How the world turns, when a Conservative government is poised to
nationalise Sky in order to save it after its owner has been ruled unfit and
improper, with no more practical intention of ever returning it to the private
sector than of doing so with the banks. After today's Select Committee report, is it so much as conceivable that Ofcom will fail to find against the Murdochs in exactly the same terms?
I am most reliably informed that the staff at Sky News would love to be rid of Papa and Baby 'Doch so that their channel could be taken fully seriously. It entirely deserves to be. Sky News is not half bad at all. Its revenue could be used to keep going The Times and the Sunday Times for saving which Murdoch undeniably deserves credit, with the Independent National Directors of all three elected by and from among Sky subscribers. Or perhaps, in the event of public ownership, by and from among the electorate at large. Though, in either event, strictly from among politically independent candidates.
The sport could go back to the BBC and ITV. The high quality American television could go back to the BBC and Channel 4. The low quality American television could go back to ITV and 5. The films could go back to whichever of those happened to buy them. And The Sun could go to the wall, thereby, as much as anything else, forcing the Mirror Group titles back to their roots as serious popular newspapers. After all, Maurice Glasman, never did take up that column on the Sunday edition. So let it go and take Toby Young with it.
There was a pre-Murdoch Sun, and even Auberon Waugh wrote for it. Before even that, it was the Daily Herald, which was at one time edited by George Lansbury, and for which both Chesterton and Belloc were known to write. It awarded the Order of Industrial Heroism, the medal of which was designed by Eric Gill of the Distributist League and of the Westminster Cathedral Stations of the Cross, and featured Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child. That at a time when the awarding newspaper was the official organ of the TUC, recalling all those Biblical scenes and characters on many a trade union banner. Maurice Glasman, indeed. Rod Liddle, as now. Neil Clark. Tim Collard. Martin Meenagh. Oh, yes, there would be no shortage of people to write for it. With no more competition from the gutter or the sewer.
There was a pre-Murdoch Sun, and even Auberon Waugh wrote for it. Before even that, it was the Daily Herald, which was at one time edited by George Lansbury, and for which both Chesterton and Belloc were known to write. It awarded the Order of Industrial Heroism, the medal of which was designed by Eric Gill of the Distributist League and of the Westminster Cathedral Stations of the Cross, and featured Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child. That at a time when the awarding newspaper was the official organ of the TUC, recalling all those Biblical scenes and characters on many a trade union banner. Maurice Glasman, indeed. Rod Liddle, as now. Neil Clark. Tim Collard. Martin Meenagh. Oh, yes, there would be no shortage of people to write for it. With no more competition from the gutter or the sewer.
I was tempted to say that Sky News have had a good "Leveson" and that they appear to have become more detached from the "Murdoch-line" than they were before News of the World was closed.
ReplyDeleteBut actually I would have been wrong. It seems to be that some individual new presenters are more independent than others.
I am a great admirer of Ms Anna Botting who I suppose has a degree of seniority ...certainly aove the freelancers.
But incresingly the Paper Review section now at 9.30pm. 10.30pm and 11.30pm seems more interesting that the actual news. And there seems to be more reviewers than ever.
Of course it all depends on the quality/bias of the guest reviewers but there is definitely more criticism of Murdoch allowed. Now it might simply be a matter that stars fade (Crone, myler, Hinton today) and Murdochs courtiers at Sky News may just be detaching themselves from those exiled from Rupers Court. And of course there is no doubt journalistic rivalries going back over years and scores being settled.
Journalists and bags of ferrets have a lot in common.
But clearly there is some nuanced coverage going on...and to "real journalists" the spectre of Fox News style would be something to be avoided.
As always I apologise for seemingly being anonymous. The Blogger ID thingy is not my friend.
Best.
http://fitzjameshorselooksattheworld.wordpress.com/