h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I feel the need to start a thread recording my thoughts about the decline of the BBC's journalistic standards.

I listened to John Humphrys interviewing the Chancellor on Today this week. It was an execrable performance, utterly misjudged. It was founded on absurd premises, demanding "guarantees" of financial security left, right and centre. It was irresponsible. It was practically treasonable.

Darling handled the nonsense pretty well, really, but an opportunity for some redress in a serious situation was wasted through the self-importance of a disgraceful old fart who IMHO should be put out to grass immediately.

And then there is Peston. The BBC hired a histrionic idiot on the assumption that it would inject a little theatre into a thoroughly bland subject. Unfortunately economics suddenly got "interesting" (in the Chinese proverb sense) without any help from the contemptible Robert. As a result, the BBC is inflicting actual bodily harm on the economy now, through giving him airtime. How deeply ironic, with Evan Davies on the staff, and through him real journalistic talent and expertise in the field. I guess we need Evan to fill the hole vacated by the Welsh mound of ordure, however.

We don't even need to mention Gilligan, cat-naming and all the other crap. You only have to listen to a news broadcast, on either radio or TV, to cringe at the "I've learned that...", "I was told...", me-me-me brand of hackery. This is editorial incompetence, of course. People in senior positions must feel that being the news rather than reporting the news is appropriate. That's a wholly inappropriate mindset for any journalist, let alone one funded by the tax-payer. There's really no conclusion possible other than that a once-excellent news broadcaster is nowadays shit-stacked from top to bottom.

That'll do for now. I intend to use this thread to note the latest dire troughs of broadcast journalism as they arise. Other contributions in a similar vein welcome. Who knows, the landlord might actually read them and try harder. I'm not holding my breath, mind.

Maybe I overestimated Evan. This morning, he signed off the latest Chancellor interview by asking if he'd called out for a curry again.

Whoever thought that was in the public interest ought to have their comfy pension forcibly donated to charity.