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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think there’s no need for ‘major news report’ message

192 replies

Greyrootszerohoots · 09/04/2021 17:58

Getting ready for bed the CBeebies way and ‘Major news report on BBC1’ message keeps being flashed up. Anxiety inducing thoughts of you know, something major that didn’t happen earlier in the day and didn’t involve just one person dying.

I get that it’s big news and people care more than I do, but AIBU to think there’s no need to keep posting this on a kids tv channel?

OP posts:
Greyrootszerohoots · 10/04/2021 16:55

@Geamhradh I’d just like to make clear the ‘bile’ was slightly off topic. My original point was that the alarmist tone and style of the messaging was a bit much (there is a screenshot of it somewhere in here.) Particularly to be showing it 7 hours after the story had originally broke. I was simply saying that I - like many others, it seems - assumed something else had happened and switched to check. Basically there was no need for click bait on a channel for pre-schoolers.

OP posts:
Greyrootszerohoots · 10/04/2021 17:02

@Geamhradh also - regarding ‘well said’, if you read the thread you’ll only see I mentioned that I’d lived in countries where a newsflash of this nature indicated imminent danger. I never said 7 countries, the respondent mis-read and later joked about it.

This all happened yesterday, time to untwist your knickers maybe.

OP posts:
Lweji · 10/04/2021 17:41

Well, three threads full of bile about his death and asking people to complain have already been deleted, as I'm sure you know as you are on most of them.

I was on one deleted thread that was not complaining about the coverage, but was complaining about the presenter who mentioned his "gaffes" not to call them gaffes.
The only one complaining about coverage that I was ever on is the CBeebies one and that is still on.

So, I do have to ask, are you delirious?

TimeIhadaNameChange · 10/04/2021 18:02

I agree. My immediate thought was that Russia had declared war and felt sick. It seems OTT to put a message like that on CBEEBIES but if necessary a simple statement of fact would have sufficed.

AlexaRain · 10/04/2021 20:22

The man was not special in his own merit in comparison to most other people. He wasn't extraordinary, he did not come from nothing and changed the world. He was an aristocratic who married very well and had a pretty easy life because of it. So why in earth should we really be so reflective for more than a few moments? The world has moved on from this sort of sycophantic behaviour of idealisation of our 'betters'.

Well said.

Keyring · 10/04/2021 20:26

@AlexaRain

The man was not special in his own merit in comparison to most other people. He wasn't extraordinary, he did not come from nothing and changed the world. He was an aristocratic who married very well and had a pretty easy life because of it. So why in earth should we really be so reflective for more than a few moments? The world has moved on from this sort of sycophantic behaviour of idealisation of our 'betters'.

Well said.

Perhaps take time to educate yourself about his life before you state "he wasn't extraordinary".
AlexaRain · 10/04/2021 21:21

Perhaps take time to educate yourself about his life before you state "he wasn't extraordinary".

We haven't had any choice other than to learn about his life, given the wall to wall coverage over the last day and a half.

We get it, you're a big fan of the monarchy. Perhaps you should take tome to educate yourself, you may find out that not everyone shares your opinions.

Nanny0gg · 10/04/2021 22:10

@AlexaRain

The man was not special in his own merit in comparison to most other people. He wasn't extraordinary, he did not come from nothing and changed the world. He was an aristocratic who married very well and had a pretty easy life because of it. So why in earth should we really be so reflective for more than a few moments? The world has moved on from this sort of sycophantic behaviour of idealisation of our 'betters'.

Well said.

Well I wouldn't have liked his early life and I don't think his life was that easy either.

But then I think that about anyone who fought in the war

Keyring · 10/04/2021 22:21

@AlexaRain

Perhaps take time to educate yourself about his life before you state "he wasn't extraordinary".

We haven't had any choice other than to learn about his life, given the wall to wall coverage over the last day and a half.

We get it, you're a big fan of the monarchy. Perhaps you should take tome to educate yourself, you may find out that not everyone shares your opinions.

I do understand that not everyone is a monarchist - I consider myself reasonably well educated.

If you have learned about his life I wonder why you make the remarks you do. Sure, you don't like the monarchy - that's entirely your right, but don't dismiss the man's life as not special. It was and he did a number of very good things.

getyourfreakon · 10/04/2021 22:56

I remember a banner appearing when I was watching cartoons (Tom and Jerry I think) and telling my mum. Princess Diana had died. She wasn't fuming over it and I was fine.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 10/04/2021 23:48

I’d just like to make clear the ‘bile’ was slightly off topic. My original point was that the alarmist tone and style of the messaging was a bit much (there is a screenshot of it somewhere in here.) Particularly to be showing it 7 hours after the story had originally broke. I was simply saying that I - like many others, it seems - assumed something else had happened and switched to check. Basically there was no need for click bait on a channel for pre-schoolers.

I agree with you, OP, and I think some people have rather misconstrued and stretched what you said. I thought exactly the same.

Yes, it's major news, and I think it was right to take over BBC1 for it (not sure about the others, though - they could always have swapped any potentially 'sensitive' content).

The big clanger that the BBC dropped was having such a massive banner, for so long, on a channel made for young children - especially so many hours after the sad, but hardly shocking, news had broken; and making it look like it could be something urgent and catastrophic for the nation. Even if they did have to have it on there so prominently and for so long, they could have said 'Major Royal News on BBC1' or something.

It isn't the same as when Diana died. Aside from the nature of her death and her very young age, things were very different in 1997. Nobody had smart phones or social media, internet access was very limited and many could quite conceivably not have heard for hours afterwards.

Regardless of whose death it was, young children cope with death in different ways and at different stages. It's up to the parents to shield them, guide them and inform them at the right time and in the right way for them. As for the PP saying that the world doesn't revolve around young children, that's true; but CBeebies DOES.

A lot of the viewers might have very old and/or very ill (great)grandparents and been very worried to see the news flash, especially if they'd vaguely overheard people mentioning that 'he's died' elsewhere. Tiny ones live in tiny worlds and they wouldn't necessarily understand that news of their (non-famous) grandparent's death wouldn't interrupt the news in the same way.

As for the concept of 'breaking news', the BBC are really in danger of crying wolf and overusing the term to the point of it becoming meaningless. Yesterday, their news website had a massive 'BREAKING' banner at the bottom - and the 'shock breaking news' was that Prince Charles had expressed great sadness at his own Father's death Confused

By all means continue to expand on important stories (on appropriate channels) for those who want to follow the developments, but in the modern world, a big story like this is no longer a surprise to anybody 6 or 7 hours after it's been reported, unless it happens overnight, maybe. It's still important news: just no longer 'breaking' or in any way a shock.

AlexaRain · 11/04/2021 00:06

I consider myself reasonably well educated.

That's great.

AlexaRain · 11/04/2021 00:11

@Keyring

Oops posted too soon.

I have every right to have an opinion (shared by others on this thread particularly the poster who wrote the comment that you are attributing to me). You are on a lot of threads singing PPs praises and seem to be getting upset with anyone who disagrees with you. Do you think the RF care as much about you as you do about them?

cerealgamechanger · 11/04/2021 00:26

Shame that Peppa Pig has been interrupted but someone’s grandad/father/husband has died

As if the past year hasn't been traumatic enough for young children...

cerealgamechanger · 11/04/2021 00:29

I'm on the German/Swiss border and was listening to Radio 2 on Alexa. When I didn't hear the Swiss civil defence alarms go off I thought oh well China hasn't declared war then, it must be the Duke

😂😂😂

cerealgamechanger · 11/04/2021 00:29

[quote Lweji]@VanGoghsDog

Yeah, you don't really get Godwin's law, do you?

Actually, I do. Do you?

Sometimes it's fair not to be 100% accurate when making a joke. Or there would be no jokes.
And, btw, most applications of Godwin's law are abusive and misunderstand the law.
Let's call it a non-canonical application of Godwin's Law sensu lato, rather than sensu stricto.

As it was, there was no need to mention here that the man had fought the nazis. This was only brought up as a last resort to justify the news overreaction to his death. That this was done in 13 posts rather than after a long thread is remarkable, and within the spirit of Godwin's Law.

Grin[/quote]

Gooo Lweji! 💪🏻

Keyring · 11/04/2021 13:06

[quote AlexaRain]@Keyring

Oops posted too soon.

I have every right to have an opinion (shared by others on this thread particularly the poster who wrote the comment that you are attributing to me). You are on a lot of threads singing PPs praises and seem to be getting upset with anyone who disagrees with you. Do you think the RF care as much about you as you do about them?

[/quote]
sorry I attributed that to you @AlexaRain.

No I don't mind people disagreeing with me - in fact that happens all day in my job.

I am just attempting to put an alternative view. I respect others' viewpoints - and I respect yours.

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