After Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, was released from HMP Onley yesterday afternoon, he made no bones about his attitude to the mainstream media. They, he proclaimed, told lies, and had let the British people down. And the mainstream media, suckers to the end, were so keen to see this dubiously reasoned message spread that they have spent the past 18 hours enabling it themselves.
While Lennon readies himself for his star turn on the next edition of Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News Channel (fair and balanced my arse), the press has been eagerly reporting the release, and the broadcast media, to its shame, has been giving it wall to wall coverage, including allowing piss-poor Walter Mitty impersonator Raheem “call me Ray” Kassam onto the Radio 4 Today programme to shill for Tommy.
Yesterday evening, there was a feature on BBC Newsnight. Kassam was allowed virtually free rein on the Today programme, suggesting a legal expertise he does not possess. Yet this is not the beginning of the sorry story: the tabloid press has been laying the groundwork for Lennon and his pals for years, smearing, demonising and often attacking Muslims, and in the process enabling the far right.
They have kicked in the door, only for Lennon and his acolytes to walk right in. Now they are enabling the far right. By peddling falsehood and misinformation, they enable Stephen Lennon to claim that they tell lies. Lennon’s fans then turn against the tabloid press and broadcasters. Thus the media creates the monster of which it then loses control.
This is not some kind of minority view; the far right is now causing increasing concern, with Peter Geoghegan’s response typical. “Wakes up. Turns on #r4today. Raheem Kassam talking in praise of Tommy Robinson. And the normalisation continues”. Adam Bienkov, not given to hyperbole, noted “Raheem Kassam given a platform by the Today programme to pose as a champion of free speech and justice. He is a fascist with zero interest in either”.
Barrister Adam Wagner was equally concerned. “Just listening to @BBCr4today. Why is no other guest countering @RaheemKassam on Tommy Robinson? Why is he being allowed to make out he's a legal expert commenting on legal policy? Why wasn't he described as as involved with Breitbart? What on earth is going on?”
Lib Dem peer Baroness Hussein-Ece was also unhappy. “I’m disgusted & [have] had enough of @BBCNews @BBCr4today headlining far-right fascist racists. Robinson is a convicted criminal, banned from every football stadium in the country”. Yes, well.
Then came the warnings, with Aaron Bastani observing “The far right are at their strongest since the 1930s, and media continues in failing to hold them accountable. In fact they barely see what’s happening” and Owen Jones telling “The BBC made Nigel Farage. He'd be nothing without them. And now the media is going to normalise the new far right of Steve Bannon and Tommy Robinson”. Quite. And here’s a thought to ponder.
Since Lennon turned up in Crewe last year to intimidate a local blogger, it is him - the convicted criminal - who has been given the red carpet treatment by the media. The local blogger, without a criminal record, is ignored. I’ll just leave that one there.
8 comments:
Perhaps it is finally beginning to dawn just how far right is British corporate media.
Perhaps their methods and editorial policies are finally beginning to hove into general public view.
Perhaps it is finally beginning to dawn just how corrupt and cowardly are media owners and their craven employees.
Perhaps its is finally beginning to dawn that various far right "institutes" are not institutes at all, but bought-and-paid-for propaganda units churning out lies and hypocrisy.
Perhaps there is a dawning of recognition that this is precisely how far right evil is seeded then grown into the murderous, warmongering, thieving monster history shows it to be.
If not, we know where it leads. There can be no more excuses.
Meantime media will fill its robotic role. Outright thugs like Neil and jobsworth creeps like Davis, Burley, Bradby, Maitlis and all the other corporate cowards will shuffle into line whingeing, "Me too!" Good and decent men and women with fair minded policies will be pilloried and smeared. Just wait until the next general election looms for yet worse examples.
Britain, 2018. A declining nation shot through with corruption, apathy, delusion and a rotting soul. A nation led by the nose by evil-minded charlatans and hypocrites. Yeuk.
Who was the editor of the evening standard at the time of the anti-muslim smears in the last mayoral election? Who's the editor of the today programme now?
Earlier in the programme there was an objective, critical look at Robinson and the way contempt of court works. When this piece finished they said there would be a counter argument later from Raheem so in a way it was a balance but there is a presumption that everyone is going to be listening to a three hour radio programme.
All the TR haters including you are spending all day commenting. But the MSM are not allowed? We are not a small faction anymore. Ask the chief constable of London
Having had an "interesting" run in with some "Tommy types" on the Trump demo Saturday I am at a loss as to how these creatures are being given the "oxygen of publicity (ideally no oxygen at all) by a former broadcaster of repute/record. Keep on plugging away at these A-Holes Mr Fenton
But surely Tim you want to be ignored? If the MSM take you to their bosom you would have to "conform", that will not do!
I've seen the "intimidation", which is only such if Mr Lennon's mere presence is a threat to everyone all the time; Cambridgeshire police would agree! If you are going to be uncivil to folk on your blog (it isn't always necessary and is starting to get tiresome unless that is the sole reason for the blog!), and your location is easily searched through your companies house entry I'm surprised the knuckle-draggers you regularly disparage aren't permanently camped at you door, given the way you claim they behave given the chance.
Tim, keep exposing the "Robinson" nutcase and those in media who help him. He's a menace to decency and a peaceful society.
@ David Lea
Are you referring to your type's disgusting violence towards the police recently? Do you really think you sound threatening?
You don't, mate. You just look sad. You are a tiny little group of people and your ideology won't exist for much longer. We've got your number.
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