As I've spent many a year writing about Dateline London - proving its past bias (if I say so myself) whilst conceding that it has got somewhat less biased over time - I felt duty bound to tune in to today's end-of-year edition and found, thankfully, that it was one of those (increasingly common) episodes where people actually disagree with each other.
In the past, the programme's largely left-leaning guests would simply congregate around a left-of-centre fulcrum on any issue and see-saw around it with nary a dissenting right-wing voice in sight (except Janet Daley every six or so weeks, as a sop to BBC impartiality).
The bias used to be outrageous, and it would be silly (and dishonest) to say it hasn't improved somewhat over the past couple of years or so - and, who knows, maybe even as a result of my seemingly endlessly complaints about it. (I know that a couple of its regulars read us from time to time.)
The bias used to be outrageous, and it would be silly (and dishonest) to say it hasn't improved somewhat over the past couple of years or so - and, who knows, maybe even as a result of my seemingly endlessly complaints about it. (I know that a couple of its regulars read us from time to time.)
Today's panel was a fairly traditional one, consisting of four of the programme's regulars - Janet Daley from the Right, Marc Roche from the Left, Nabila Ramdani from the Left, and Stryker McGuire from journalistically-impartial-yet-very-obviously-liberal-(in-the-American-sense) side of American politics.
A large range of subjects were covered - from UK politics, to the Middle East, to US-Cuba and US-Russia - and a contrasting range of opinions offered, occasionally annoyingly, just as it should be.
A large range of subjects were covered - from UK politics, to the Middle East, to US-Cuba and US-Russia - and a contrasting range of opinions offered, occasionally annoyingly, just as it should be.
The only sour notes for me (as a pro-Israeli blogger) arose from Nabila Ramdani's repeated, unchallenged rants against Israel.
Surprisingly, despite their astonishing vehemence, no one - not presenter Maxine Wawhinney, not even Janet Daley - spoke up to rebut them.
Two of them came during the central portion of the programme. The final one came at the very end of the programme, given the Israel-hater the last word and leaving her anti-Israel smears hanging in the air while Maxine thanked everyone for their contribution.
I'm still gob-smacked about that.
Surprisingly, despite their astonishing vehemence, no one - not presenter Maxine Wawhinney, not even Janet Daley - spoke up to rebut them.
Two of them came during the central portion of the programme. The final one came at the very end of the programme, given the Israel-hater the last word and leaving her anti-Israel smears hanging in the air while Maxine thanked everyone for their contribution.
I'm still gob-smacked about that.
I have always found Janet Daley to be entirely useless on these panel shows. Which is probably why the BBC likes to have her on to represent the other side.
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