More about Anita

Despite saying I wouldn't, I will!....

Here's Anita Anand introduction to today's Any Answers.

Here's how she began:

So it's leading the bulletins again. We saw this week infants tear-gassed on the Hungarian border as Europe begins to pull up drawbridges and, it seems from the news that we've heard today, pull itself apart over this refugee tide. With the latest opinion polls showing that we are split in the UK about what we should do I'm very interested to hear from you - particularly if you've been changing your mind on the issue. David Miliband, he's been scathing: "A Europe defined by a beggar-my-neighbour race to the bottom was precisely what the EU was created to prevent". That's what he says. Have recent events destroyed the EU's unity for good? 

Note the emotive introduction about "infants tear-gassed on the Hungarian border" (which, as later events suggested, might actually have been an example of what would, in another context, be called "Pallywood") and also the loaded language about "pulling up drawbridges".

Also note the highly dubious (and some might say 'disingenuous') use of the word "split" to describe UK opinion - which would be accurate up to a point (Lord Copper) if you ignore the repeated findings that the split is between the vast majority who want either no or a small influx of migrants and the very small minority who want us to allow in a large number of refugees.

Also note the quoting of pro-migration David Miliband. No anti-migration voice was singled out for quotation.

I would say that bias is very strongly suggested here (to put it mildly).

Then Anita moved onto Jeremy Corbyn:

Also, one week in, we've had the big opposition front bench 'reveal', we've had 'Anthemgate', we've had apologies from the shadow chancellor about offence he caused with pro-IRA comments. Just how is Jeremy Corbyn doing do you think? What did you make of that apology by John McDonnell about past IRA comments? Was he sincere?  

The question of whether the BBC is pro-Corbyn or anti-Corbyn (or not biased either way) is exercising a few minds on the Right. I won't name names but some are asserting that the BBC is hoisting the flag for Jezza while others are saying that the BBC loathes the Bearded One as much as the bankers loathe him.

I don't think Anita's comments there could possibly be taken as being  pro-Corbyn. Looking at it as neutrally as possible, I'd say they were (if anything) firmly anti-Corbyn.

The next subject was:

We're talking about digital snooping as well. What safeguards do you expect? Do you need to give MI5 wider powers to watch us online to keep us safe?  

I'm not completely sure on this one as "snooping" and "watch us on line" were balanced by "keep us safe", so I'll give her a pass on that.

On the last one, however...

And I'm very happy to talk about Paul Gambaccini's campaign to grant anonymity to the accused in cases of serious sexual offence. Tell me, are the police using a useful tool in naming an individual so early in their investigations are are these immoral fishing expeditions that potentially ruin lives?

...I very much got the feeling that Anita was on the side of her fellow BBC presenter here. Yes, her question looks balanced but the second half of it is strong and emotive while the first half undermines itself (with a good deal of help from Anita!) by the use of the words "so early". 

Anita Anand's hosting of Any Answers continues to raise questions about BBC bias. Even though I want to stop listening to it, it's too like shooting fish in a barrel for a 'BBC bias' blogger to pass up on, 

I'm ashamed to say.