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Wednesday, 5 August 2020
TalkRADIO’s Far Right Lurch
Those who thought that Murdoch property TalkRADIO could not possibly be a nascent UK incarnation of Fox News Channel (fair and balanced my arse) may have been disabused of that notion recently as more examples emerged showing that the broadcaster has taken a serious lurch towards the authoritarian right, along with lapses into implicit and even explicit racism, sexism, bullying and, of course, client journalism.
The sexism and bullying has come courtesy of craven coward Mike Graham, who back in April told anyone not yet asleep “[TalkRADIO] has become the most trusted source of news without spin and nonsense [no citation]. Join the revolution people”. When Jessica Simor reminded him “You're the man who said Covid is no worse than the flu. Remember?” Graham promptly lost his cool. As well as getting it wrong (again).
“It still isn’t when it comes to deaths dopey. Try not to show yourself up as an idiot. Please show me how we have suffered more deaths than last year. It’s not about that. Moron QC” he blustered. All those tens of thousands of excess deaths later, he’s still at it.
So when TalkRADIO told its fans “Nigel Farage has claimed the government is housing 48,000 illegal migrants in hotels and private accommodation, costing the taxpayer up to £4 billion over the next 10 years. What is your response?” Graham was back (leaving aside that someone who claims asylum is not an “illegal” anything).
“More news on the big illegal migrant hotel scandal tomorrow [TalkRADIO] from [Serco Group] following the [Nigel Farage] bombshell exclusive last week … The home of common sense” he proclaimed, neatly edging his employer towards the far right. And worse was to come, as the station promoted a Zelo Street favourite.
The TalkRADIO Twitter feed described Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, as a “political campaigner”. This should have surprised no-one; last year the same account described Lennon as an “activist”. One observer asked “Why is [TalkRADIO] giving a platform to far right activist and racist Tommy Robinson? Robinson has been banned by [Twitter] so why are Talk Radio allowed to tweet this broadcast on Twitter?”
Graham, meanwhile, was in one of those Very Difficult Positions after he defamed barrister Jane Heybroek and then threatened her with another legal action, only to find that her defence prevailed, James Foster gently suggested “Think you owe Jane an apology”. Graham didn’t offer one. He’s a coward, and he’s not big enough to say sorry.
But he is typical of TalkRADIO’s authoritarian tendency, as is the station’s breakfast time host, the self-promoting Julia Hartley Dooda, exporting the TalkRADIO message to readers of the increasingly desperate and downmarket Telegraph. Teachers should, she has decreed, go back to work or face the sack. That almost 150 teachers and other workers in the education sector have already died with Covid-19 is not allowed to enter.
Whether it’s arch-coward Graham, Dan “I’m opinionated, me” Wootton, or Ms Hartley Dooda, the impression of TalkRADIO shouty authoritarianism is unmistakable.
Broadcast bigotry by the back door. You never take a Murdoch promise on trust.
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Broadcast bigotry by the back door. You never take a Murdoch promise on trust.
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14 comments:
What's the problem, have Radio 5 on your left speaker and Talkradio on your right, should get a perfect balance!
If you don't like Talkradio try the off switch, and it is not for you or anyone else to decide what they shouldn't broadcast. At least they don't do cancel culture.
It's Alt-Reich radio for the Tommy Robinson fanboys out there. I don't and won't tune in.
5 live, Left wing,are you having a laugh?
The BBC isnt very welcoming to those journalists with the ability to think and research the facts independently..
It only wants stenographers like Laura Kuenssberg, who is considered such a joke her old Alma Mata students of journalism at Georgetown in Washington DC, are known to chucle and smirk whenever Laura rocks up to speak.
I have to agree with Anon at 16.48. Who actually calls in to talk radio shows? The lonely, bewildered and deluded. Nobody learns anything, opinions get reinforced, and radio stations love them because they're cheap to produce, save on music royalties, and guarantee lazy controversy.
Cancel culture doesn't exist, and only the deeply stupid or deeply dishonest believe it to. I wonder which one you are.
Tim, and everyone else, is allowed to criticise this putrid radio station that serves solely for the most vile humans they can find. However, it is not for you or anyone else to tell Tim what he can and can't write about.
You people really need to stop playing the victim all the time. It's always projection with you angry, strange little authoritarians.
Coincidentally that radio station features notorious right wing Labour members who are keen to point the figure and accuse others of antisemitism on a whim...by trivialising a hate crime they undermine trust and accountability...typical neoliberal and rightwing behaviour
And so the osmosis of urfascism continues. Even gathers pace.
Poor Britain: a hapless dupe of corrupt wretches like Murdoch and his brats and the BBC "News" menagerie.
And the worst is yet to come. Just wait for all the redundancies and reduced terms of employment to get traction.
You ain't seen NOTHIN' yet.
@16:48
Wrong. Why is it that the most gammon of freeze peaches are so utterly ignorant of the principles they claim to be defending?
"The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. [...] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent."
Yawn, l plead the 1st amendment!
Criticism no problem, do it, but saying he, she or it shouldn't be allowed to say this, that or anything ever, no!
I disapprove of what you say and I will defend to the death my right to stop you saying it, is not a correct or liberal stance.
If you are so sure you are right let every argument be heard and let people choose for themselves, what is there to be frightened of?
If you sincerely believe in completely unfettered free speech, tell your boss to go fuck himself.
I did, in a polite manner, now I'm the boss.
You bow to authoritarianism, I fight it. Group think can go and do one.
@12:23.
Until someone tells YOU to go fuck yourself.
In which case, according to your example, you are no longer boss.
Can someone tell me how serial criminal Robinson/Lennon is constantly refereed to as an 'activist'?
If he was a black gentleman with an equally long criminal record campaigning for Jeremy Corbyn am sure the media would universally call him something else.
@12:23,
If you told your boss to "go fuck himself politely", you actually didn't tell him to go fuck himself, you are using weasel words to avoid to the substance of my question. I suspect your dishonestly stems from the fact that you have no problem with your speech being severely curtailed by those who hold economic sway over you and this undermines your stated position of a free speech warrior. The reminder of your post is just silly straw-maning and not worthy of reply.
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