Friday, April 17, 2009
JOURNALISTS SPOONFED BY POLITICIANS, QUANGOS & FAKECHARITIES
Leslie Riddoch was doing her radio show today on the week in Scottish politics including some stuff on Damien & Guido's vehement attack on the lobby system which induced one of the guests to say, in its defence, that without the lobby system [a system whereby government ministers are allowed to tell unattributable lies & hand over secret documents to a selected group of well trained journalists - for overseas readers] The BBC & other news media would have no news. She had, as her guests an "environmentalist" a "fair trader" & a Labour apparatchik. I sent an email & it was read out:
2 of 3 guests are an "environmentalist" & a "fair trader". Nice balance.This induced a few embarrassed giggles all round but no verbal disagreement. A later emailer also made the point, from the SNP side that her guests were from Scotland's Labour establishment.
The line that if it wasn't for lobby stories planted by politicians the BBC News would have nothing to say is clearly wrong. There are many important stories that don't get covered (I once sent you a list Leslie & you used one). If the media weren't being spoonfed by politicians, quangos & fakecharities they would just have to work for a living.
