Friday 20 January 2017

Twitter spat


Here's an exchange you may have missed on Twitter between the BBC's World Affairs Editor and the Daily Mail's Peter Oborne:
John Simpson: Senior British diplomat: 'I feel deeply let down by Boris. The FCO used to be the best in the world.  Now he’s made it absurd.’ 
Peter Oborne (to John Simpson): 1/ Not job of BBC World Affairs Editor to recycle anonymous smears against Foreign Secretary. What's happened to BBC impartiality? 2/ If Mr Simpson wants to go into politics he should quit his job with the BBC. 
John Simpson (to Peter Oborne): Seems to me to be a matter of public interest. Disappointed you think that things you don't like shd be censored. 
Peter Oborne (to John Simpson): News Many FCO officials admire Johnson. To refresh yr memory, here are the BBC impartiality guidelines: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/our_work/editorial_standards/impartiality.html

7 comments:

  1. Wasn't it John Simpson who said recently that the BBC hadn't 'explained' the Remain case well enough during the run-up to the June Referendum?

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  2. James Harding's fact checkers may stall a bit if John invokes the 'purposes of' exemption.

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  3. Radio 5 Live's Nihal having a shouting match with a listener who complains about him constantly signalling contempt for Trump.
    on Twitter

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    1. Nihal's defense is that he's "editorially checked". LOL! He's checked by people who share in the groupthink and see nothing wrong.

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    2. Is it stamped anywhere obvious on his exposed body?

      The historical connotations are awesome.

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  4. I used to have a great deal of time for John Simpson - remember the way he reported on the 1st Gulf war, out in the open with Scuds exploding all around him? He never batted an eyelid - this while CNN reporters cowered in their hotel room. Recently,though, he seems to be losing the plot; don't think he's been the same since that friendly fire incident.
    I am unable to find any reference to the 'Hollande/WW2 punishment beating in the French press & my French sister - in - law who is bilingual & watches both UK & French TV tells me she has only heard it mentioned on...the BBC. Quelle surprise!

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    1. Yes,I too had a lot of respect for Simson, despite his Guardian instincts. He was a good news man and his predictions were often rather accurate. However, old though he is, this sort of bitter-tweet contribution is no seemly in a senior journo on the state funded BBC.

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