When even the BBC caves to lowest-common-denominator “journalism,” what’s left to believe in?
I just sat down to watch the BBC World News, and was horrified at the content of tonight’s show. With everything going on in the world, not the least of which is yet another memo showing the lies of the Bush and Blair administrations leading up to a terrible war, what did the BBC focus on?
That’s right, the Jackson verdict. Here’s how the show ran today:
:00-:01 Headlines and opening titles: all referencing Jackson
:01-:16 Jackson story
:16-:18 Business news
:18-:19 Jackson recap
:19-:21 Vatican pressure ruins Italian referendum on fertility laws
:21-:21 Breaking news: earthquake in Chile
:21-:21 Saddam Hussein videotape released
:21-:23 EU budget debate
:23-:24 Bush meets African presidents
:24-:24 Lebanese general makes comeback
:24-:25 IAEA reappoints al-Baradei
:25-:26 Jackson recap
So, in total, out of a 26 minute program, 18 minutes were devoted to the Jackson story.
It’s interesting that a continuing storyline in the BBC’s remake of Dr. Who has concerned the manipulation of news programming to cause the downfall of human society, to create a culture of sheep who do not question the world around them.
(For those of you in the know, I was just thinking about a new product that could be sold in that Dr Who universe: the “Face of BoFlex”.)
