unclebuck

The New Labour public broadcast propaganda organisation – the BBC (which we fund) has been planting hecklers and equipping them with microphones to shout down Michael Howard as he makes his speechs.

Under the guise of ‘making a legitimate programme on the history and art of political heckling’, the hecklers at a meeting in Horwich, near Bolton, had shouted out slogans such as "Michael Howard is a liar" and "You can only trust Tony Blair".

Just disgraceful!!

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/elect...469601,00.html

paulr

Yawn,yawn,yawn.

You and PS Lewis should market a cure for insomnia.........

unclebuck

So I assume that you find this kind of behaviour by a public news service organisation during a general election is acceptable then do you?

Jerome

Hopefull you'll be sent to sleep on May the 5th before you get to vote for Labour...

paulr

"Tory party plants anti-labour lunatic on Scoobynet"

You've been sussed UB........

..

class_A

Nice bit of libel with the thread title.

unclebuck

Eh? Since when is the truth libelous? You must be either American or a New Labour supporter.

astraboy

All news organisations peddle propaganda these days.
The "News" Stopped being the news quite some time ago.
astraboy.

hedgehog

This is a much more complex issue I suspect.

If these people had intended to attend the meeting with a view to shouting these comments anyhow and the BBC merely fixed radio mics to them to improve the quality of the sound recording then, clearly, the producer has done nothing wrong. To say that they ought not to have fixed mics to those with a view opposing Mr. Howard would lead to the conclusion that Mr. Howard should also be denied a mic to prevent him from being heard clearly as fixing a mic to him also implies some degree of forethough on the part of the producer. In the case of people with strongly held views it is unlikely that they will change these views, or their means of expression, when asked by the BBC. I don't imagine Mr. Howard would change his policy statements if the BBC were to ask him to do so.

It would also not be unreasonable for the BBC producer to meet with the hecklers before the filming in order to establish how best to proceed with the programme making process. When a politician, for example, is interviewed then the producer will often discuss the issues with him before the actual event and arrangements may be made to position cameras and mics in light of what the person says they are going to do. Mr. Howard and his various media relations people would fully expect this if he were being interviewed and, indeed, politicians have regular "off the record" meetings with members of the media.

With these points in mind it seems unlikely that the hecklers were treated any differently from the manner in which a politician, such as Mr. Howard, would be treated when he came to present his point of view. The big question, therefore, is did the BBC tell the hecklers what to say? In truth it should be fairly easy to establish this as the people involved can be asked, and indeed some newspapers may already have asked them, if they would have behaved in this manner if the BBC were not present. If their reply is that the producer gave them 50 quid to shout abuse then, clearly, he should be sacked immediately.

hedgehog

I absolutely agree with this and the very problem comes, I believe, in your definition of news.

In the past the BBC, when there was nothing considered suitably news worthy, used to just not run news bulletins. News should be a simple list of facts without comment or judgement.

In these days when the public demand hours and hours of "news" what they actually get is hours and hours of speculation and judgemental statements that could be condensed into a few minutes of actual "news."

Try this experiment for a laugh: BBC Radio 3 transmit 2 short news bulletins in the mornings at 0700 and 0800. They are a straight read from a news reader with no other contributions and they are usually about 2 minutes long. For a whole week ignore other sources of radio, TV and print news and just listen to one of these bulletins each morning. At the end of the week discuss the events of the week with someone who you know to follow the news through TV and radio.

My money says that you will know at least as much about what is really going on in the world as your friend and you will not have wasted hours of your life listening to idle speculation along the way. It certainly makes for an interesting experiment.

MJW

Why not ask the Jeffrey Archer ? I think he's something of an authority on this issue ...

scrappydoo

I think astraboy hit it on the head there..

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

This sounds most like the Tories getting their excuses ready for when they lose:

Number 1) The BBC was plotting against us.

Number 2) .....



M

the moose

When the state of the Beckham's marriage is deemed (by a High Court judge, no less) to be in the public interest, you know there's something wrong.....

Dream Weaver

How can people not be voting for conservative this time?

I honestly cant understand why anybody wants Labour to get back into power - this country is in a right state now and it needs sorting. Crime, PC'ness and the shear number of bloody immigrants (who seem to spend our money on DVD players and TV's every Friday at Asda )

The tories are actually making great claims as to what they are going to do this time, and I for one would love to see someone else have a go and get rid of that shivering idiot B.Liar.

We need to get some pride back into this place, and get rid of the scummy flag waving chavs once and for all.

D70

I'm voting Labour merely to annoy people like the rabid old right wingers on this thread. Can't wait to post after Labours victory and rub your noses in it either.

suprabeast

this is the mentality of most labour supporters... don't worry about issues, policies. just about being annoying

D70

I don't support Labour, I'm merely voting for them in order to annoy people I perceive to be a55holes.

EvilKyote

Considering you not only affecting the 'a55holes' as you put it, your also affecting yourself, your family, your friends and everyone else in the country, on something so important don't you think thats abit of a stupid thing to do?

The Chief

Then dont come moaning in twelve months when your wages are reduced even further due to yet more stealth taxes that are implemented. petrol rises to over a quid a litre - and there are speed cameras on every corner!!!!!

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Because some of us are old enough to remember the whole of the last Tory spell in power.


M

Dream Weaver

PMSL, so am I matey

D70 - why are we ******** just because we dont like the idea of this country being full of illegal immigrants, criminals that get away with doing whatever they want, police beats being swapped for Scameras, teachers not being allowed to discipline children and hospitals being dirty pits of disease.

Labour and all the PC crew have turned this place into a softly softly liberal place to be.

If you're happy with people moving into this country at will, and then supporting them with your own money, and happy with car jackings and theft knowing you cant do anything about it, and more and more stealth taxes being applied then so be it, vote away.

I'm not a huge tory fan these days as they probably are all the same, but I would prefer someone else to have a go at running the country - if they **** it up then so be it, at least they will have tried to turn things around.

Everyone has there own choice in the end, but it would be nice to look at this country with a bit of pride for once, rather than seeing all the crap that goes on now.

ajm

Surely just *saying* that you will vote Labour will suffice. If you actually *do* vote Labour then you are confirming your idiocy because unless proof is provided it adds no extra weight to your "annoyance tactics"

And if you don't vote Labour then.... bluff!

Looking foward to footage of you and your polling card come election day....

Dream Weaver

The Labour vs Tory debate has always been an odd one.

For those that will be voting Labour in May, please explain why. What have they done for this country that is so great?

Forget the "Tory's are right wing arseholes", and "Labour work for the common man" bollocks that we used to get at school. The old perception of Tory being for the rich, and Labour being for the socialists dont really stand any more.

Just confirm eactly why Labour are so good at what they do, then maybe I could understand???

D70

Much as I'd *love* to give you the photo evidence you crave I don't actually live in your benighted isle thus I'm a postal voter. Mine was sent off this weekend with a big fat X in the LABOUR box.

What amuses me most is that I have a vote, in a marginal labour/tory ward and I don't have to live with the consequences. Although I have to say either way it doesn't matter really, you people are fcuked

Enjoy saps

D70

Just for you dreamweaver:

They've moved power into the hands of the executive and effectively own the very institutions that provide the infrastructure of UK politics as well as total control of their own faction.

Very smart and a third term beckons in which they can consolidate their grip on you people who live in the UK. All while keeping my tax burden very. very low. Well done Labour.

ajm

So no proof then... for what it's worth I'd have put you down amongst the ignorant Labour voters anyway so, whether or not you are telling the truth, it matters not to me that your motivations would be spite rather than greed.

D70

I'm actually not a Labour voter, I despise them in much the same way I do people like you.

What will matter to you 'loser boy' is when labour get a third term and sh1theads like you have to live with it.

I win d1ckhead.

ajm

If Labour win by one vote then I will concede, otherwise enjoy wasting your vote, because it will be of little consequence to me.

D70

My vote isn't a waste idiot, I'm paticipating in a marginal.

Your side is going to lose, your interests are diminished. I win end of story. Now prepare for 5 yrs of pillow biting you yellow sap.