The second story, at midnight tonight, on the BBC News website is:
Now, you may think that "thousands of weary migrants" sounds a bit emotive and that "after Hungary closed another of its borders", especially in the context of such a phrase, makes Hungary sound heartless as a result...
...and, if you do think such things, some sensible soul at the BBC website now seems to agree with you.
When you now click into the article you won't find the word "weary" at all or the word "another" in connection to Hungary's borders.
A swift change of mind, leaving a rack behind, it seems.
I've been reading through all the restored old comments on B-BBC and came across a relevant story. Back in October 2007 there was a similar stealth edit of emotional terminology. Original site editor Andrew brought up an even earlier example of BBC bias, where a vile statement by Princess Margaret was attributed to Mrs. Thatcher, which was left up for several days before being sent down the memory hole. The Beeboid responsible claimed to have "stumbled across" a B-BBC post about it and wrote in to tell Andrew the truth. No left-wing conspiracy, just him "being crap". Which is true enough.
ReplyDeleteThe point, as Andrew pointed out then and remains true here, is that they so often go with their emotions, with opinion, first and only uphold the higher standard at which they all claim to operate when people start asking questions later.
http://biasedbbc.org/blog/2007/10/03/two-biased-bbc-readers-have-received/#comments
It's fair to say that the BBC does not, in fact, operate to a higher standard than any other media organization, no matter what they claim.
It's a cynical no lose for the BBC, as they have the personnel, resources and time to use attrition on demand.
ReplyDeleteThey will of course fight any correction tooth and nail, and if conceding it will happen only once the vast majority will never see it.
If pursued, and nailed, as they so often are, they will retreat behind belief or, if facts cannot be wished away, try and claim it was a joke or inadvertent.
That BBC log none of them read in the evening must be bulging.