A Panoramic view of politics #1.
Recently the BBC did a documentary looking at allegation of systemic anti semitism in the UK parliamentary Labour Party. Understandably given the current polarisation of British politics this garnered quite bit of attention.
So, what is my interest in it? and why has the existence of this programme compelled me to write this piece? Simple really, because It's a masterpiece of journalistic self interest.
Whenever we read an academic article or cite something upon which we plan to base arguments we research the prior authors, their work and methodology.
Whenever we read a newspaper surely we look at who owns it, and why they write the way they do
Yet when some watch BBC content the idea of checking and considering the "why" of whatever message is being portrayed gets left alone due to an assumption, built up over many many years of journalistic integrity.
The BBC is looking at allegations within the increasingly socialist opposition, and yet ignoring historical evidence of similar leaning within the currently governing party. Why?
The BBC didn't report on the numerous soldiers supporting former colleagues over incidences during the Irish troubles. Why?
The BBC refuses to call out the American president via interview, and our own politicians get a free pass on the actually politically relevant issues of their tenure, in favour of a Big Brother reality TV style type of disinterested voyeurism that accepts the status quo as inevitable. Why?
Because the BBC is it own power structure with, as the political scientist Micheal Taylor puts it "the ability to affect other people lives" The singular priority of power structures and governments is self perpetuation. (Falguni Sheth, Foucault and others)
That is what we are witnessing through our TV screens. a projection of a perception of autonomy and impartiality that is not there, and which masks a vested interest in corporate political influence and individual wealth.
When established power structures begin to demonise the opposition, rather than question the policy difference between it and the governing party, then we no longer have an information service we have an invested interest driven persuasion service.
Then when other media outlets, whether allied to the status quo or not, point this out, they are vilified, portrayed as fake news, and then the media becomes the opposition...
https://www.politico.eu/.../donald-trump-labels-media.../
As the late Stephen Hawking and others have said many times. "it is not ignorance that is dangerous, but the illusion of knowledge where there is none"
Be careful jumping too willingly onto the highly polished band waggon being gifted to us. It may look shiny and have a comfy ride, but only the drivers know where it's headed.
