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Besides watching Question Time and gathering this week's Dimbledata, my pre-work agenda today included putting on record my happy surprise at there being two right-of-centre guests in a two-handed discussion on a BBC programme. This is a thing rarely heard of. Yesterday's PM featured a discussion between Peter Hitchens and Conservative blogger Iain Dale , chaired (without hostility) by blog favourite Eddie Mair.
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So 'well done!' to the producers of PM? Well, so I thought until the time came to begin writing. It's just hit me. Given that the discussion was about journalism and causing offense (in the wake of the Jan Moir story), why would you only invite guests from right-wing newspapers/websites to such a debate? Perhaps because you think right-wing newspapers/websites are more likely to be offensive than left-wing ones? Perhaps because you want to associate the idea of offensiveness only with right-wing newspapers/websites? So far from showing a rare glimpse of indulgence to centre-right opinion, does this not actually show yet more left-wing bias from the BBC?
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Or am I being far too cynical here?
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On QT tonight Eddie showed Dumbleby how to do it by playing to both right and left.
ReplyDeleteAfter this programme, and especially over the rape question, my previously high opinion of Diane Abbot has gone right down.
I've deliberately chosen not to read any biographical information about Eddie, as I'm happy being in complete ignorance about where he stands politically.
ReplyDeleteI've listened to him for ages, and I still couldn't guess where he stands or who he'd vote for.
As you say, he adopts different standpoints for different interviews and will only have a go at someone if they're waffling or lying, regardless of party.
Which other top BBC interviewer can you say that of?
Certainly not Jim Naughtie!
As you can guess, he's really cheesing me off at the moment!
Anon " high opinion of Diane Abbott".
ReplyDeleteOh dear !
Craig, I am sure I have posted this before but Eddie is especially good on Any Questions when Dimblebore minor is away. Very witty and good humoured. He doesn't seem to harbour the naked hatred that Naughtie displays. Something awful must have happened to Naughtie to make him so bitter and twisted.