So, the leader of the opposition and one of the most politically relevant figures in the UK does a speech at one of the biggest festivals in the world and this isn't worth covering? Whereas the latest sports results or the Royal Family's toilet habits are?
Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “The BBC is riddled with Left-wing bias from the Today programme downwards. They will seize any opportunity to get Theresa May out. Jeremy Corbyn at Glastonbury is a typical example of their behaviour… the BBC is out of control"
Andrew Bridgen, another Tory MP, added: “The BBC will do everything they can to get their hero Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street"
Farage, too, has argued that the BBC is promoting Corbyn.
I do not com-com-compute. It is almost unfathomable to me that the BBC is being accused of left-wing bias, let alone of being pro-Corbyn (see links below for explorations of BBC bias against Corbyn).
I do not com-com-compute. It is almost unfathomable to me that the BBC is being accused of left-wing bias, let alone of being pro-Corbyn (see links below for explorations of BBC bias against Corbyn).
The BBC largely mirrors and enforces our society's ingrained, pervasive, unquestioned neoliberal agenda. This isn't restricted to the BBC, most popular news-outlets do this. The Conservatives, being perfect embodiments of neoliberalism, are thus by and large bolstered by the BBC's coverage, and are to this day.
The BBC, for example, did nothing to interrogate the completely unfounded view that Corbyn was a weak or incompetent leader. By this very act of ignorance they legitimised this view. Similarly, they did nothing to interrogate the completely unfounded view that May was a strong or powerful leader. For a long time I would have desperately appreciated an exploration of what a strong or powerful leader is and why, exactly, were May and Corbyn perceived in their respective ways. Corbyn's rise and the mainstream media's treatment of him have undoubtedly highlighted media incompetence and bias and the workings of our society. I really hope this point is visible to the wider population.
We can't underestimate the power and effect that media has on us. We can't make excuses and we have to be aware. It isn't about everyone blindly agreeing with each other, it is about being fair and properly interrogating our society's injustice and corruption.
The BBC's attempts at interrogating and challenging are found in their Panorama series. Even these, in the case of Corbyn, have mostly enforced unfounded assumptions and opinions and contributed to the toxic climate that surrounded Corbyn for so long (see open democracy links below).
It is vital that we understand that our popular news-outlets come at situations from a biased angle. From the very start they misrepresent and distort phenomena. This is because they operate within a pervasive environment, composed of specific values and norms, that is largely unquestioned and unchallenged. In our case this environment is one of neoliberalism.
Neoliberalism is our overarching ideology, championed by Margaret Thatcher, and is pretty much a heightened form of capitalism. Neoliberalism is characterised by a privatisation of public services and financial or economic deregulation. It is a system that has become normalised. It's values and norms have seeped into the fabric of society. It is thus, in a sense, understandable that our popular news-outlets mirror and enforce it. Some of it's values and norms are those of individualism, competition, lack of empathy and a deep distrust of anything opposed to it.
You don't generally get sustained balanced arguments from Conservatives. I have mostly found unfounded and vicious claims (Corbyn is a terrorist sympathiser, the BBC hero worship Corbyn, etc.), uninspiring and vapid platitudes (we must live within our means, strong and stable leadership, working in the national interest), and also a reversal of many policies and principles. This latter point is, I assume, because Conservatives simply aren't principled and only want to garner votes. There are various examples to back this up. One, they have scrapped most of their half-baked 2017 election manifesto (which is pretty shocking). Two, many of them considered stealing Labour's anti-austerity agenda simply because they thought that's largely why Labour did so well. Three, they have no qualms about lying and being vicious in their election campaigning, going so far as attempting to incite deep fear in the electorate by making a video about Corbyn suggesting he is some kind of evil terrorist sympathiser. Their campaign, it is indisputable, was based on hate and fear. In light of these points I don't see why any vaguely intelligent and kind person would support or want to be a Conservative. It greatly baffles me that 13.6 million people voted for them. I'm not saying this simply because I have other political views. I'm saying this based on the examples I've just given and the consequent fact that the Conservatives are unprincipled and deeply untrustworthy.
We can't underestimate the power and effect that media has on us. We can't make excuses and we have to be aware. It isn't about everyone blindly agreeing with each other, it is about being fair and properly interrogating our society's injustice and corruption.
The BBC's attempts at interrogating and challenging are found in their Panorama series. Even these, in the case of Corbyn, have mostly enforced unfounded assumptions and opinions and contributed to the toxic climate that surrounded Corbyn for so long (see open democracy links below).
It is vital that we understand that our popular news-outlets come at situations from a biased angle. From the very start they misrepresent and distort phenomena. This is because they operate within a pervasive environment, composed of specific values and norms, that is largely unquestioned and unchallenged. In our case this environment is one of neoliberalism.
Neoliberalism is our overarching ideology, championed by Margaret Thatcher, and is pretty much a heightened form of capitalism. Neoliberalism is characterised by a privatisation of public services and financial or economic deregulation. It is a system that has become normalised. It's values and norms have seeped into the fabric of society. It is thus, in a sense, understandable that our popular news-outlets mirror and enforce it. Some of it's values and norms are those of individualism, competition, lack of empathy and a deep distrust of anything opposed to it.
You don't generally get sustained balanced arguments from Conservatives. I have mostly found unfounded and vicious claims (Corbyn is a terrorist sympathiser, the BBC hero worship Corbyn, etc.), uninspiring and vapid platitudes (we must live within our means, strong and stable leadership, working in the national interest), and also a reversal of many policies and principles. This latter point is, I assume, because Conservatives simply aren't principled and only want to garner votes. There are various examples to back this up. One, they have scrapped most of their half-baked 2017 election manifesto (which is pretty shocking). Two, many of them considered stealing Labour's anti-austerity agenda simply because they thought that's largely why Labour did so well. Three, they have no qualms about lying and being vicious in their election campaigning, going so far as attempting to incite deep fear in the electorate by making a video about Corbyn suggesting he is some kind of evil terrorist sympathiser. Their campaign, it is indisputable, was based on hate and fear. In light of these points I don't see why any vaguely intelligent and kind person would support or want to be a Conservative. It greatly baffles me that 13.6 million people voted for them. I'm not saying this simply because I have other political views. I'm saying this based on the examples I've just given and the consequent fact that the Conservatives are unprincipled and deeply untrustworthy.
The way I see it is that Corbyn wants to transform mainstream UK politics for the better. He is, believe it or not, a caring, sensitive and principled politician. This is shining through in many ways that not even the mainstream media can hide any longer; in his interviews during the election campaign, in his handling of the Grenfell tower incident, in his large passionate rallies, in his Glastonbury speech. It is the opposite with May. Her true colours and those of many Conservatives are being revealed more and more. I just hope this is apparent to the wider electorate.
The Tories need to understand that Corbyn and his movement can't be silenced, can't be ignored and will be heard.
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