Andrew Neil to leave the BBC 'with heavy heart'

[Brewnaldo]

Its all a matter of opinion.
I come from the East Kent mining area (its small and mostly overlooked). My great grandmothers partner died of mining related respiratory complaint.

Those who's dads worked down the mines were rich - they were suitably renumerated for the risks & it wasn't as if mining was the major employer in the area.

As for the miners strikes, what was hated locally (not by mining families, but by the rest of the population) was NUM militant pickets that were bused in from the North & Wales to stir up dissent. When this started there was a definite change in attiudes toward miners away from sympathy.

As teenagers we were told if you heard unfamiliar accents to get out of the way before trouble started.

Suitably remunerated to be poisoned at work?

 

[Falco]

Andrew Neil AKA Brillo ( Private Eye). As well as his current journalistic output for the Beeb, as those of us who’ve been round the block a few times will remember, he was appointed editor of The Sunday Times by that well known man of the people Rupert Murdoch (the Dirty Digger Private Eye). And a quick internet search reveals that amongst other interests he’s also chairman of Press Holdings owned by the Barclay brothers and publisher of the Telegraph newspapers and Spectator magazine. Given the mans history do we really expect GB News to be politically impartial when even The Financial Times has described the outfit as “right leaning”? As always, follow the money.........

 

[micklupulo]

Andrew Neil AKA Brillo ( Private Eye). As well as his current journalistic output for the Beeb, as those of us who’ve been round the block a few times will remember, he was appointed editor of The Sunday Times by that well known man of the people Rupert Murdoch (the Dirty Digger Private Eye). And a quick internet search reveals that amongst other interests he’s also chairman of Press Holdings owned by the Barclay brothers and publisher of the Telegraph newspapers and Spectator magazine. Given the mans history do we really expect GB News to be politically impartial when even The Financial Times has described the outfit as “right leaning”? As always, follow the money.........

As mentioned at the outset of my first post he is reviled by some because of his leanings, and as you point out some of his interests could taint impartiality, but the fact remains he is feared by politicians of all persuasions and for good reason. You may remember BoJo found something else to do rather than face him!

 

[Falco]

Agreed @micklupulo he's a tenacious interviewer bordering on acute boorishness at times though and it also could be said that Johnson always goes MIA, gets someone else to take the flak or obfuscates whenever he's likely to be challenged.

 

[trueblue]

So Neil gives Johnson a hard time because he choose to me interviewed by lighthearted daytime TV presenters rather than a seasoned political interviewer who despite being on "his side" would probable ask searching questions. Several months down the line the BBC decide to axe his program.
Just saying.

 

[micklupulo]

So Neil gives Johnson a hard time because he choose to me interviewed by lighthearted daytime TV presenters rather than a seasoned political interviewer who despite being on "his side" would probable ask searching questions. Several months down the line the BBC decide to axe his program.
Just saying.

On the other hand Neil is an elderly middle class white male...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

His Ben Shapiro interview is a thing of beauty.

 

[IanG]

Books have literally been written on this stuff. The BBC is, whatever it says, a government mouthpiece not as bad as pravda but still. Look at the boss - former conversative candidate, head of his local conservative party.

I am not sure that the Ben Shapiro interview is a good example. He is extremely low hanging fruit. Shapiro is a media political commentator who has basically spent 20 years saying outrageous things to get a paycheck in a difficult marketplace. Therefore spending 15 minutes trying to get him to justify his most extreme statements of the last 15 years is a bit lazy (whilst fun to watch and an object lesson in how past actions can come back to haunt you - be nice people as karma can hit you in the butt)

 

[Falco]

The BBC is, whatever it says, a government mouthpiece not as bad as pravda but still.

It was always thus as I’m sure everyone knows. The Government of the day has a great say on the level of the TV licence fee and consequently the funding of the BBC, so it pays to be seen to be not too critical. With the current 80 seat majority of the government it pays even more so.

Look at the boss - former conversative candidate, head of his local conservative party.

Tim Davie. The Beeb not even trying to be seen to be impartial these days

It always amazes me how some people allege a left wing bias of the BBC when it’s plain to see that it’s senior management has always been stuffed with high profile establishment figures, mostly white, male and educated in the elite educational establishments favoured by the well heeled.

 

[micklupulo]

Even without doing any research two Left wing directors spring to mind viz. Alasdair Milne (father of Seumas) and Greg Dyke.

 

[IanG]

Alasdair Milne(public school and oxbridge) appointed 1982 at her weakest and ousted in 1987 at her strongest by Thatcher.

Greg Dyke appointed by Tony Blair.

The argument is not really about BBC bias, media is always biased. It's human after all. The BBC has never been impartial. It was founded to counter the general strikes of the 1920s

 

[mathorp]

It is stating the bleeding obvious, but TV news relies on pictures. Radio does not. For TV, this is a strength and a weakness.

The strength - TV can use pictures to help explain s a story – like a volcanic eruption.
The weakness - TV must fill that screen, whatever the story. This has two unfortunate consequences:

1. they are tempted to ignore news for which they have no video and favour news that can be illustrated, and
2. the remaining news is illustrated by “stock footage” – like a car production line if they are taking about the economy. Yawn.

The rest of it is talking heads, and there is a bias for these heads to be easy on the eye, unless they have a monstrous talent. If you have a "face for radio", where do you work?

So I am not excited by the prospect of another TV news channel. My news will continue to come from the radio and a range of online papers (Guardian, FT, Spectator, New Statesman and the New York Times) plus Google News with the tabloids blocked. I gave up on the Telegraph because their website and app are so clunky.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

I agree and i will take him every time over the ones that let the politicians off the hook in interviews.

Watch from 5:20 if you cannot watch it all.

In my opinion this will be his problem. Those who need to be questioned will avoid him & his channel like the plague.
You only have to look at Good Morning Britain when Piers Morgan is on.
I know someone who worked for a certain famous political party & the questions or agenda were normally agreed beforehand unless
it was a breaking news story. Then obviously they didn't have time.