I read a discussion this morning on Twitter re the London Bridge terrorist attack:
Ben Cobley: I wonder how the Guardian's columnists are going to deal with this. Almost everything about it fails to fit their daily narrative. My prediction - they will focus on attacking the right for how it reacts. Also they will no doubt start ordering us to not use language that might help describe events accurately - notably linking 'Islamic' with 'terrorism' as Newsnight did last night. Anyone who does this will be accused of fomenting hate against Muslims and aiding the far right.
Dr Paul Stott: We will see what I call the pivot response to terrorism. After reporting, blandly, what has happened, they will pivot coverage to what they will really want to talk about - the right's reaction, 'Islamophobia,' Tommy Robinson etc etc
That reference to Newsnight linking 'Islamic' with 'terrorism' sounded so unlikely that I checked, and (as I should guessed) it came from Newsnight's excellent Richard Watson - probably the only BBC journalist who dares to use the phrase 'Islamic terrorism' without surrounding it with audible quotation marks:
In the last hour, the press Association has reported the suspect was known to the authorities and had connections to Islamic terrorism.
@MrBrendanCox tweeted at 3:09 PM - Nov 29, 2019
ReplyDeleteIf this turns out to be a terror attack
the aim is to spread fear and hatred.
Please don’t play into their plan,
don’t share footage, don’t share rumours.
As it happened when his wife was killed Brendan Cox was in the pub with his mate the head of HnH.
Also
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/18/brendan-cox-resigns-from-charities-amid-sexual-assault-claims
The logic of that is that we should censor the whole of our media and that there should have been no reporting of the Blitz in 1940. The guy is not credible.
DeleteYes Richard Watson is the best of a bad bunch but that quote from him does put him at one remove, via the PA, from the use of "Islamic terrorism".
ReplyDeleteThe BBC has also never referenced Far Left terrorism even though over the decades (indeed, going back to the late 19th century) it has been very prominent, much more so than Far Right terrorism (a phrase the BBC are only too happy to make use of).
Recently Left-wing terrorists held up a train in Canning town .
ReplyDeleteBut were quickly dealt with by have a go heroes of the public.
The Greenblob-faction retreated back to their normal protection money racket, whereby the UK electricity network is required to buy all the electricity Greenblob-faction can supply
.. and at 3 times the price of other suppliers.