Do some at The BBC have too much power?

[Countdowntowinter]

A young Welsh journalist with a promising career ahead of her graduated with a masters from Cardiff university. She proudly tweeted with excitement about her first piece being published in The Telegraph.

A BBC newsreader, not even a writer, who confirmed he had merely read no further that the opening paragraph branded it 'feeble'. Cue online threats including rape threats for the journalist.

I recall the stories of the amount of coverage an opinion is given by the very highly paid BBC presenters several months ago.

Perhaps time the BBC rained their presenters in a bit?

@Peacoffee "It was an incredibly inflammatory, bordering on anti-Welsh article. He was allowed to have an opinion. Why is he obligated to read to the end?"

The first paragraph is above. The bit he read. She say she loves her country. I wonder why he felt the need to punch down.

Most BBC newsreaders are journalists before the move into presenting.

Maybe The Telegraph writers don't like the way the BBC acts?

"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2023/07/11/bbc-naming-presenter-scandal/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-rhr

So again, do you think a professional can only pass comment on a peer's work if they are in the exact same point in their career?

Is it acceptable to call an article feeble if the author had been working for 20 years? Is is only unacceptable if they've been working less than 5?

"Feeble" is hardly a nasty review. Surely every writer knows reviews are par of the course and they won't always be praise.

@Peacoffee

My AIBU was 'Do some at the BBC have too much power?' Not was the word feeble nasty. I think you missed my point. I feel that some at the BBC have too much power. Some don't agree.

Responding that the above is feeble is remarkable. Why would he bother?

If that is all there is, then it's unreasonable.

If she was attacked by others for the rest of the content of the article that's a separate issue imo.

does anyone have a link to the article?

Calling an article feeble is an opinion. Everyone can have an opinion.

Rape threats are illegal but there’s no mention of that in the article you posted.

Your finishing question was "Perhaps time the BBC rained their presenters in a bit?" along with the context of this tweet.

So you don't think a newscaster should be able to tweet opinions on political articles?

Who defines "too much power"? Power and influence is due to the public, someone's opinion can't have power and influence if no one cares so obviously there are enough people who cares about what he tweets to read it. Exactly the same as any tv personality.

It was published on the Telegraph so behind a paywall anyway, which was the whole reason he only read the opening part.

This is the bit he could read:

'For context this is the bit that he was able to read (as he said):

"I am proud to come from Wales. It’s the land of Richard Burton, Snowdonia, male voice choirs, Dylan Thomas and dragons. Other than lamb – there are twice as many sheep in Wales than the whole of the US – its food may not be universally admired, but few other parts of the UK are as beautiful. My homeland has always enjoyed a good reputation; and certainly Welsh people are known for being friendly and welcoming – unlike the people of another devolved nation I shan’t" ... then the paywall comes in'

Article in the Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/08/10/drakeford-has-turned-wales-laboratory-terrible-ideas/

I am proud to come from China. It’s the land of Jackie Chan, The Big Wall, martial arts and dragons. Other than rice – we eat over twice as much rice as people in the UK – its food may not be universally admired, but few other parts of the world are as beautiful. My homeland has always enjoyed a good reputation; and certainly Chinese people are known for being friendly and welcoming…

Bit reductive, wouldn't you say? Especially if the rest of the article went on to bash China. Stating “but I started by saying how much I love the dragons and the rice” would sound a bit…feeble, don’t you think??

And trying to bring Trans ideology into this to garner support for your Huw Edwards pile-on is equally feeble. Get a life.

‘Bash China’

Or Wales.. of course people can write articles on what’s not good

Both paragraphs quoted look fine

Yes a bit reductive, then she states what she feels is wrong with the current Welsh government and their range of policies.

As a nobody on MN I don't think I have any power for a pile on. My AIBU was about some at the BBC having too much power. You don't agree with me, that's fine, that's the point of AIBU.

Indeed that's what writers do. Huw didn't read further than the first paragraph and sneered at 'feeble writers'. He couldn't help himself.

Just happened that the first paragraph he DID read - in your own words OP - was reductive.

I'd say that's feeble, lazy writing too. I can't argue with that.

Yes another poster made that point. I agreed, it does feel a bit reductive that way when compared to her post about China etc. I hadn't originally read it that way. As others have said Huw is entitled to an opinion.

I still feel that some at the BBC have too much power. They can use it to thrown scorn on up and coming individuals, or other ways. I realise that not everyone agrees with me.

BBC news readers might start of as journalists.

But by the time they are reading the news, they are just presenting.

Why not get new people in with a good voice and good presentation skills to read the news / read the auto cue.

Make it clear the salary will be £100k absolute tops and the presenter cannot express opinions on social media. The BBC would get a lot of applicants, many capable of doing the job to the current standard or higher.

Well it is funded by licence payers so this seems reasonable. I'm sure if the salaries weren't as big as they are they would still get a huge number of applicants.

I think your comment about karma getting him is pretty disgusting. I wonder whether you'd say the same about the female journalist for the offense she caused? Because that too would be horrible. Stop wishing ill on people.

Do some bbc staff have too much power? Undoubtedly the answer to that is yes.

Is this shown by tweeting an opinion on an article printed? No. Bbc staff have got the right to their opinion like any one else.

Did that opinion incite others to make threats of rape/violence? No. Sadly Twitter is full of keyboard warriors who hide behind their keyboards and make threats. More needs to be done about these kinds of comments.

Frankly, many Telegraph and Spectator writers make feeble contributions to the daily 'news'. She needs to toughen up if she wants to continue in journalism. If she wants to put her views out there she must expect criticism. And, given the time is which we sadly find ourselves, she must not expect critiques that consider her feelings.

Punch down? Hardly

A national broadcaster criticized an article in a national newspaper

Hopefully this young, clearly talented, journalist will have lots of opportunities very soon to write some more pieces and will be able to smile to herself and move onwards in her career 🙂

And hopefully very soon we will see the dismantling of the BBC and it's overpaid, often with little talent, staff.

It should be "reined" in... my editorial background compels me to point out! The rain will fall on HE, just as it does on us all. Reins, as in equine tack, used for steering and braking purposes.