Thursday 19 September 2019

Boris Heckled

The BBC is weirdly fascinated by ‘Boris Being Heckled’. 6th Sept, 5th Sept, 13th Sept, 9th Sept, 13th Sept (again) 9th Aug,  10th Aug, 5th Sept. 22nd May 2017 (?) 24th June 2016 (!)

When Boris Johnson was heckled in West Yorkshire, “the Heckle” was the BBC’s headline all day. To be honest, I’m not sure if the other channels followed suit, but someone observed:
“The Prime Minister gave a speech in the north of England during which a man heckled him (surely not an unusual occurrence for any politician) yet what made the headlines and was the focus of the news story? The heckling.

So what I’m saying is, um, the media’s focus seems a bit suspect. Never mind. I won’t go into that today. The hooha around that peculiar hospital corridor confrontation by ‘a concerned father’ had particularly nasty repercussions. Social media, the mainstream press and the online world were fizzing with vitriol.

Remember all those theatrical political interventions on Question Time that were frequently presented as ‘random’, but which “Turned Out” to be more or less orchestrated party political stunts? Hard-left activists seem keen on that sort of attention-seeking, but I suppose it’s kinda legitimate in a direct-action kinda way.

Anyway, what I’m saying is, did you see the vitriolic avalanches that befell poor Laura Kuenssberg when she Tweeted her….. let’s call it ‘reality check’ Tweet.  “Turns out” etc Look on Twitter. It’s horrendous. 


Incidentally, the Indy has the man’s daughter at “7 months” whereas Twitter mostly has her at “7 days” and one paper (I forget which) had her at “7 years”. Seven somethings, probably. Oh well, that’s reporting for you.


I think Laura Kuenssberg has had a rough deal here. I think she had to mention that the good Omar Salem was a Labour activist, otherwise the BBC would have been heavily criticised by the likes of me.

Whether she was wise in using the term “turns out” is another thing, because, if you think about it, there is a hint of cynicism in that two-word opener because the implication could definitely be that the whole thing was primarily (or 'nothing but') a stunt.

The professional Tory-haters contend (Tweet) that a baby nearly died through government underfunding, and many tweeters believe the man done good to confront the heartless, opportunistic PM., whose 'electioneering' hospital visit was also a publicity stunt. They say the Tories have to be held to account for  “wrecking the NHS”, and conclude that Laura K is a Tory and that the BBC is a government mouthpiece.

5 comments:

  1. The man himself has defended Laura K, saying that she's "doing her job without fear or favour, which is a vital part of democracy". Many of those previously 'outraged' at his treatment by Laura K are now disagreeing with him. Nothing stops a Twitter pile-on when it's in full cry.

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  2. The BBC are heckled every day by millions of people shouting at their TVs...but the BBC think one heckle targetting at the PM is worth a million aimed at them. :)

    Views disguised as news...hate disguised as satire...racism disguisd as equality...promotion of violence disguised as promotion of peace.

    Your Beloved BBC.

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  3. Further proof that David Cameron was a Notorious Big Liar...During the Referendum he was trying to suggest he had got concessions on free movement and also that there was no prospect of Turkey ever joining the EU. The truth was that free movement remained a pillar of EU policy and that Turkey was (and is) a candidate member (which means it is being helped towards membership). Cameron objected to the idea of Corbyn confirming both these truths, and being the liar he is completely hid his previous enthusiastic support for Turkey's membership of the EU (all recorded on video, so he can't deny it).

    https://twitter.com/LeaveEUOfficial/status/1174642803361636352

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  4. There's a new video (H/t Guido) which shows a completely different side of Boris's hospital visit. The staff welcome him, share a good-humoured exchange, and generally make him welcome there. How is it that the BBC and MSM seize upon a 'planted' Labour activist who doesn't work at the hospital as the story? This is the biased reporting we have come to expect.

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  5. The BBC, as one, including Laura, saw and heard what they liked and reacted as expected.

    Then the shape went pear.

    They, and she, held out but go away it did not.

    Something had to be done, or said. Turns out how that went was, on balance, a smidge clumsy.

    Sympathy assigned from here: 0.

    Too stupid, too late.

    A Justin T moment closer to home to savour.

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