I'm not sure about you, but I am explicably drawn to subject matters to which I am doggedly opposed. When I had to go to Tokyo a lot a few years back and stay in a hotel with an abundance of foreign TV channels, I used to find BBC World a bit of a turn off and CNN ... well ... predictable. Now Fox on the other hand was hypnotisingly fasicnating. Never have I watched so much propaganda dressed up as news. I think their signature phrase is "We report. You decide". Laughable to the extreme. Here's a brilliant Doonesbury strip that totally explodes that particular lie. Oh, and why "explicable"? Well, I can watch the Beeb on the Net and bits of CNN on satellite TV at home, but I wouldn't watch Fox if I had good access to it. It was precisely because my access was limited that made it even more alluring. (And, of course, I like to keep abreast of my own prejudices i.e. my loathing of Fox News.)
Posted by Joe at July 27, 2003 08:15 PMI'm surprised you find the BBC a turn off - it's your heritage!!!! As far as I am concerned all news is propaganda full of hype and spin. I never used to be this cynical, but I am turning into my father.
Posted by: Paula at July 31, 2003 06:02 PMThe Beeb, Paula, is brilliant. An institution I wouldn't be without. But BBC World, while probably the best of what is available on worldwide television, doesn't quite cut it. I think they should have modelled themselves on BBC Worldservice rather than CNN!
Posted by: Joe at July 31, 2003 06:46 PM