I don't pay the license fee because I haven't plugged my telly in for years. However I do listen to Radio 4, from that standpoint the BBC's WYD coverage has been appalling. 2000000 young Catholics in Madrid, 1500000 at Mass with Pope and just a niggardly mention in most newscasts and that normally slung on to reporting a few hundred protestors.
If you agree, why not complain. It wont make a difference but won't do any harm.
28 comments:
Thank you for this post, and for doing it so promptly.
I hope thousands will register a complaint. I have already done so.
I sent the following complaint via their web page.
There has been woeful coverage of the World Youth Day in Madrid with Pope Benedict XVI. So far as I have noticed the protesters have had all the headlines !
I am not saying coverage should have been all over every News broadcast, but we have been deprived of any real programmes of this joyful event of young people, (not thugs or rioters) celebrating their Faith.
I have selected the OTHER category as I believe there has been:-
1. Not enough coverage
2. The BBC Bias is anti Christian, and specifically anti Catholic.
There, I feel better for that !
After the Pope’s visit last year there was a certain amount of feeling that the media had mended their ways and were now being more positive with their coverage of the Pope and the Church. I don’t know to what extent this is justified overall in the long-term but the BBC’s coverage of WYD 2011 certainly shows the BBC going back to its negative old ways.
An example is this item from Daniel Griffiths:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14605496
This item lasts 1 minute 56 seconds. Of that, 48 seconds (42%) is completely negative. It also includes a woman giving her (negative) view of the Pope’s visit whereas the BBC have quoted very little of anything that the Pope has said.
I have sent my complaint to the BBC
I'm not sure I can go as far as saying that the BBC is completely anti-Catholic or anti-Christian, but I do feel it can slip woefully away from the family-oriented bastion of decency and goodwill the corporation liked to portray itself as.
I totally agree that hundreds of thousands of young people demonstrating their faith and their joy in that faith deserve as much airspace as the horrible scenes of violence, hatred and faithlessness that ripped across our cities over the past fortnight. Perhaps, just perhaps, if we were presented with more images of young people expressing hope and joy, it would go some way to dispelling cheerlessness and rage. When pundits continually tell you something is "inherent", those without reason will accept that as the status quo, or an excuse. Thanks for the post. Complain; no riot required : )
BBC Radio 4 cannot be trusted either,you only have to listen to The Archers to understand how they spread misinformation and reinforce class divisions.
And I object very strongly about the coverage of the Libya revolution,about four times what we had during the Falklands do.
I spent years working for that sinister corporation in a fairly senior position, and felt that with an understanding of "BBC-think" I'd stand a fairly good chance of making a successful complaint last year during the Holy Father's visit. My complaint focused on specific and quantifiable inaccuracies repeated in R4 programming last September: I gave times, dates, programmes, back-up information, references and cross references. It took months for my complaint to be dealt with, and in the end I received a semi-literate reply that apologised for the fact that I "felt unhappy" about their programme's content but "blah blah blah objective blah blah blah balanced blah blah blah". I wrote again, this time also complaining about the inadequacy of the response, the illiteracy of the response, the fact that my original complaint had nothing to do with my feelings and everything to do with (a lack of) balanced and objective reporting of facts. After a prolonged delay, I received a marginally more literate response from somebody who'd actually read my complaint. However yet again they apologised for a perceived slight, not for an inadequate or biased reporting of facts. Again it came down to my *feelings* not the facts. I reckon that this is how they deal with this sort of issue -- by pinning the complaint on "feelings" they can avoid a discussion about the facts. I'm sorry to say that I gave up, I hung up my Mrs Angry shoes and decided not to pursue the complaint any further. Life is too short, and my children need me to be playing with them, not hunched over a computer muttering about the BBC. Besides, I don't pay the license fee either. I wouldn't be caught dead with a TV in my home, although though we do watch videos occasionally.
The mainstream media subscribes to a similar bias covering/ignoring pro-life events. 10,000 people can gather to protest state sanctioned slaughter and nothing appears on the 6:00pm newscast. Conversely, if 100 gay, or Muslim, or Unionists gather to complain about anything it makes the lead story.
Rather than just writing a letter or email of complaint to the BBC I might suggest writing a letter to your local MP complaining about the Licence Fee. Inform the BBc that this is what you will be doing in your letter to them and why. "Why should we pay a fee to a service provider that not only discriminates against us, but gives a oddly elevated platform to others who participate in that discrimination".
I agree with D Hardman's comment...
After experiencing a similar reply to the one received by Annie Elizabeth, I have come to the conclusion that the BBC needs to be changed by the state it's supposed to be serving. If Parliament / the Government actually threatened to do away with it, the Corp might seriously begin to listen.
(Sorry if this comment was sent more than once, my internet connection went down whilst sending it)
There seems to be a world wide blackout of the close of the Madrid meeting.The sheer number of young people welcoming the Pope and then joining with him in praise and adoration of the Eucharistic Christ must have been too much for them. I think they were scared.
The trouble is, Father, what would replace the BBC? They do have some good points: their news reporting on non-Catholic matters is, if not balanced, then at least not as unbalanced as others; their documentaries are good, and their drama may one day recover from its present low level.
Besides, what would replace it? Murdoch-style 24-7 pornography and screeching, brazenly untruthful news coverage?
Yes, the BBC is in dire need of reform; but I'd rather have it, for all its grievous flaws, than the situation they have in the US.
I will complain, because this is a subject which needs to be complained about, nevertheless.
I must also say that the huge elevated platform used at the Madrid air base reminded me of the whitened sepulcher of the gospel.
Would be interested in hearing more from Annie Elizabeth about 'BBC think'.
I remember when the Holy Father went to the Cologne WYD. Nothing on the news at all about the first visit of a German pope to a synagogue - a really historic occasion. But masses about some footballer.
Shocking.
"I haven't plugged my telly in for years"
Hand-on-heart, have you not used your computer to repeat a programme by iPlayer?
Even if you haven't plugged in the tellybox for years, Father, you are still required to pay the license fee. You are still require to pay if you possess anything on which TV programmes can be viewed.
How do you manage it? Does the clerical collar help? When I decided to protest by paying in irregular instalments (although I explained to them that I only use the box to watch DVDs) I had threatening letters and the inspectors turning up at my front door late at night.
I would have less objection to the license fee if the BBC's governors were elected rather than appointed by the allegedly great and good.
I never normally submit complaints to media organisations but on this occasion I have. I am fed up of the BBC's blatant bias, and as a young Catholic who enthusiastically followed EWTN's coverage of WYD I am annoyed that the mainstream media seem to conspire to keep secret this sign of vitality in the Church.
I urge others to complain too.
N.S.F
I actually thought the BBC's coverage and reportage was quite positive.
Why? Because I was comparing it to that of Ireland's national broadcaster which was outrageously nasty on the topic. Mind you they covered their backs by broadcasting the Mass. Cold comfort in a cold-house for Catholics...
AndrewWS.
I think you are incorrect there. You are obliged to have a license if you receive "live" TV, even on the net. Ownership of such a device does not necessitate buying a license.
The licensing authority is under an obligation prove a householder receives a signal, if the intend to prosecute, not that you own a receiver.
Very satisfying to notice that British Catholics keep up the tradition of not waving the Union Flag.
I have just sent my complain!
However, there is only one way to shut them up and that is to bring World Youth Day to Britain. Directly after the Papal Visit I lobbied every UK Lead Catholic Youth Worker, organisation, and every Bishop etc... (as well as Michelle Moran the UK representative for the Pontifical Council for Laity) to go to the forthcoming CYMFED meeting and fight for World Youth day to be brought to Britain.
I also emailed all of these representatives William Oddie's excellent piece entitled 'Let's Bring World Youth Day to Britain' (see below)
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2010/10/04/lets-bring-world-youth-day-to-britain/
I am the M J Carroll William Oddie refers to in the article. I know for a fact that this article was pointed out at the CYMFED meeting and it did help to create extra excitement at the possibility of WYD coming to the UK. I would go as far to say that Mr. Oddie's article had a significant impact on getting the CYMFED Flame Congress up and running for next year (presumably a stepping stone to WYD).
The joy of WYD coming to Britain in 2017 would go along way to stemming this anti-Catholicism by the media. However, this is not the only reason WYD should come here. I am sure I do not have to repeat the real reasons that this event should happen here.
If you feel strongly about WYDUK then lobby your youth worker to pester the Bishops who seem only to be bothered about the cost. Cost is not a good enough excuse for this not to happen. Also speak to your Bishop if you feel strongly about it.
@AndrewWS and Father Ray: I agree with Father Ray on this point; my understanding is that you need a licence to watch "live streaming" from the BBC on any device. Therefore, you may watch anything on iPlayer on computer after the original broadcast time. You may be hard pressed to convince folk you haven't plugged the set in, but the burden of proof of usage falls on them. Hence the old dalek style detector vans I suppose.
I've often toyed with the idea of getting rid of my telly, but I do watch the odd documentary and film, and the news coverage from Russia Today is quite interesting, and coverage of the proms and other music events... I can see how people who live on their own or don't have funds for their preferred entertainment can come to view it as a utility, which is depressing in itself. How fantastic that Annie Elizabeth, an ex-Beeb person, doesn't have a TV! Good for her: I expect her children are very bright, articulate and imaginative too.
Maybe Catholics need to understand that the Church and its doings may be of overriding interest to us, but - whether we like it or not - are a matter of supreme indifference to most people in Britain today and hence to the media - except when something goes wrong or some newsworthy scandal occurs. There is no point in just complaining about this. If we want authority and respect we can no longer claim them as of right, we have to earn them. The Pope's visit last year got a lot of favourable coverage: we shouldn't push our luck.
lta,
I think one million young adults, let alone two, gathering together is news, whoever they are.
A city welcoming that number is news.
The fact they are there at the invitation of one man is news.
The fact they are there to celebrate is news.
The fact they are their to celebrate faith in Jesus Christ is news.
Lta: what he said...!
Coverage of World Youth Day here in Australia was every bit as poor as you had The ABC is every bit as bad as the BBC and so are the "independent" TV channels. There was a bit about the protestors objecting to Spain having to pay for the visit and that was just about the lot.
I have a satellite dish which I installed myself and I can, and do, watch EWTN but the problem with them is in knowing what is on and when. I did manage to see Saturday Vespers and the Sunday farewell Mass.
We do not have the problem of television licences here. The ABC is funded out of general taxation so no one has to buy a licence, hence it is impossible to withold funding from the ABC by the means of not buying a licence.
@ Delia - here's one example: http://defende-nos-in-proelio.blogspot.com/2011/08/heroin-model-why-i-dont-have-tv.html
News to Catholics maybe, but clearly not to people generally or the media. The WYD is a great and impressive event for the Church. I look forward to seeing what its real lasting effects will be.
I was also very upset by the coverage of the BBC of WYD and have actually written to the BBC about their coverage or lack of it. My reply from the BBC was that there was a lot of Comments on BBC News Website. I pointed out to the BBC that not every one has a computer and able to see it.
I also feel that because of the recent riots that it may have been a good news story about young people rather than bad news stories. Is the media scared of Good News?
Fr Peter
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