Daily Fail

Former Member

Two letters from todays edition of the Daily Mail...

Wouldn't it be great if TV coverage of the World Cup was limited to England's games, those of hosts South Africa and of the tournaments 'big guns'.

Then we would be spared the ordeal of having to sit through a match between Bongo Bongoland and the Former Soviet Republic of Bulimia and other meaningless events.

I can't understand the popularity of the woman on The One Show on BBC1 each evening. Her accent is almost indecipherable. She is certainly not worth £2,000,000. Lord Reith must be turning in his grave.

Now I'd like to think that both were jokes being played on the paper but I suspect that they aren't.

What amazes me though, is that the Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre (the chap who also regulates the print media remember) thought both were worthy of publication.

Indeed the first letter even had the added headline "Now here's an idea.."

I feel a Aladdin/SG expression coming on.

Former Member

They are about on par with what I'd expect, certainly the first. But then given the long running theme of 'they are coming here to steal and rape' that the Mail has been running for pretty much ever it wouldn't surprise me if readers really do have a warped view of the rest of the World.

I agree it is odd that they were published, but they do fit with the general mood the paper wants to portray.

Former Member

MoK wrote: »

What amazes me though, is that the Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre (the chap who also regulates the print media remember...

Incorrect, I'm afraid.

Iain Dale wrote this old chestnut on his blog. He clearly has friends in high places, for the Press Complaints Commission responded to the entry in a blog comment which read "It is not correct to state that Paul Dacre is Chairman of the PCC. Baroness Peta Buscombe is Chairman of the PCC. Paul Dacre is Chairman of the Editors’ Code of Practice Committee (http://www.editorscode.org.uk/) which is a separate body and operates independently of the PCC. The Editors’ Code Committee writes the newspaper and periodical industry’s Code of Practice and the PCC independently enforces it; following the normal practice in self-regulation that industry contributes to, and co-operates with, the regulatory system."

The first letter, referring to "Bongo Bongoland and the Former Soviet Republic of Bulimia" is twattish at best and borderline racist at worst. The second - referring to Christine Bleakley - seems legitimate. To quote a question the Mail might ask: Just why exactly IS Bleakley worth £2million? Let's take a look...



Easy on the eye? Certainly. Most Irish women are, I must say. If she had to put up with that miserable Brummie prick Adrian Chiles, I could half understand why she gets paid so much. But she doesn't. All she has to do is sit in front of a camera for half an hour a day, five days a week. You could train a monkey to do it.

Former Member

I hope that Lord Reith is turning in his grave. But no surprise a Daily Mail reader is worried about the hypothetical opinions of a dead Nazi sympathiser.

Former Member

stargalaxy wrote: »

Easy on the eye? Certainly. Most Irish women are, I must say. If she had to put up with that miserable Brummie prick Adrian Chiles, I could half understand why she gets paid so much. But she doesn't. All she has to do is sit in front of a camera for half an hour a day, five days a week. You could train a monkey to do it.

I think there is a lot more than that. Some presenters make a connection with the viewers, some don't- and it is not just to do with their physical appearance.

The BBC is under obligation under its charter to provide television to appeal to all its licence fee payers. That includes bland populist shows like The One Show. The BBC has to pay competitive prices to the presenters of such shows- otherwise they will leave to earn more money at ITV and Sky- which is extremely unfair on the BBC.

I suspect a lot of the resentment towards the woman bogs down to sexism tbh.

Former Member

Aladdin wrote: »

The BBC is under obligation under its charter to provide television to appeal to all its licence fee payers. That includes bland populist shows like The One Show. The BBC has to pay competitive prices to the presenters of such shows- otherwise they will leave to earn more money at ITV and Sky- which is extremely unfair on the BBC.

Sadly, all correct. I daren't imagine what a television station run by Paul Dacre would be like.

I suspect a lot of the resentment towards the woman bogs down to sexism tbh.

I don't think it does in my case. If anything, I criticise men more harshly than women. A curious anomaly given we're in the supposed age of equality, I think.

I rather like Christine Bleakley, as it happens. Still, I'd rather she gets £2million a year instead of, say, the utterly dreadful Vernon Kay.

Former Member

Aladdin wrote: »

I suspect a lot of the resentment towards the woman bogs down to sexism tbh.

In this case I think you'll find the issue is her nationality