For fans of 'compare and contrast' pieces, here's a breakdown of how the UK's three main broadcasters' news websites are reporting one particular story this evening:
Headlines
ITV: Banning face veils 'is not the answer' says Boris Johnson
SKY: Boris Johnson mocks women in burkas who 'look like bank robbers'
BBC: Boris Johnson faces criticism over burka 'letter box' jibe
First three paragraphs
ITV:
Boris Johnson has hit out against calls to ban face-covering garments like the burka in public places.
The former foreign secretary said Denmark was wrong to impose fines for wearing the burka or niqab in the streets.
But he came under attack for saying Muslim women in burkas "look like letter boxes" and comparing them to bank robbers.
SKY:
Boris Johnson has compared women who wear the burka to "bank robbers", but argued against banning them in Britain.
The former foreign secretary said he found the covering worn by some Muslim women "oppressive" and questioned why they would "go around looking like letter boxes".
He added it was "weird" and "bullying" to "expect women to cover their faces".
BBC:
Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been accused of Islamophobia after saying Muslim women wearing burkas "look like letter boxes".
He said he was against bans on face-covering veils in public places, in his Telegraph column, but added that they looked "absolutely ridiculous".
The Muslim Council of Britain accused him of "pandering to the far right".
Structure of reports (by paragraphs)
ITV:
1-2 Views of Boris Johnson
3 Views of critics of Boris Johnson
4-5 Background reporting
6-8 Views of Boris Johnson
9-10 Views of critics of Boris Johnson
(Tweet from critic of Boris Johnson)
11-16 Views of Boris Johnson
Total for Boris Johnson - 11
Total against Boris Johnson - 3 (& 1 tweet)
SKY:
1-9 Views of Boris Johnson
10-17 Views of critics of Boris Johnson
18-19 Government's view
Total for Boris Johnson - 9
Total against Boris Johnson - 8
Government's view - 2
BBC:
1 Views of critics of Boris Johnson
2 Views of Boris Johnson
3-11 Views of critics of Boris Johnson
(Tweet from critic of Boris Johnson)
12- 19 Views of Boris Johnson
20-26 Views of critics of Boris Johnson
27-28 Government's view
Total for Boris Johnson - 9
Total against Boris Johnson - 17 (& 1 tweet)
Government's view - 2
Important work Craig, many of us come here for this kind of breakdown.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up sir!
Agreed. Excellent analysis and a great way to confirm bias and deliberate side taking.
DeleteThe BBC have been after Boris for years. If he makes a serious error the BBC will pounce and he's toast.
Anti-Boris stance continues on Today programme. Didn't get that excited about antisemitism in Labour party, did they? See they've managed to dredge up a particularly repellent photo of BJ in which he appears to have slept in the hedge before being dragged through it backwards!
ReplyDeleteHe is in their sights.Now that he’s been told to apologise, The BBC have made him top story across all their media channels.
DeleteAnd on PM Tuesday evening, the BBC are still gunning for Boris. When Jeremy apologises for antiSemitism in his party (and yes I do think he is an anti-Semite, the BBC are all too happy to say that an apology is the end of the matter (such as last weekend) but Boris and Muslims and the BBC are determined to keep the story going. On the newspaper review on the Today programme yesterday, I think it was, was a poll that suggested that a lot of people want Boris to become leader of the Tory Party and hence PM. Could this be why the BBC is like a dog with a bone about postboxgate?
ReplyDeleteI think, and I hope, that Boris has learned from Trump that the best way to deal with the malevolent media is to provoke and attack. It's sad it has to be like that. I'd much prefer it if the MSM were dedicated to reasoned debate, free speech and unfiltered news. But they aren't...quite the reverse. They hate debate. They hate free speech. And they want to filter all news before the public get to see it.
ReplyDeleteOf course Boris has to survive in a non-Presidential system - a tall order. But it's probably not a bad idea for him to make an implicit threat of breaking away from the collaboration Conservatives if necessary...that might concentrate minds.