If you can access it, there's a fine article by former BBC reporter Robin Aitken in the Daily Telegraph headlined Censoring Marine Le Pen damages a free society.
He describes Andrew Marr's "apology" for interviewing Marine le Pen as "the journalistic equivalent of: 'The programme you are about to see contains images of graphic violence which some viewers might find distressing…'", additionally calling it:
A prophylactic apology to any viewer who might feel that Le Pen’s views were a breach of the BBC’s obligation to ensure its airwaves are a “safe space”.
He goes on to say that Andrew Marr "should not need to apologise for doing the public service of giving Ms Le Pen the opportunity to tell us what she thinks".
The BBC has an obligation to let us hear all legitimate viewpoints. To ban explicit racial abuse is one thing; but reasoned critique of multiculturalism and Islam should be heard more often. In discriminating between what is allowed to be heard and what is excluded, BBC editors too often seem to view their airwaves as intellectual game reserves where liberal herbivores can safely graze.
The whole point was to tie Trump - and by extension, the racist white United Statesians who elected him - to any advances by Le Pen or any so-called right-wing group in Europe.
ReplyDeleteThe needless, apology for holding the interview was appalling, (and offensive to anyone who thought that WWII was fought for freedom), and as for the slur that the potential election of Le Pen was a threat to Western security, what planet are these idiots living on?
ReplyDeleteThe apology was part of the narrative: I'm sorry you had to hear this evil woman but we are unbiased, etc.
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