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Original poster

"Balanced" reporting - does it favour men?

22 replies

QuentinWinters · 27/12/2018 08:36

I get very frustrated when listening to news reports about things that primarily affect women, such as rape reporting, domestic violence or postnatal depression. They usually have to involve a story about a man "for balance" and I think it gives the impression that men and women are equally affected.
So I was quite irritated to read this article about parental alienation. Both examples used are mothers alienating their daughters from their fathers.
It seems "balance" only needs to go one way.
Also I think it feeds into a wider narrative that fathers lose contact with their children because the mother is vindictive or spiteful. I think this is an example of misogyny.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46633862

OP posts:
FlyingOink · 27/12/2018 10:00

The BBC gets stick for having to balance reporting on things many people take as fact. Hence why they air the views of climate change deniers as well the environmental mainstream.
I'd be more worried about a failure to report things than a part of the report given over to "it happens to X too".

FlyingOink · 27/12/2018 10:04

Plus people don't really care about things that don't affect them. So mentioning that something happens to men/Americans/young people/etc too makes that part of the audience sit up and pay attention. Just human nature.

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 10:33

'Parental alienation" is an MRA term used by activists such as F4J originated in America for those who believe family courts are weighted against men because when their violent, raping terrorisation of their families is taken into account mothers tend to get custody.

It's probably more evidence of M/TRA infiltration of the beeb.

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 10:35

Yes that definitely reads like an MRA press release.

Ringdonna · 27/12/2018 10:44

I think *Flying is right unfortunately. Most people only gwt concerned about what is on their radar and how/if it affects them.

Coronapop · 27/12/2018 10:48

I agree with you. As a JP I was in court for a case of a woman accused of DV. I am sure the case was only brought because 'someone' (police or CPS) had decided that women were as culpable as men. The 'victim' was a drunk male who had called the police when he was shut out of the house and accused the woman of assault. He did not attend court and the case was dismissed, but the woman had had the case hanging over her for several months by then. I despair sometimes.

userschmoozer · 27/12/2018 11:12

The rules on balanced reporting mean each individual report has to be balanced. This report is not and I agree, it reads as if it were written by someone with an agenda.

On the same page there's a link to a report on UC and childcare. The report is so carefully neutral it becomes unbalanced, as it hides the fact most of the people affected by UC childcare rules are women.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46649160

''Get in debt or turn down job? Universal Credit's 'stark choice'"
"The Universal Credit system leaves too many UK claimants with children facing a stark choice between turning down jobs or getting into debt, MPs warn.

The Work and Pensions Select Committee says the way parents have to pay for childcare up front, then claim it back afterwards is a "barrier to work".

Committee chairman Frank Field said it was "irresponsible" to put this burden on "struggling, striving parents"."

Melanippe · 27/12/2018 11:33

I don't think that is a balanced report at all, because it utterly fails to mention the reason why many women try and keep their children away from their ex, abuse. Men can and do use the courts and police to continue to abuse their ex and to control their children. Even when the woman manages to keep contact to a minimum, the father then gets in touch when the child is an adult and the coercive control continues.

Original poster
QuentinWinters · 27/12/2018 13:09

That's interesting werise
I did think it seemed a very MRA type of report.

OP posts:
WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 13:52

September/October 2009 Issue

Revisiting Parental Alienation Syndrome — "Scientific Questions, Real World Consequences
By David Surface
Social Work Today
Vol. 9 No. 5 P. 26"

Title of above link

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 13:55

The noncey roots of 'parental alienation' nomas.org/parental-alienation-syndrome-hoax-hurts-children/

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 14:00

Didn't really want to link to F4J since they tried to take down Mumsnet but here's a screenshot of a Google search.

"Balanced" reporting - does it favour men?
charis · 27/12/2018 14:09

Fucking hell. I used it on a thread today because that is exactly what XH did to me with DC#2 - it just seemed like a good way to describe it.

userschmoozer · 27/12/2018 14:09

PAS looks a lot like DARVO, doesn't it. I'm surprised it has to be pointed out, especially when it means fathers are having their children handcuffed and put into prison.

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 14:09

It seems that the 'syndrome' has been knocked off the end because it was such utter non-scientific bollocks that had only been added to give it an appearance of validity.

MRAs now just use 'parental alienation' as a way to not be dismissed offhand as family terrorists trying to get the mother punished and get their nasty abusive hands back on their kids.

I don't think the beeb should be giving such a dodgy term validity.

goldengummybear · 27/12/2018 14:16

That Psychology Today link is terrifying!

I have a 17 year old who is NC with his Dad. He's brought up PAS. Our son is very stubborn, intelligent and can't be told what to do yet ex thinks I could brainwash him into being NC? If I had that sort of power I'd use it to benefit me- I'd have ds doing lots of cleaning and tidying. Our other children see him so I'm clearly not telling any of them what to do.

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 14:20

PAS looks a lot like DARVO, doesn't it.

I remember it being used a lot before a spate of family annihilations made people less sympathetic to dastardly dads.

This also seem to be around the time where a lot of MRAs started to pretend to give a shit abut transsexual rights. It was clear they supported the idea of women not having anywhere to flee from men. In DV services men weren't allowed in because controlling men are so dangerous and obsessive and the time of fleeing is the most dangerous of all. A no men policy really did provide a hard barrier if he turned up and wasn't even allowed to sit in the waiting room because he is a bloke. Self ID removes this protection.

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 14:23

I have seen a number of women have their kids turned against them by the dads. For example, not bring able to afford anything and having to constantly say no to requests, while dad can spoil them and make up lies. I know about 4 women this has happened to - they don't become estranged but they do become hated.

userschmoozer · 27/12/2018 14:27

If any other group was recruiting and radicalizing in this way they'd be under investigation. MRA's are getting away with some disgusting behaviour, and social engineering.

WeRiseUp · 27/12/2018 14:44

In 2003 Sir Bob was all for it fnf.org.uk/about-us-2/history/message-from-bob-geldof

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