The GBNews Gravy Train

[Aruntraveller]

Nice work if you can get it:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/28/payments-tory-mps-by-gb-news-since-its-launch

[Nearly Sane]

Nice work if you can get it:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/28/payments-tory-mps-by-gb-news-since-its-launch

JRM obviously not worried about any difficulty serving 2 masters, or entering the gates of heaven.

Anderson having spoken out against MPs having 2 jobs is just a steaming pile of hypocritical turd.

[Aruntraveller]

A thoughtful and ultimately depressing piece by Zoe Williams in The Guardian on GBNews:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/09/gb-news-tv-rightwing-politics

[Nearly Sane]

A thoughtful and ultimately depressing piece by Zoe Williams in The Guardian on GBNews:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/09/gb-news-tv-rightwing-politics

Depressing certainly. Thoughtful, I would disagree. We're back at the  tendency of some during the Brexit debate to just dismiss any concerns expressed by those who were voting for Brexit as merely being stupid people saying something that right wing money and propaganda has scared them into. In some ways, Williams reminds of the loons on GB News who talk about the blob, or Liz Truss burbling about the left wing economic establishment. If she draws attention to GBNews inconsistencies on gender/sex, then surely she should be examining her own and the Guardian's inconsistencies on this if she were being tjoughtful.

GBNews is a symptom of a news media where thought and challenge are removed to be echo chambers. It is not the cause. The Guardian, while somewhere I would be more likely to trust, has been part of those symptoms too. My trust in it is far from what it was, and it was always a restrained trust.

[Aruntraveller]

I disagree largely with your analysis.

I don't think she is saying that people are stupid to have concerns, but rather that those concerns are being amplified to such a level as to not bear comparison to reality. At least that is what I took from it. Also she rightly in my opinion identifies the fact that they don't need viewers, that is not what they are about.

I agree about inconsistencies in the media even at The Guardian, or perhaps especially at The Guardian, (yes I'm looking at you Simon Jenkins) but then inconsistency abounds everywhere. I mean I heard one guy claim that "I spin you around" is in the same league as "I know him so well". Idiot. How either of those two ditties stand comaprison with "A New England" is beyond me. Oops, I digress.

The question remains as to why someone would pump so much money into an endeavour that loses the stuff hand over fist and breaks the rules of OFCOM (although that is proving to be a very toothless watchdog) without having some kind of endgame in sight. And they have an endgame and that is enabling the very right of the Conservatives to survive and thrive in order to push their agenda of fear and hatred which bleeds out through other channels rather than their tV channel.

[Nearly Sane]

I disagree largely with your analysis.

I don't think she is saying that people are stupid to have concerns, but rather that those concerns are being amplified to such a level as to not bear comparison to reality. At least that is what I took from it. Also she rightly in my opinion identifies the fact that they don't need viewers, that is not what they are about.

I agree about inconsistencies in the media even at The Guardian, or perhaps especially at The Guardian, (yes I'm looking at you Simon Jenkins) but then inconsistency abounds everywhere. I mean I heard one guy claim that "I spin you around" is in the same league as "I know him so well". Idiot. How either of those two ditties stand comaprison with "A New England" is beyond me. Oops, I digress.

The question remains as to why someone would pump so much money into an endeavour that loses the stuff hand over fist and breaks the rules of OFCOM (although that is proving to be a very toothless watchdog) without having some kind of endgame in sight. And they have an endgame and that is enabling the very right of the Conservatives to survive and thrive in order to push their agenda of fear and hatred which bleeds out through other channels rather than their tV channel.

Viewers/readers are more and more of an orrelevancy all round. The Guardian's readership can't be much more than GBNews viewership, though there is a diffetence in commitment between the 2 things. Ot wad Williams that brought up the idea of inconsistency so I merely pointed put that is an example of lack of thinking. I agree with pretty much the definition of purpose of GBNewd but absenting the views how different is that from the Gusrdian's purpose?

ETA - I did think about adding in that the even better How Soon Is Now was in the chart in the 40s but thought that would cause even more conniptions.

[Aruntraveller]

I agree with pretty much the definition of purpose of GBNewd but absenting the views how different is that from the Gusrdian's purpose?

You can't absent the views surely?

I can agree with and understand the pov of a lot that is printed in The Times even though it doesn't represent me politically. I can't with GBNews because it is largely based on lies and deception (true of the Daily MAil).

There is a difference between interpretation and intent. I worry mightily about the intent of GBNews.

[Nearly Sane]

You can't absent the views surely?

I can agree with and understand the pov of a lot that is printed in The Times even though it doesn't represent me politically. I can't with GBNews because it is largely based on lies and deception (true of the Daily MAil).

There is a difference between interpretation and intent. I worry mightily about the intent of GBNews.

I think in terms of the views on GBNews, yes, pretty much they can be absented. They  aren't despite the knee jerk statements Nazis. If the intent is to present a point of view, then that part is fine as well.

Your issue, and one that I would agree with, is that if there are deliberate lies then they should be picked up by regulation Deception is a harder thing to define.


There are those who would argue that the news outlets you or I might choose also use lies and deceit.

[Nearly Sane]

Ofcom finds GBNews in breach of rules but GBNews presents it as a threat to free speech. Given it's Tory NOs, Starmer should make this a big point at PMQs.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68596973