GB News

[TVViewer256]

The most interesting stuff isn't in The Guardian, it's on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AlStewartOBE/status/...9003859977

(in response to Kirsty Gallacher apparently finding a conspiracy theory thread "interesting").

All it needs is the caption "from one drink driver to another" and it can go straight into Private Eye.

Surely that is a joke from Stewart?

I'd imagine (and hope) so - above anything else he's not the type of person to immediately block someone without firing back a counterargument.

[swaggyboi128]

Looks like the clock has changed again with a much easier to read ticker.

What baffles me is that the URL box hasn't changed since day one, despite it easily being a little out of place (personally I'd rather it transition between the Follow Us and URL boxes in the lower left or have it somewhere where the headline box could be equal length to the ticker) and off-center.

[James2001]

No more appearances from Andrew, looks like his Question Time appearance really pissed them off:

https://inews.co.uk/news/entertainment/a...or-1211467

According to this they were considering having Farage confront him about his claims (which would have been interesting to watch! I think they know Andrew would probably have won that argument) before deciding just to stop him appearing altogether.

[MrUdagawa]

https://twitter.com/benjaminbutter/statu...2087097354

Perhaps Andrew did Question Time knowing this would be the result.

[Jon]

I think we can be be pretty sure of the quotes in that article considering the writer is regularly on air at GB News.

[bfgarmy]

Yet another person who was on air with GB News when they started being ‘cancelled’ for having a view GB News didn’t like. I thought the whole point of the channel was about free speech and not ‘cancelling’ people for their views.

[DavidWhitfield]

Former Labour politician turned GB News presenter Gloria De Piero has written a short piece for the Independent defending the channel after last week's edition of Question Time.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/gb-...23930.html

She closes the piece by saying...

So my message to my fellow lefties is simple: come on the channel. You’re always welcome and we will, genuinely, listen to you.

I must say, I hope this invitation is heeded.

I've seen people on the left hand side of the political spectrum on Twitter revealing that they've been approached to appear on the channel and delighting in telling their followers that the request went straight in the bin. This seems rather counter-productive to me.

You won't get diversity of opinion if a large proportion of people from one side of the political spectrum say "I'm not appearing on that terrible biased channel" when approached.

Surely appearing and giving your view so that there's balance is better? If you think what's being said is terrible, unfair, or inaccurate, why not go on and give your own take on it? You may well make folks at home see things differently. Otherwise, it is bound to be the "echo chamber" people claim it to be.

Diversity of opinion is very important, but ultimately, it takes two to tango and in order to have good quality, fair discussion, you need folks from the left, right and everything in between to be willing to put their view forward and debate things sensibly.

[bbctvtechop]

I've seen people on the left hand side of the political spectrum on Twitter revealing that they've been approached to appear on the channel and delighting in telling their followers that the request went straight in the bin. This seems rather counter-productive to me.

You won't get diversity of opinion if a large proportion of people from one side of the political spectrum say "I'm not appearing on that terrible biased channel" when approached.

Surely appearing and giving your view so that there's balance is better? If you think what's being said is terrible, unfair, or inaccurate, why not go on and give your own take on it? You may well make folks at home see things differently. Otherwise, it is bound to be the "echo chamber" people claim it to be.

Diversity of opinion is very important, but ultimately, it takes two to tango and in order to have good quality, fair discussion, you need folks from the left, right and everything in between to be willing to put their view forward and debate things sensibly.

In a perfect world, I agree.

This isn't, however, anything like a perfect world.

We've witnessed GB News presenters give minutes of uninterrupted, unchallenged airtime to contributors whose views they find favourable, while constantly cutting off and interrupting those whose views don't align with theirs. You don't project impartiality by allowing Nigel Farage to explain his views for 4 minutes straight, then throw to an opposer who you won't allow to speak for more than 20 seconds without vocally disbelieving them, quoting Facebook at them, etc. I'm not saying every side needs to have exactly 4 minutes without interruptions, that's just impractical and still doesn't even solve the problem. But "left wingers" need to feel confident going in that they will get a fair hearing. At the moment, clearly they don't. If they started challenging the regular contributors more, ie being a real journalist, rather than just sitting there in silence allowing the echo chamber to continue, then that perception may start to change.

There is also the issue - on both sides of the political spectrum - of the potential abuse received for someone stating their opinion. Why anyone would put themselves in that firing line for the sake of getting a few tenners in exchange for appearing on a pretend news channel, I don't know!

[gottago]

Former Labour politician turned GB News presenter Gloria De Piero has written a short piece for the Independent defending the channel after last week's edition of Question Time.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/gb-...23930.html

She closes the piece by saying...

So my message to my fellow lefties is simple: come on the channel. You’re always welcome and we will, genuinely, listen to you.

I must say, I hope this invitation is heeded.

I've seen people on the left hand side of the political spectrum on Twitter revealing that they've been approached to appear on the channel and delighting in telling their followers that the request went straight in the bin. This seems rather counter-productive to me.

You won't get diversity of opinion if a large proportion of people from one side of the political spectrum say "I'm not appearing on that terrible biased channel" when approached.

Surely appearing and giving your view so that there's balance is better? If you think what's being said is terrible, unfair, or inaccurate, why not go on and give your own take on it? You may well make folks at home see things differently. Otherwise, it is bound to be the "echo chamber" people claim it to be.

Diversity of opinion is very important, but ultimately, it takes two to tango and in order to have good quality, fair discussion, you need folks from the left, right and everything in between to be willing to put their view forward and debate things sensibly.

We've frequently seen people on the left who have gone on their debates outnumbered by people on the right and shot down by everyone including the presenter. The 'balance' the channel is supposedly so desperate to achieve is a marketing fallacy - it is an echo chamber because it was designed to be that way from the start.

Ultimately what is the point in going on the channel? Its tiny audience have no interest in their opinion, they don't pay appearance fees that are worth anyone's time and the channel is dying. So why would they? It's completely reasonable that they're turning down these offers.

[DavidWhitfield]

Some reasonable points raised by [mention]gottago[/mention] & [mention]bbctvtechop[/mention] - though, as I say ...

... In order to have good quality, fair discussion, you need folks from the left, right and everything in between to be willing to put their view forward and debate things sensibly.

Note the final three words in particular.

My comment is neither necessarily a defence of GB News itself nor a suggestion that the left-wing folks who decline to appear on the channel are the only reason that GB News doesn't currently give a good, well-rounded view of all sides of a debate.

I'm saying that we need to see better quality, more respectful discussion generally, where people on all sides are fairly represented and opposing viewpoints can be offered and discussed in a calm, polite, and reasoned manner and in order to do that, folks from all areas of the political spectrum need to be present, and willing to listen to the other side of the argument.

I find that many people nowadays are often quick to dismiss those to the right of themselves as 'gammon' or those to the left of themselves as 'woke', disregarding their contribution without taking the time to try to see things from their alternative perspective.

We need more open-mindedness, respect and courtesy in debate generally.

[London Lite]

Brexit really saw the introduction of polarised broadcasting in the UK due to the public splitting into two distinct camps due to the vote, those who want a more left-wing agenda and those with a more conservative outlook, which led to talkRADIO becoming a station that skews towards the right and GB News launching believing that there's a diet for more of the same stuff talkRADIO does by hiring talent from that station on and off air.

However LBC continues to perform well by balancing a mix of skewed conversation with impartial news and analysis which shows there's still a viable market for those who want to hear both sides.

[TVViewer256]

Brexit really saw the introduction of polarised broadcasting in the UK due to the public splitting into two distinct camps due to the vote, those who want a more left-wing agenda and those with a more conservative outlook, which led to talkRADIO becoming a station that skews towards the right and GB News launching believing that there's a diet for more of the same stuff talkRADIO does by hiring talent from that station on and off air.

However LBC continues to perform well by balancing a mix of skewed conversation with impartial news and analysis which shows there's still a viable market for those who want to hear both sides.

I’ve always thought that Majid Nawaaz would work on GB News, he’s got views from across the spectrum. Also would’ve liked to have seen The Political Correction hosted by Farage and Alastair Campbell as was planned before Campbell pulled out. That would’ve been a good Sunday show.

[Newshound47]

Brexit really saw the introduction of polarised broadcasting in the UK due to the public splitting into two distinct camps due to the vote, those who want a more left-wing agenda and those with a more conservative outlook, which led to talkRADIO becoming a station that skews towards the right and GB News launching believing that there's a diet for more of the same stuff talkRADIO does by hiring talent from that station on and off air.

However LBC continues to perform well by balancing a mix of skewed conversation with impartial news and analysis which shows there's still a viable market for those who want to hear both sides.

I’ve always thought that Majid Nawaaz would work on GB News, he’s got views from across the spectrum. Also would’ve liked to have seen The Political Correction hosted by Farage and Alastair Campbell as was planned before Campbell pulled out. That would’ve been a good Sunday show.

Majid would fit as I can’t see him being at LBC much longer. Through Talk Radio/Talk Tv would likely be his first choice as there on the ascendency.

[johnnyboy]

Yet another person who was on air with GB News when they started being ‘cancelled’ for having a view GB News didn’t like. I thought the whole point of the channel was about free speech and not ‘cancelling’ people for their views.

So that makes two in total? Hardly your strongest argument.

I've stated many times on this thread that I don't particularly like GB News for many reasons - visually, it's not that interesting and they keep talking about the same things over and over again (but how is that different from other news channels whose content barely varies from one hour to the next?)

However, on the occasions I do watch it, it's nice to hear voices who wouldn't generally be on mainstream channels. I might not agree with them but I like to listen to what they say and why they think what they think.

Those in this thread moaning that left-wing contributors would be challenged by other guests and the presenters is really a red herring. All guests are challenged by each other and the shows' presenters all the time.

London Lite has it right - this country has become deeply polarised since the election and the people filling the void inbetween are loudmouths like Darren Grimes and other Twitter gobshites of all persuasions.

I hope GB News succeeds. I have seen nothing remotely sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, and so on when I have watched it. I would personally describe the station's philosophy, if it has one, of being libertarian rather than right-wing and, although libertarians are generally right of centre, there are plenty of the left too.

[Brekkie]

It shows how insular GB News is if they thought Farage confronting Neil would be worthy of airtime.