BBC reminding us why the licence fee is optiontal

[SerendipityJane]

With levels of reporting like this:

The women, mostly in their 70s, said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves linked to climate change.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68768598

The only time I ever miss having a TV licence is when Strike’s on. And then I watch it at a friend’s.

Complaint duly logged.

My favourite bit

Asked about her commitment to the case for nine years, (Elisabeth Smart, 76) told the BBC "Some of us are just made that way. We are not made to sit in a rocking chair and knit."

This is what I do for Sewing Bee 🐝

Without Mumsnet I wouldn't have questioned the style of this article. Do you think there was a bit of casual sexism and ageism that caused that reply about knitting?

I've looked on some other news websites and the tone of their reports is much more scientific. The BBC seems to be the only one that uses the word gender, the rest say women throughout and only mention the women's ages to provide context.

It was supposedly under the BBCs "science and environment" section. Not their "a idiot writes" section. Nor their "how we see it" section.

E2A: The possibility of a refund of a portion of the licence fee might be an idea. I wonder if that's do-able. Maybe a quantum of damages of £0.01 ?

That article has changed. It's a lot longer now and has Greta in it.

I'm the same as @rurbane as I could not see why you complained either, but if you had read a different article then maybe that's why.

No, the opening still uses "gender" when it really means "sex".

It's not gender that raises the risks here. It's sex. Your dress, hairstyle and pronouns are irrelevant.

Luckily anyone who relies on the BBC for life advice is getting what they deserve. However the article could lead a female2male transman to think "there's no risk to me then" and scroll on by. Admittedly a contrived situation (the irony). However once again a stark reminder that diluting science with fashionable causes can lead to harm.

The article has been edited and has improved! I am grateful to SerendipityJane for posting about this article because I'm so used to ageism and sexism, even if it's meant kindly (little old ladies still having ideas, bless, they're such grey-babes) that I don't immediately recognise it. And yes, I agree that it's sex not gender. Always.

It still says "gender". So still a load of cobblers.

I pay my license fee only because I love Doctors.

They've decided to scrap it so I won't be paying once Doctors disappears. I'll miss Only Connect but I can live without it.

This kind of reporting only makes me more resolute to not pay in future.

I think we all know now that the BBC has a "house style" as do most newspapers, eg the Guardian.

The interesting thing about this court victory as it is about older women saying they are being discriminated because they are aging females.

(I have only heard and seen news reports not read anything.)

I thought Greta (me, me, me) turning up when her whole "why I am so important" was because horrid baby boomers like these women had ruined her life.

And yet by following the route they have taken they have probably achieve more than all her years of stamping her spoilt little feet.

And as an aside, given how badly women have been treated in Switzerland (ie when they got the vote etc.) it is one in the eye for Swiss culture.

And as an aside, given how badly women have been treated in Switzerland (ie when they got the vote etc.) it is one in the eye for Swiss culture.

Oops, almost forgot to put Nazi Gold into the thread. Just in case anyone is Googling "Switzerland".

You could be me 😂 I go to my parents to watch it and it’s the only programme I would do that for!