For the Few, Not the Many

"The decision has been welcomed by many. But not everyone is happy."

This was the phrase that opened a BBC news item this evening about an enormous investment by the UK government in a brand-new hospital.

Should one be surprised that the BBC did not merely note the minority view that suggested this new initiative was a bad thing, but went on to devote the rest of the report to those against the development?  No, not if one is a regular viewer. One should be surprised at one's idiocy if one expected the BBC to report on anything other than the negative aspects of the current UK government's decision to build a spanking new hospital - the bastards, how dare they?

If you are a masochist or you bitterly hate the current UK government, (as opposed to seeing it as not particularly superb, my position), I encourage you to try the BBC television news on a nightly basis for one calendar month. Otherwise stay away - it is bad for any reasonable person's blood pressure. It  systematically and exclusively airs the voices of the minority in reporting any story that might otherwise be considered rather excitingly positive. Perhaps those with other opinions are unwilling to appear - but perhaps BBC executives, producers and/or reporters are deliberately excluding them from their broadcasts. None of us outside Portland Place will ever know the truth but, reluctantly, I find myself beginning to wonder whether defunding the BBC is really such a crazy and regressive idea as I had originally thought.