Guardian charmer Zoe Williams has told the Daily Politics “I really don’t have a problem” with protesters spitting on her journalist colleagues:
“The fact that some people spit and throw eggs… actually I think there is a kind of persistent exclusion from some voices in the debate and you cannot blame people for ultimately becoming quite angry. I really don’t have a problem with it.”
So much for solidarity among hacks, eh.
Reporter Owen Bennett, who along with Michael Crick and LBC’s Theo Usherwood was gobbed on in Manchester, unsurprisingly took exception. Fair to say Zoe did not cover herself in further glory.
WOW. Did @zoesqwilliams really just say she had no problem with people spitting during protests on @daily_politics?
— Owen Bennett (@owenjbennett) October 9, 2015
@owenjbennett @daily_politics I'm sure you'll get over it
— (((Zoe Williams))) (@zoesqwilliams) October 9, 2015
@owenjbennett you have to look beyond your own horizon at the interplay between exclusion and anger
— (((Zoe Williams))) (@zoesqwilliams) October 9, 2015
Owen has offered to take Zoe for a coffee to discuss why gobbing on journalists is actually not okay. Careful she doesn’t spit on you…
“For the past three years the Mail has run a picture caption of the Bake Off winner on the front page,” complains Media Guardian, sniping that “on Thursday the Mail chose not to run a front-page picture” of this year’s winner. “Why did the Daily Mail lose its taste for the Great British Bake Off?” they ask. The unsubtle implication being that for some reason they are not fans of Muslim winner Nadiya Jamir Hussain.
Except Nadiya’s win was the splash on MailOnline this morning:
And received glowing coverage saying she “won the hearts of viewers“, “became everyone’s favourite” and won a “tear-jerking victory“. Jan Moir wrote for the paper:
“Watching her grow and triumph over the weeks has been a joy.”
The only people making assumptions based on Nadiya’s religion are those at Media Guardian, blowing a dog whistle for their bigoted readers’ Dacre-phobia…
Lord Sewell‘s coke and hookers help the Sun on Sunday extend its lead over the MoS as Britain’s best selling Sunday:
Sun on Sunday 1,545,244 (+5.37%)
Mail on Sunday 1,425,840 (-0.57%)
Sunday Mirror 813,023 (-0.34%)
Sunday Times 763,521 (-0.14%)
Sunday Express 380,185 (+0.98%)
Sunday Telegraph 372,346 (-0.61%)
Sunday People 311,437 (-1.54%)
Daily Star Sunday 262,372 (+1.75%)
The Observer 188,312 (-0.51%)
Up 5% month on month…
Via MediaGuardian
One man alone had the inside track on mounting rumours earlier in the week that the FT might be sold.
Here is Media Guardian’s eminent and well-informed Roy Greenslade on Monday:
“Pearson to sell the Financial Times? I really don’t think so… How many times down the years have I read that rumour? And how many times must I dismiss it as speculative nonsense?”
Three days later…
There’s a fine line between being contrarian and printing b***ocks.
Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid had to improvise when she forgot her spoon this morning…
As Guido revealed in this week’s Sun on Sunday:
“The BBC has announced 1,000 jobs are to go as part of a £150 million round of cuts. These job losses would cover just £50 million of the sum, however, leaving another £100 million awaiting Aunty’s axe.
Guido hears that the BBC’s little-watched 24-hour News Channel is in the firing line, with plans afoot to shift the operation online and stop broadcasting on telly. BBC bosses are waiting until this week’s budget before a final decision.”
A story which caused a certain degree of scepticism from the impeccably dis-connected Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport:
@montie You're really commenting on drivel like this? @GuidoFawkes
— Chris Bryant MP (@RhonddaBryant) July 5, 2015
That would be our double-sourced drivel from senior BBC sources. 48 hours later, Media Guardian confirms Guido’s Sun exclusive:
“The BBC is considering making its news channel online only following a similar cost-cutting move for its BBC3 TV channel, it has emerged.
Work had already started on assessing the impact of making the news channel online only before the government unveiled a surprise licence fee settlement on Monday… A final decision about the channel has yet to be made.”
As Guido explained, the Beeb has a £100 million spending black hole to fill. Media Guardian reports the News Channel’s overall costs are just over £100 million:
“In the last BBC annual report, it said the channel’s production costs were £26.8m, while its newsgathering costs were £21.2m. In addition, the news channel spent £48.7m on content, £8m on distribution and £9.5m on infrastructure/support in 2013/14 and taking it online only would prove cheaper for the BBC, which is looking to make savings.”
If Chris needs any further help with his brief, he knows where to come…
UPDATE: The Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Chris Bryant tweets:
Well well. My apologies to all concerned. @GuidoFawkes http://t.co/KPAIKsdOos https://t.co/BYHO4ECMEy
— Chris Bryant MP (@RhonddaBryant) July 7, 2015
