running amok, just as it is in the US.
Despite what this article implies, we're not quite that far gone - yet. Much of what is considered PC is too far removed from common sense for us to take seriously.
May God save the queen AND England.
Thank you. :)
I am going to shut up now. This response seems to have turned me into Mrs McRantypants.
Many years ago, I would listen to the BBC, for unbaised news reporting, good music, and comedy....today, I wouldn't waste the electrical power required to power the radio.....
Not to worry, I'm used to it. What I don't like are the lies, deception and bias I hear over the airwaves from out "news" broadcasters.
Sounds like its time for the Brits to 'pull the plug' on their worse than useless BBC.
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