As an American I greatly appreciate your perspective. Thank you so much (and to the rest of the world, I am SO sorry!). Side note re: Don Jr's foray into Greenland --Danish news is reporting that the folks in MAGA hats were homeless folks bribed with the promise of a meal. It's horrifying and dehumanizing and objectively awful but there's also a spark of clownery there that I find helpful. Stay good.
You can write like Billy Connolly swears- fluently, powerfully and to make a point whilst making people smile. Thats a talent I appreciate you using, because, by Christ, we need it.
I wrote earlier this week about leaving the BBC for just the reasos you outline- rather than inform without fear, they have joined the attention farmers. They no longer curate, they cash in. Its beyond a shame.
So, we need a curation network. Youre part of mine, and im grateful.
A very sensible way to deal with outrageous, upsetting people. I take comfort from the fact that most young people I know think musk and trump are 'freaks' to be ignored. They say terrible things to distract from what they actually do and you can guarantee that in a years time trump and musk will have spectacularlly fallen out.
I've saved this so I can keep coming back to it. Funnily enough I've just been reading Covey's circles of concern/influence/control and realised I'm spending far too much time in "concern" and not enough in "control". Your words are another useful reminder. Thank you.
I feel like every time I comment on one of Ian’s pieces it starts out with “As an American, I’m sorry” and it appears that today will be no exception. If it helps, half of us are just as shocked and horrified as you are, with a healthy dollop of embarrassment to top it off.
Completely agree with “Watch what he does, not what he says” - might I recommend The Bulwark (right here on Substack!) for this endeavor? They’re a breakout media group here in the US (I’ve been a loyal reader / listener for years) and they have made that their motto for covering Trump 2.0. You can get most of their content for free (they pride themselves on it!) but for only $10USD you can support their mission. (And no, I don’t work for them, just really admire their unflinching, no bullshit approach)
And we can bombard en masse the BlueSky, X, Substack, etc accounts of Mason, Robinson, Webb, Kuenssberg et al with a stream of corrections & objections to their grotesque journalistic failings.
Hugely disappointed in Chris Mason. Being BBC pol ed is a hard job but, as someone else says here, gossip and tittle tattle are not analysis in themselves. Things will only get better when there is new BBC News boss who wants to hold true to the corporation's principles.
I have also written a complaint to the BBC (for the first time ever) as you suggested. It feels like a somewhat futile gesture but marginally preferable to screaming into the abyss.
When you look at the courage with which Steve Rosenberg has for years been reporting from Russia, it highlights the cowardice of UK-based correspondents such as Mason and Kuenssberg who fear offending the wealthy bullies who threaten our democracy with their lies.
As an American I greatly appreciate your perspective. Thank you so much (and to the rest of the world, I am SO sorry!). Side note re: Don Jr's foray into Greenland --Danish news is reporting that the folks in MAGA hats were homeless folks bribed with the promise of a meal. It's horrifying and dehumanizing and objectively awful but there's also a spark of clownery there that I find helpful. Stay good.
(dammit Autocorrect that should read "stay gold.")
thanks. I've headed to https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/
Thanks Matt, done. Feel slightly better, now going to drink. Cheers .
Done.
And had a reply. Six paragraphs and not a single mention of Mason or his weasel words.
You can write like Billy Connolly swears- fluently, powerfully and to make a point whilst making people smile. Thats a talent I appreciate you using, because, by Christ, we need it.
I wrote earlier this week about leaving the BBC for just the reasos you outline- rather than inform without fear, they have joined the attention farmers. They no longer curate, they cash in. Its beyond a shame.
So, we need a curation network. Youre part of mine, and im grateful.
A very sensible way to deal with outrageous, upsetting people. I take comfort from the fact that most young people I know think musk and trump are 'freaks' to be ignored. They say terrible things to distract from what they actually do and you can guarantee that in a years time trump and musk will have spectacularlly fallen out.
I've saved this so I can keep coming back to it. Funnily enough I've just been reading Covey's circles of concern/influence/control and realised I'm spending far too much time in "concern" and not enough in "control". Your words are another useful reminder. Thank you.
I feel like every time I comment on one of Ian’s pieces it starts out with “As an American, I’m sorry” and it appears that today will be no exception. If it helps, half of us are just as shocked and horrified as you are, with a healthy dollop of embarrassment to top it off.
Completely agree with “Watch what he does, not what he says” - might I recommend The Bulwark (right here on Substack!) for this endeavor? They’re a breakout media group here in the US (I’ve been a loyal reader / listener for years) and they have made that their motto for covering Trump 2.0. You can get most of their content for free (they pride themselves on it!) but for only $10USD you can support their mission. (And no, I don’t work for them, just really admire their unflinching, no bullshit approach)
A masterful piece as always. I’ve just made my first ever complaint to the BBC. Now I’ve started I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.
Don't stop!
And remind ourselves that ‘honour’ and ‘duty’ are not ‘old-fashioned’ words, they are timeless measures of men and their actions
And we can bombard en masse the BlueSky, X, Substack, etc accounts of Mason, Robinson, Webb, Kuenssberg et al with a stream of corrections & objections to their grotesque journalistic failings.
Hugely disappointed in Chris Mason. Being BBC pol ed is a hard job but, as someone else says here, gossip and tittle tattle are not analysis in themselves. Things will only get better when there is new BBC News boss who wants to hold true to the corporation's principles.
Great advice, Ian. I am on it!
Great articule as usual. Trump makes a mockery of the old advert slogan “The future’s bright, the future’s orange”. I am dreading his Presidency!
n “
More like "the future's shite, the future's orange"
Thanks Ian. Sensible ideas to try and keep us sane.
Thank you. This is excellent.
I have also written a complaint to the BBC (for the first time ever) as you suggested. It feels like a somewhat futile gesture but marginally preferable to screaming into the abyss.
When you look at the courage with which Steve Rosenberg has for years been reporting from Russia, it highlights the cowardice of UK-based correspondents such as Mason and Kuenssberg who fear offending the wealthy bullies who threaten our democracy with their lies.