Dear Sky/BBC: some cynicism and scepticism during this election please

Simon Cooke (@simonmagus) Posted by Simon Cooke (@simonmagus)
Thursday, 28th January 2010

Dear Sky/BBC,

For reasons of convalescence I have been stuck at home and have – as one does – found time to watch your rolling news services. Can’t say I’m all that impressed. Seems that the endless recycling of three or four news stories punctuated by ads (and yes BBC that includes you) is about the best you can do. Pretty poor really.

However, my main grumble isn’t how limited your coverage has become but how supine you have become when faced with politics. Quite frankly I’d like you to be a little more cynical and a lot more sceptical. You really can do a little better than simply regurgitating whatever Government or opposition press release has landed on your desk. And rolling out the inane gossip of the bloggers you met in the pub last night really isn’t much of an improvement now, is it?

So let me explain. Being cynical means questioning the motives of the person sending you the story. Press release from some think tank – ask whether they have close links to a political party. Ask whether their leading lights are up for election somewhere or other. Ask how their interest is served by you putting their latest piece of pseudo-research on air. The same goes for everything else – almost nothing arrives with you free from ulterior motive (mostly to do with power or money or both) so stop treating these NGOs, Charities, think-tanks and consultancies as if they are saints.

Being sceptical means asking for evidence. Yes, evidence. You know the stuff. Real facts that support whatever argument the political party, think tank, company, charity or celebrity providing the story is trying to make. When you get the press release claiming “Labour policy takes 100,000 children out of poverty” ask for the facts. And ask other people for the facts too. And maybe do a little fact digging yourself – it’s not hard these days with all this internet gubbins. More to the point isn’t that what journalists are supposed to do? Without fear or favour? Free from influence – champions of the truth? And, you know, just getting two opposing politicians – or worse bloggers – to shout at each other isn’t remotely helpful and certainly not edifying.

I know its a little bubble. I know there’s plenty of decent lunches and good dinners to be had sucking up to the politicians, SpAds, bloggers and spin doctors. But you aren’t doing your job if this is the best you can do – endless, self-serving gossip dressed up as policy debate. Boring rubbish about who’s in and who’s out, who’s up and who’s down. Tittle tattle about minor peccadilloes rather than a real assessment of what the Government are actually doing. What the opposition are proposing to do. And what real people – you know the one’s you patronise all the time on your news programmes – want their Government to do.

It’s not hard. It just requires you to do the job you’re paid to do.

Thanks

Simon Cooke

Irritated of Cullingworth

 

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