BBC Newsnight officialist Gavin Esler attacks liberal US academic Benjamin Barber

This interview is the tip of the iceberg of BBC officialism and lack of variety of opinion. The conclusion is independent of the specific subject in discussion which was the behaviour of Saif Gaddafi while at London School of Economics.

GAvin Esler being an "Officialist" means a person who purports to be progressive but ultimately and consistently sides with the established authority and status quo when it comes to the crunch - keeping his job..

If tNewsnight journalists behave like this, we only need to imagine the censorship of editorial opinion at other levels of the BBC, particularly daytime news, News 24 and 10 O'clock news.

Gavin Esler launched accusations with selective quoting and innuendo against liberal academic Jeremy Barber, who did rather well in defending himself. Other liberals without Barber's command of English and academic opinion are not so lucky.

But don't criticise Mr Esler. He is 'standard procedure' at this editorial level in the BBC. Self censorship has emasculated many a good presenter -- women seldom are allowed a look in at this level.

If it smells of dissent, left wing or of general progressiveness, either the subject doesn't get on TV or he/she receives the Rottweiler treatment.

Gavin Esler thought Benjamin Barber was going to be an easy target thanks to his array of information against Saif Gaddafi and the Libyan regime, because who would defend them today, given what it going on in Libya? But he got a bite on his backside on a point of order.

In general, guests in Newsnight are members of very conservative 'think tanks' in America or UK -- if not out-right neo cons, like a recent interview to Paul Wolfowitz about the liberation of Egypt. Wolfowitz? The guy is a discredited Bush apologist and failed World Banker!

Newsreel Democracy has been for years trying to get a Newsnight presenter 'in flagrante delicto' of opinionated conservatism. We think this is it.

Fancy shouting "I don't get paid by the Libyan regime" to a guest. Where is the objectivity? Not necessary?

Essentially, many BBC reporters and presenters accept the dominant culture within the BBC which is white, middle class, privately educated and very conservative.

A recent BBC editor, Craig Oliver, joined the Conservative Party directly from the BBC newsroom. How long had he been deciding editorial policy and news? We would like to know. But the BBC has not commented on that appointment.

Are we exaggerating? Possibly, but not as much as BBC and Newsnight usually does!! The moral of the story is: Newsnight should allow more progressive opinion even on subjects that perhaps are tricky.

Judge for yourself, anyway, thanks to YouTube and Twitter which these days are by-passing paid media.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• BBC
• Newsnight
• officialist
• Jeremy
• Vine
• attacks
• liberal
• US
• academic
• Benjamin
• Barber

[codownni]

@TBearM1776

stfu

[TBearM1776]

IF YOU ARE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT WHO SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED GADDAFI YOU ARE A SCUMBAG!

IF YOU ARE GOP TEABAGER WHO SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED GADDAFI YOU ARE SCUMBAG!

IF YOU ARE OWS WHO SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED GADDAFI YOU ARE SCUMBAG

IF YOU ARE JEW HATER WHO SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED GADDAFI YOU ARE SCUMBAG!

IF YOU ARE MEMBER OF THE WESTBOR BAPTIST CHURCH WHO SUPPORTED AND DEFFENDED GADDAFI YOU ARE SCUMBAG!

IF YOU ARE AN ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST WHO SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED GADDAFI YOU ARE A SCUMBAG!

[TBearM1776]

Shame on Liberals Democrats and Teabagged GOP for defending and supporting Gaddafi. You shumcks should remember what Gaddafi did especailly murdering our fellow Americans in 1980's to Gaddafi's support of the anti-Gorbachev coup. Also his support of racist serb and butchered of the Balkans Slobodan Milosevic. Speaking of Milosevic he got a cult following of GOP Teabagers and Liberal Democrats beacuase they share his views. 2012 it's time to vote these losers out who supported Gaddafi.

[NielsvanWanrooij]

@girard1973 obviously you did not listen to a word he had to say, and it is plain to see that you did not listen to the speech Saif Ghaddafi gave either because the 'American idiot' is telling the truth. Don't take my word for it, just look the speech up and listen for yourself. Benjamin Barber resigned when Saif decided to embrace the Libyan regime and its poor human rights record, he is not defending what is being done now. He's just saying 'Don't rewrite history Soviet-style'. Valid point.

[girard1973]

This American is an idiot!

[girard1973]

Obama! Obama! Obama!

Wait until Americans start revolting and the American government starts shooting them. Will it be ok for the Chinese to go in and defend the citizens of America against their government? NO! I guess that's another matter....

American Government in its final days!

[Graham6762]

What he is saying makes a lot of sense.

[missakmanouchian]

do you have a version of the full interview. i remeber there was a libyan dissident that was part of the conversation as well, but he's cut out of your video. if you could post the full version, or send a copy to me it would be much appreciated

[vivatmusica]

Good for Gavin Esler.

What a disgrace the LSE and other pseudo-liberals are with their hypocrisy and support for the sheer evil of the Gaddafi clan.

[ajs41]

I thought Gavin Esler did a fantastic job with this interview. Benjamin Barber ought to have admitted it was wrong of him to have anything to do with Gaddafi's son. Shame on Barber, shame on the LSE and shame on Anthony Giddens as well. At least Tony Blair has the defence that he was attempting to stop Libya developing nuclear weapons.