Americanisation of BBC Radio 4

[subcontrabass]

I find the Guardian to be a slavishly pro-American paper, though it follows the line of the American liberal-left rather than the Republican right, via commentators like Jonathan Franzen and its array of 'girlie' female communists, all of whom have/had a 'thing' for Obama and identified with Hilary Clinton.

The Guardian, in its online version, has a substantial American readership, which brings in income.

[Bryn]

The Guardian, in its online version, has a substantial American readership, which brings in income.

And there's always the OffGuardian.

[Maclintick]

I don't wish this comment to be perceived as anti-American in any sense, but one annoying manifestation of what may be perceived as an undue reverence for American academics/commentators/media figures on Radio 4 is the series "The Public Philosopher" fronted by Michael Sandel of Harvard -- who, whatever his undoubtedly impressive academic credentials, often strikes me more as Professor Emeritus of the Bl**din' Obvious than as a modern Descartes, & whose banal interlocutions with an audience of over-privileged know-nothing global youth in the LSE or some other equally illustrious seat-of-learning, fail to ignite the flame of reason, as it were... The only valid reason for giving him so much air time is to deny such to Roger Scruton, methinks....

[jayne lee wilson]

It was while back now, but I remember wondering why news about a sniper in Washington was the main item on the BBC News website. Was there no news nearer to home worthier of being the lead item?

I find the Guardian to be a slavishly pro-American paper, though it follows the line of the American liberal-left rather than the Republican right, via commentators like Jonathan Franzen and its array of 'girlie' female commentators, all of whom have/had a 'thing' for Obama and identified with Hilary Clinton.

The BBC needs to sack Justin Webb almost as urgently as it needs to sack John Humphrys.

You tick all the boxes here don't you? It might be a good idea to read a little more of The Guardian (Freedland rather than Franzen would be a good start) before falling into the usual traps of confirmation bias and casual sexism....

Perhaps you'd care to name the, er, girlies...Marina Hyde? Polly Toynbee? Zoe Williams?

As for the "Republican Right"... it might also be a good idea to come clean, if you are in fact a Trumpian Republican, before claiming that the Guardian identifies too closely with Obama (who made many mistakes, but was cynically stymied by the Republicans in his policies and intentions, for being black and for being a democrat) or with Clinton, about whom they have consistently been both balanced and critical.

Disappointed in you, Conchis - more research needed here, to replace stereotype and sweeping statements...

(Maclintick - Roger Scruton is billed for next Friday's R4 Any Questions....I shall resist further comment, but...I'm glad he will be thus exposed...)

(Quite a few Un-American Activities in the R4 House here before you get to Adam Gopnik, including one Roger Scruton... .......https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00...pisodes/player
Sorry, couldn't resist a little confirmation bias myself...)

[Conchis]

You tick all the boxes here don't you? It might be a good idea to read a little more of The Guardian (Freedland rather than Franzen would be a good start) before falling into the usual traps of confirmation bias and casual sexism....

Perhaps you'd care to name the, er, girlies...Marina Hyde? Polly Toynbee? Zoe Williams?

As for the "Republican Right"... it might also be a good idea to come clean, if you are in fact a Trumpian Republican, before claiming that the Guardian identifies too closely with Obama (who made many mistakes, but was cynically stymied by the Republicans in his policies and intentions, for being black and for being a democrat) or with Clinton, about whom they have consistently been both balanced and critical.

Disappointed in you, Conchis - more research needed here, to replace stereotype and sweeping statements...

(Maclintick - Roger Scruton is billed for next Friday's R4 Any Questions....I shall resist further comment, but...I'm glad he will be thus exposed...)

Thank you for correcting my mistake - I meant FREEDLAND when I wrote 'Franzen'. Senior moment (and I'm not that senior yet!)

But I feel my point holds - the female hacks (I'm afraid the word is appropriate here - though I will add, unnecessarily, that there are more hacks who are male) you name are not serious journalists or commentators. Their copy is reliably fluffy and pink-hued, so much so that I've stopped reading anything that appears under Marina Hyde or Zoe Willimas' byline. They sound like they desperately want to be writing for Jackie magazine instead of a 'serious' newspaper.

As for Toynbee - well, she's a bad journalist in a class of her own. I just cannot abide her windy pontificating - but what makes her such a (tragi)- comical old party is that she ALWAYS CALLS IT WRONG. As witness her Olympian statement on the day before the 2016 Frauderendum that 'there is no way Britain will vote to leave the E.U.' But then such a poor political antenna is only to be expected from a founder member of the SDP.....

To clarify my own position: I am broadly sympathetic to the viewpoint of the people I have named. But, to my mind, they don't justify their salaries by offering such poor, gossipy analyses of current events. You, I, or our twenty best friends could do just as good a job, and probably better.

[Conchis]

(Maclintick - Roger Scruton is billed for next Friday's R4 Any Questions....I shall resist further comment, but...I'm glad he will be thus exposed...)

Scruton is an interesting case, in that he is only a 'part-time' philosopher. Although he has occupied academic and journalistic positions, his main source of income has been his work as a barrister. I suppose this allows him a degree of professional freedom: it also enables him to be unapologetic about some of his stranger philosophical endeavours - such as his defence of 'a person's inalienable right to be stupid.'

That said, his books on music are of general interest and won't be (too) offensive to people who are antagonistic toward his politics. HIs book on the Ring being a good case in point.

[jayne lee wilson]

Thank you for correcting my mistake - I meant FREEDLAND when I wrote 'Franzen'. Senior moment (and I'm not that senior yet!)

But I feel my point holds - the female hacks (I'm afraid the word is appropriate here - though I will add, unnecessarily, that there are more hacks who are male) you name are not serious journalists or commentators. Their copy is reliably fluffy and pink-hued, so much so that I've stopped reading anything that appears under Marina Hyde or Zoe Willimas' byline. They sound like they desperately want to be writing for Jackie magazine instead of a 'serious' newspaper.

As for Toynbee - well, she's a bad journalist in a class of her own. I just cannot abide her windy pontificating - but what makes her such a (tragi)- comical old party is that she ALWAYS CALLS IT WRONG. As witness her Olympian statement on the day before the 2016 Frauderendum that 'there is no way Britain will vote to leave the E.U.' But then such a poor political antenna is only to be expected from a founder member of the SDP.....

To clarify my own position: I am broadly sympathetic to the viewpoint of the people I have named. But, to my mind, they don't justify their salaries by offering such poor, gossipy analyses of current events. You, I, or our twenty best friends could do just as well a job, and probably better.

Give a man enough rope......

I would just add that Jackie magazine closed in 1993.

[jayne lee wilson]

Scruton is an interesting case, in that he is only a 'part-time' philosopher. Although he has occupied academic and journalistic positions, his main source income has been his work as a barrister. I suppose this allows him a degree of professional freedom: it also enables him to be unapologetic about some of his stranger philosophical endeavours - such as his defence of 'a person's inalienable right to be stupid.'

That said, his books on music are of general interest and won't be (too) offensive to people who are antagonistic toward his politics. HIs book on the Ring being a good case in point.

Not so long ago, one of his main sources of income appeared to be bribes from Cigarette companies...

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/jan/24/advertising.tobaccoadvertising

...which must have allowed him a degree of financial freedom; we trust that, in his philosophical wisdom, he uses it well.

[Conchis]

Give a man enough rope......

I would just add that Jackie magazine closed in 1993.

I thought it might no longer be extant, but it casts a long shadow.

Have you read the stuff that goes out under Marina Hyde's byline? I don't think it differs substantially from the stuff the at goes out under Sarah ('Legsit') Vine's byline in the Fail.

[Conchis]

Not so long ago, one of his main sources of income appeared to be bribes from Cigarette companies...
https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...ccoadvertising

He would justify that on 'libertarian' grounds and because he believes in 'entrepreneurialism.'

[jayne lee wilson]

I thought it might no longer be extant, but it casts a long shadow.

Have you read the stuff that goes out under Marina Hyde's byline? I don't think it differs substantially from the stuff the at goes out under Sarah ('Legsit') Vine's byline in the Fail.

I never miss one!

Don't think these would get into Jackie or its successors, or anything Sarah or Michael might patronise....

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/marinahyde+sport/sport

Anyway Conch, thanks for a vigorous exchange - now pipe down and make yourself a drink or something... True Detective's just starting on 108...

[jayne lee wilson]

...and that was one cruel cliffhanger...damn. Damn! Having to wait another week for the season finale?

But when TV is this good, I don't care where it comes from...

[greenilex]

I can understand male readers being irritated by women journalists. Just think how annoyed we get with the relentless macho fare we are drenched with daily...

[LMcD]

In fairness, they ideally needed an American performer for that role - an American born into the 'purple of commerce' marrying into an aristocratic English family.

That is indeed a fair point, and it was an interesting part of the overall storyline, but the cynic in me suggests that potential sales to the US were also a factor at an early stage of the development of the series.

[Conchis]

I never miss one!

Don't think these would get into Jackie or its successors, or anything Sarah or Michael might patronise....

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/marinahyde+sport/sport

Anyway Conch, thanks for a vigorous exchange - now pipe down and make yourself a drink or something... True Detective's just starting on 108...

Admittedly, that was a serious piece but I never read Sports journalism as I've no interest in sport. Is Sport where Ms. Hyde's true interest lies? If so, that's what she should stick to. Her op ed pieces are just fluff and gossip and I won't waste another second of my valuable time reading them.