Accuracy and precision in news speak – a quiz:

Spot the difference between yesterday’s reports:

BBC News: “Sir Edward, who took us into the Common Market…”;

Sky News: “Sir Edward, who took us into the then Common Market…”;

A hint, for those too young to remember the Common Market: it was another name for the EEC, the European Economic Community, which Britain voted to join in 1973. It ceased to exist when, without any further referendum, the EEC became the EC (European Community), and then later became the EU, that we all know and love to this day, so much so that there has been no need for another referendum.

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17 Responses to Accuracy and precision in news speak – a quiz:

  1. Bernard says:

    The BBC also reported taking Britain into the Common Market was Edward Heath’s biggest ‘achievement’ I think it would be more accurately described as an ‘act’.

       1 likes

  2. EU Serf says:

    He was so desperate for membership that he agreed to the CAP and CFP which have destroyed our Agriculture and Fishing respectively.

    But its OK, there has been no loss of soveriegnty, Sir Edward promised us.

       1 likes

  3. Peter says:

    Michael Howard has also said that one of his ‘achievements’ was to take us into the EEC.
    I really despair of the party I have supported for 50 years.

       1 likes

  4. Rob Read Reader says:

    Why are the BBC so in love with authoritarianism?
    They love Islam (authoritarian)
    They love the EU (authoritarian)
    They love the UN (would be authoritarian if it could just stop its peacekeepers raping children)
    They love themselves (very authoritarian annd nannyiing and PC and fully signned up to all the prevailing orthidoxies)
    They love Castros Cuba
    (authoritarian)
    This Broadcaster is unworthy of our licece fee and is everywhere aiding our enemies and should be put on tial for Treason and being generally fucking awfull.
    They loved thhe sovirt union (authoritarian)
    They loved General Galtieri (authoritarian)

       1 likes

  5. Bill says:

    Michael Howard has also said that one of his ‘achievements’ was to take us into the EEC.
    I really despair of the party I have supported for 50 years.

    He was trying to be nice like the Democrats are about Carter.

       1 likes

  6. Miam says:

    Just if you fancy a laugh…

    Internet’s future debated by UN
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4692743.stm

       1 likes

  7. Miam says:

    The BBC is getting cocky as it thinks it has won the battle for the next 10 year royal charter:

    BBC heads top UK media power list
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4692395.stm

    Fellow lefties at Al-Guardia said:

    “The judging panel said Thompson and Grade topped the list because plans to introduce external regulation to the BBC and to share its licence fee with other broadcasters were also rejected by the government in March.”

    “Meanwhile Michael Grade told Radio Times magazine that, without the licence fee, “you will not have the BBC you have now, where, with a secure income, every decision is made in the public interest“.

    “Not every decision is right, but they are not made with the interests of advertisers in mind, or the need to drive subscriptions because renewal rates are dropping,” he said.

    So not for advertisers, not for viewers (‘subscribers’)

    “It’s not shared with shareholders, it’s not done to please the government.”

    Hmmm. My question would be “Who exactly do you answer to?” “No-one” I fear would be the answer.

    Done and dusted for the next 10 years? Al-Beeb thinks so.

       1 likes

  8. Rob Read says:

    Miam,
    Not with my money it’s not. Plus we are persuading more and more people to stop paying the !bBC insurgency movement.

       1 likes

  9. Eric M says:

    Just if you fancy a laugh…

    Internet’s future debated by UN
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/techn…ogy/ 4692743.stm
    Miam | 18.07.05 – 2:11 pm | #

    Miam

    That’s what led me to this site- it makes no mention why “third world countries” China? Somalia? want to control the internet- America is the bad guy as usual. Of course pesky words like “democracy” are removed from the web in China.

       1 likes

  10. PJF says:

    Andrew, you don’t actually say, but if the quiz question is
    which is the most accurate and precise line, the BBC’s or Sky’s?’
    then the answer is – the BBC’s.

    Since the subject is the life story of Sir Edward (not specifically the Europe project), it is accurate and precise to make a straightforward statement of fact about what he took us into. Edward Heath took us into the Common Market; he did not take us into what followed the Common Market.
    .

       1 likes

  11. Susan says:

    Miam:

    I’m sure the Beeb would love to have control over Internet sites like this one! Perhaps Cisco could help them out with a filter that blocks words like “BBC bias” etc. for UK people, like they do with the Chinese Communists and “democracy”.

    Wouldn’t put it past them — they and the ChiComms are sisters under the skin.

       1 likes

  12. Rob Read says:

    Susan,
    I totally agree! Collectivist Leftism is all about over-riding other opinions.

    I’ve noticed in conversations that they do not have the empathy to understand people who think leftism is the disgusting and immoral thing it is! Classic lefty line is “I don’t mind paying”, they just have a cognitive dissonance attack when I say “I object to being forced to pay on threat of jail”, “I object to being forced to pay to harm society”

    Then they go on to say that rightists lack empathy! It’s just classic collectivist projection.

    __________________________________

    For those wondering what to do about the !bBC
    A) Don’t make the problem worse by paying the TV-Tax.
    B) Make sure your friends know not to trust the BBC as a source of info (this is much easier now thanks to the BBCs innability to call murderous islamic terrorism out).
    C) Persuade your friends to not pay, highlight what they could do with the money instead.
    D) Get them to do the same!

    People in the UK are starting to wake, it’s time to turn the wave into a tidal wave and wash away extortiontainment!

       1 likes

  13. Pete says:

    And don’t forget the BBC recruits from The Guardian which is read by council ‘officers’ (authoritarian) (bearded).

       1 likes

  14. D Burbage says:

    Our Labour friend Naughtie interviewing Michael Grade yesterday on Today – asked him how it was possible to abolish repeats when sacking staff – “surely you need staff to make programmes!” in his quaint 60s state-run-broadcaster mindset. Mr Grade quietly explained to him that there were many makers of programmes…..not just BBC staff members.

       1 likes

  15. PhilB says:

    PJF,

    I recall (quite a few years ago now) Sir Ted Teeth stating that right from the start, the Common Market was about building the equivalent of the United States Of Europe. It was alwways about this. In the beginning, when it was too weak to impose its will on nations, it had to foster the lie that it was a trading partnership only.

    In other words, he lied right form the start.

       1 likes

  16. Graham Richard says:

    Ted Heath is obviously too old for your bloggers. He lived WW2, the miners strikes and the arrogance of trade unions who with their demarcation disputes and tea break mentality brought this country to its knees. He broke that mindset.
    ANd whats wrong with being in the EU. We in Spain treat it as a club to be milked. It wont undermine our sovereignty. Why dont you lot understand that Ted understood this as well.

       1 likes

  17. Rosalind Mitchell says:

    It’s been a while since I came to this site. I’d forgotten what a good laugh it was. Excuse me for burrowing back a little way won’t you?

    May I suggest a little fact-checking would be in order? There was no referendum on whther to join the EEC – the referendum in 1975 (not 1973) was on the question of whether to remain in. The referendum was conducted on a county-by-county basis. Every county voted to remain in the EEC with the exception of Shetland.

       1 likes