Can a representative from the BBC and Guardian be called to do a webchat to discuss events in Cologne on NYE?

[carlajean]

Given the unprecedented volume of posts expressing anger/frustration with how the media (especially the Guardian and the BBC) covered events in Cologne on New Years Eve, would you please ask for a representative for those organisations to come and do a web chat? I think it would be useful.

I second that. It's a strange day when you have to rely on the Daily Mail to herald women's rights.

There's been a massive cover up by the Guardian and BBC with the former deleting comments relating to this incident.

I'd like to know why.

Yes. Yes.

I second that. Why is this event not being covered correctly. It's a serious issue so why the cover up?

Yes please - accountability is everything. We need answers

Yes, good idea. The tardiness in reporting plus the blatant editorial spin (minimizing the attacks, refusing to admit that while sexist attacks are endemic in western culture, these are on a scale, and with a degree of premeditation we have never seen before, the lack of decent investigative journalism comparing and contrasting the police approaches in Helsinki and Cologne) is a disgrace. (I should say that I am in many respects the archetypical Guardian reader - left-leaning, feminist, single mother, public sector worker).

The job of the press is to report in an unbiased way on events, not to decide on political grounds which events to report on and which to bury (I've suddenly had a flashback to that spindoctor whose initial response to 9-11 as "a good day to bury bad news"). I presume they thought they were acting for laudible motives, to avoid inflaming racial tension, but in fact their strategy has totally misfired, because all that happens is that they create an information vacuum which the extreme right wing then fills with unsubstantiated rumours and misinformation.

This is an excellent idea. Let them try to justify their total lack of respect for women to women.

Great idea.

Yes Lurcio, exactly.

Yes, yes.

Hear, hear. Would be very interested in this. I'm on the verge of unsubscribing to the Guardian after 30 years of loyal readership

I would like to see this happen.

It will never happen though

The Guardian and Beeb just want this story to go away, no way would they prolong the attention.

Today, the Guardian published another apologist piece saying these poor men can't really help it and need gentle re-education

I totally agree - it would be interesting to hear what they have to say about the dearth/poor reporting. However, I think like Baby says it's unlikely to happen.

They don't need to answer to anybody, and won't. There is no such thing as unbiased media. Previously the Guardian/BBC obviously reported with a bias you approved of. Now they don't, so find a new news source that does tell you what you want to hear.

They will lose many of their core readership if they are shown up as avoiding the issues, which is happening. The BBC is not something we can control other than by writing to Ofcom.

Why so sneery? The Guardian have done a shit job reporting this over representing the concerns of its readers, and its not as easy to hide that now as it was in the past when there was no social media etc.

Yes please. 2♀16

I'm not sure what you're expecting they would say. Even if they did make a political decision to downgrade the story they won't publically admit that.

They'd just come up with some bland waffle: "We understand the depth of feeling over this ... blah, blah, blah ... limited space/airtime means we can't cover every story to the level that everyone may want ... blah, blah, blah ... an editorial decision was made ... blah, blah, blah ... we will certainly pass on your comments to our news team ... blah, blah, blah".

You're right of course NotDavid. But if they felt pressured to do it someone might take something from the fact that they're out of touch with many of their readership. And seeing as how they're asking people to give £49 to be "supporters" of the Guardian to allow their cutting edge investigative journalism to continue, they must expect that people are going to want to see a bit of accountability.

MNHQ are preventing these threads from being in Discussion of The Day.

This is too important to cover up!

When was the last time a subject ran into three threads? Never!

Disgusting 😡

is anyone from Mumsnet going to respond to this?

I find the Graun's non reporting very strange, especially seeing as the editor is a woman. I tend to discount BBC News nowadays, for years it's come across as the propaganda wing of whichever government is in charge.

It was Rory Suchet on RT that told me the German police have identified 32 suspects, 18 of whom are asylum seekers/immigrants.

Why do ring wing papers who were hardly fast at reporting events.

The cover up orginated in Germany, however The Guardian and Bbc have definitely tried to keep it hush.
The bbc gave events 9 seconds of coverage. They failed to mention that attacks have been taking place for months not just in Germany but Sweden and Austria. They also failed to mention the mayors victim blaming statement of short skirts.

Hi all - we apologise for not having posted yet. We are here reading and discussing.

Thanks so much for posting

I'd like to know why the threads don't seem to be in discussions of the day too.

No way will you ever get a representative of the press he to defend the indefensible.

I think this sounds like a great idea!