Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging thinktanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", 2019 parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, "Speedboat", "The Cockroach", eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Psst, Auntie...
The BBC might consider reporting the deep and deepening Labour split, and the emerging one in the Lib Dems, over the EU Constitreaty, instead of giving over entire flagship programmes to Golden Boy Cameron to tell us all how wonderful he is.
David - I agree with your crticisms of the BBC. I worked there for a few years after graduating before getting fed up with the prevailing liberal bias that exists amongst almost all the employees. I used to know a few others like me but they have also all left or are thinking about leaving. Anyway, I moved to Sky, which has a much more mature attitude about these things. I don't know if you saw the bulletin today, but we had the Lib Dem split as the second running news item. You should watch us more often.
Well, I raised this at a meeting - it was pointed out that we led on Friday morning's Today on Keith Vaz's call for a referendum, and also had a report on the Lib Dem split. That was a fair point, I thought.
As for the suggestion that you'd be good on Thought for the Day or the Moral Maze, I raised this but it was pointed out that you're not at all well known. Whatever you might think about Douglas Murray and Johann Hari, they're both established commentators with their own books out and with articles in mainstream newspapers. You're not, so far as we know.
Millions of people have blogs, and so that isn't evidence that you have a readership of any size - we certainly haven't seen much mention of you on other blogs or in the wider media, which suggests you're not really making an impact. There are lots of bloggers with a much higher profile than you, as you know, and most of them don't get on the BBC either.
Once you're better known and you get to the point where your name comes automatically to the mind of editors as a commentator on a subject, then you'll get calls. Until then, you're just a blogger. And you wouldn't believe the number of calls we get from bloggers asking for a slot!
In the meantime, if you want to hear your voice on the radio, there's always Any Answers.
You need to get out a lot more, I'm afraid. Oh yes they certainly are discussing David!
I wonder if John can explain how the likes of Hari and Murray, who are younger than David and the second of whom has never done anything beyond publish a very silly book, managed to attain their current eminence, not least in terms of exposure on the BBC?
It surely can't just be because they are public school, can it? Hari surely can't just have "done favours" on the London gay club scene, can he? If so, what about Murray?
Many of the pannellists on Question Time recently, well before the summer recess and all that, have been stunningly obscure. Where did you find them? And they certainly didn't say anything as interesting as what you read on here.
So, as for people with blogs, you happily allow on Iain Dale or Tim Montgomery. Is it just Tory bloggers that the BBC allows on? Or is it just ones who are failed parliamentary candidates? (Dale lets slip on his blog today that he has no chance of a nomination next time. Well, he did lose them NORTH NORFOLK!)
All in all, I think David should be on radio and television as often as possible. Although that would require proper political programming from time to time.
Thanks, David, I'll feed that back.
ReplyDeleteDavid - I agree with your crticisms of the BBC. I worked there for a few years after graduating before getting fed up with the prevailing liberal bias that exists amongst almost all the employees. I used to know a few others like me but they have also all left or are thinking about leaving. Anyway, I moved to Sky, which has a much more mature attitude about these things. I don't know if you saw the bulletin today, but we had the Lib Dem split as the second running news item. You should watch us more often.
ReplyDeleteKind regards
Tristan (Sky News)
Many thanks to you both.
ReplyDeleteWell, I raised this at a meeting - it was pointed out that we led on Friday morning's Today on Keith Vaz's call for a referendum, and also had a report on the Lib Dem split. That was a fair point, I thought.
ReplyDeleteAs for the suggestion that you'd be good on Thought for the Day or the Moral Maze, I raised this but it was pointed out that you're not at all well known. Whatever you might think about Douglas Murray and Johann Hari, they're both established commentators with their own books out and with articles in mainstream newspapers. You're not, so far as we know.
Millions of people have blogs, and so that isn't evidence that you have a readership of any size - we certainly haven't seen much mention of you on other blogs or in the wider media, which suggests you're not really making an impact. There are lots of bloggers with a much higher profile than you, as you know, and most of them don't get on the BBC either.
Once you're better known and you get to the point where your name comes automatically to the mind of editors as a commentator on a subject, then you'll get calls. Until then, you're just a blogger. And you wouldn't believe the number of calls we get from bloggers asking for a slot!
In the meantime, if you want to hear your voice on the radio, there's always Any Answers.
Best of luck,
John
Very many thanks, although of course it wasn't actually MY suggestion that I be on any of these programmes!
ReplyDeleteI don't believe for a moment that anyone at the BBC is discussing David. Either John isn't really from the BBC or he's lying.
ReplyDeleteI bet John is David, leaving comments on his own blog to make himself look more important than he is...
ReplyDeleteYou need to get out a lot more, I'm afraid. Oh yes they certainly are discussing David!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if John can explain how the likes of Hari and Murray, who are younger than David and the second of whom has never done anything beyond publish a very silly book, managed to attain their current eminence, not least in terms of exposure on the BBC?
It surely can't just be because they are public school, can it? Hari surely can't just have "done favours" on the London gay club scene, can he? If so, what about Murray?
Many of the pannellists on Question Time recently, well before the summer recess and all that, have been stunningly obscure. Where did you find them? And they certainly didn't say anything as interesting as what you read on here.
So, as for people with blogs, you happily allow on Iain Dale or Tim Montgomery. Is it just Tory bloggers that the BBC allows on? Or is it just ones who are failed parliamentary candidates? (Dale lets slip on his blog today that he has no chance of a nomination next time. Well, he did lose them NORTH NORFOLK!)
All in all, I think David should be on radio and television as often as possible. Although that would require proper political programming from time to time.
Oh, grow up. All of you.
ReplyDelete