Can we just talk about BBC Woman's Hour

[Charliethefeminist]

I know it's been mentioned in passing but I think the dismal refusal of this programme - run and presented by women who I am sure think they are feminists - to discuss the GRA, to allow a voice to women's fears, to investigate Girl Guiding, to talk about Linda Bellos and the persecution of feminists, to look at Woman's Place, Let A Woman Speak and Standing for Women, to address the concerns raised by prison policy, to explore the problem for rape crisis centres and refuges, and to dissect the silencing of gender critical women, is one of the most egregious failures of journalism l have ever seen.

Me too

Yep.

Well, it is the BBC.

Yes.

Massively disappointed that this enormous grassroots women's movement has erupted in the UK challenging all sorts of issues and they have ignored everything that is going on.

I'm sure Jenni Murray would love to......but

There is no way that Jane Garvey would disagree with us on this. No way at all.

Jenni Murray has made her position clear, too.

So someone, somewhere, is stopping them from talking about this.

The number of actual news stories that seriously disbenefit women and it doesn't deserve ten minutes. Not one interview with Ruth Serwotka, Lucy Masoud, Kathleen Stock, any of the very women they ought to be frankly in awe of. But plenty of time for Amy Challenor, Munroe Bergdorf, and other assorted transadvocates. It's weak, it's pathetic, it's pandering to men and it's the antithesis of journalism.

Agree. But look where it got Jenni Murray last year when she did try to stick her head above the parapet.

Terfed: that's it. It's a grassroots new feminist movement around sex-based rights and they are studiously and determinedly ignoring it.

It's such a glaring omission, given how much other feminist stuff they cover. Really, really makes the BBC look bad. But I doubt any of the presenters are to blame - they'll have had a diktat from on high, I imagine.

Agree. Woman's Hour should have made itself central to the discussion which is why they punished Jenni Murray so disproportionately when she tried to speak out.
I can't help thinking that book on totalitarianism cited on the other thread probably has something relevant to say here.

They don't have to express an opinion, as Jenni did. They could have an item, a discussion, an interview. They don't have to express their own opinions during same.

I was thinking exactly this yesterday.

They're silenced, no doubt about it. JM was disciplined by the BBC after she wrote her article (apparently triggered by an interview with India Willoughby) 'Be trans, be proud......but don't say you're a woman.'

How has it come to this if a flag-ship BBC radio programme for women can't talk openly about this? I'd call it a complete joke except that there's nothing to laugh about.

Well Jenni Murray got a total bollocking when she expressed pretty mild gc views so I wouldn't be surprised if she's not overly keen to repeat the experience.

Agree. It's a disgrace, they have always been a bit "bbc balance" about everything - remember the "men have PND too" thing? - but this is ridiculous.

A wall of silence on the legislation that could change the actual definition of woman.

Incidentally - Aimee Challenor has just posted on the MN Twitter that "Aimee" has just used the women's toilets in London. Provocative goady fuckery? Sure. But I'm surprised Aimee needed to use a public convenience at all, given certain selfies made public on twitter.

There's more than one presenter, and there's an entire team behind the scenes and an editor. I agree the Editor should take the fall in the end.

A wall of silence on the legislation that could change the actual definition of woman

Could not have put it better

So someone, somewhere, is stopping them from talking about this.

Its worth keeping writing to them, raising each issue that seems important to discuss there. The more letters / emails there are, the harder it is to refuse should some of the team wish to.

Agreed, but again I'm not surprised either.

I think the BBC have shown exactly where their loyalty is, and it isn't with women.

Very true, Rowan.

Rowan, that is interesting.

I hadn't even thought about this but you're absolutely right. The GRA consultation is huge. There should have been much kore coverage. If I wasn't on here I wouldn't have any idea it was even happening

There just isn’t time to talk about everything affecting women, especially with such compelling stories as a woman dressing up as a badger to be covered. GC women should know their place.

It would be very interesting actually to go through the topics they have covered recently.

And analyse the topics of pressing concern to women in 2018 the Year of the Woman.

There was a poster here* the other day who couldn't convince her mum that this attack on women's rights was happening because she hadn't heard about it on of her regular media sources: Radio 4, the Guardian and the BBC.

(*or was it on Facebook? I forget.)