Funny thing, the news.

[cromwell]

Last night for the first time in a long time, I watched Russia Today TV news. It was quite revealing.

There was a long piece on the Gilet Jaunes movement in France, including and interview with the man whose Youtube clip went viral and started the movement, and also coverage of the who, what and why riot in Brussels yesterday. Which was about the UN's "migration pact". Now I know that Russia has an agenda, and that they don't at all mind showing trouble in Europe.

But the BBC also has an agenda. It's all the news they think you need to know and not much of the news that think think isn't good for you to know. The yellow vest movement had been rioting for a while before the beeb mentioned it, and as for the Brussels riot, you got a five second clip on the bit of the news I saw, with an approving reference to the "strong action" that the security forces had taken against the rioters.

A trusted news source? Not by me.

[Suff]

My town was one of the first to be hit by protests and is still being blockaded today. Not that you would know that from the BBC or any other UK press/media.

When it comes to the EU you are fed a very narrow and limited view of the world and all the UK outlets collaborate with this.

Why would you need to know the truth? You would only be discontented and we can't have that can we??

[Workingman]

Unless something fires off in a particular place news outlets all over the world tend to cover a country by looking at its capital, that is just the way things are.

The riots in France are against internal government policies.

The riot in Brussels was about a UN compact on safeguarding migrants.

WRT the BBC. The route to the Brussels riot is BBC Home > World > Europe > article number eight.

[manxie]

Mark my words there will be a rebellion in the UK soon I am thinking certainly a lot of unrest and anger with the politicians of all breeds regardless, they are all so out of touch with the "man in the street" that soon they will get a rude awakening.

I would prefer not for it to happen but if they fail over the EU brexit and try another referendum or two or three till they get the result a few are wanting, what happenned to democracy and freedom of speech??? and those in charge doing things right ..................

Not much hope of that is there? we are all being led like an animal with a ring through our noses by politicians and the Press and other medias so we are only told what they want us to hear, I used to trust the news reports but not any longer.

The Beeb is the worst they are so obviously biased with what we see, we are all being treated like all the brave men in the trenches of the first world war lied to and fed propaganda only told what to believe as long as it benefitted the controling politicians.

I wouldn't believe a politician as far as I could throw one these days.

For me I believe that leaving the EU was such a big deal for everyone in the british isles parlimant should have been told to organise a coalitian government to see over the Uks leaving of the EU then hold an honest election to make a new government elected on the way they behaved during the "brexit" proceedure and how morally they conducted themselves through the duration of the talks and departure.

To me it is farcical that some want another referendum at all, the same voices shouting for a rerun if elected to the new government wouldn't want a new general election if the losers were unhappy with the result, or am I ll wrong ?? what do you think of the ramblings of a 70 year old pensioner am I talking some sense or am I ready for the happy home for the deranged? hehe

Manxie xx

[TheOstrich]

Well, I can't dispute much in your post, Manxie, so budge up on the sofa in the happy home and I'll join you for tea and biscuits …

[Workingman]

Since I retired I have had more time to visit different news outlets and the most obvious thing is the echo chamber affect they all have. Read, watch or listen to those on this side and they are all saying similar things, then go over to the other side and they are all saying similar things from that side. I am talking about culture, general news and politics as well as Brexit.

All of this has made me lose faith in just about all of them.

However, I also go farther afield. We all probably know about Al Jazeera and RT, and they are worth a look, but you could also try Reuters and AP or some of the Commonwealth news channels to get a taste of what those on the outside looking in are thinking. They do Europe as well as the UK.

[Suff]

Manxie, our perceptions have been slowly, but surely, swayed by a barrage of news which is nothing short of WWII style propaganda. The problem is that it has been going on for so long now (nearly 50 years), that almost two full generations (25 years per generation), have been born and have known nothing but that propaganda. Their viewpoint is so warped that when they look back on British history they do nothing but criticise the values that most of the older population grew up with.

Only recently with the widespread advent of social media has some balance started to offset the bias. Unfortunately every crackpot on the planet can spout anything they like on social media and you have to thresh the wheat from the chaff in order to get a clearer view. That is beyond the attention span of most younger surfers so you usually wind up with polar opposite views from the same social media.

The internet is a wonderful place, you can look at today, 50 years ago and also all around the world. China, India, Africa, check the adverts. Then check the UK for the 50's to the 90's. Then have a quick look at the UK banking adverts for the last year, local government, UK forces....

Give it another 50 years and you won't recognise the country we grew up in. Because it won't exist.

[Suff]

However, I also go farther afield. We all probably know about Al Jazeera and RT, and they are worth a look, but you could also try Reuters and AP or some of the Commonwealth news channels to get a taste of what those on the outside looking in are thinking. They do Europe as well as the UK.

They do indeed. It does take you far afield to get a different view on some world events. But when you get there, the view is certainly worth it.

The problem is that those who swim in the sea of bias are unlikely to be able to recognise that view when they get there. Many of them will just block it out.

The problem with RT, Al Jazeera and even China Today is that they delight in telling the truth about the woes of the west, but are more than a little devious about their own back yard. You need to educate yourself on the difference to avoid swallowing the whole package.