Andrew Bridgen, the Conservative MP for North-West Leicestershire, on Monday called on supporters of the not-for-profit bureau, including Oxfam and Save The Children, to cut their ties with it.
I’m sorry? WTF are they paying for it for?
People pump money into those two to save starving babies in Africa. Not hacks in London.
I’ve not seen much of the BIJ’s output, the little I have seems to follow all the usual left wing misunderstandings of the world. And of course anyone of any political delusion has the right to write stories about their view of the world.
But I really cannot see how Oxfam and Save the Children should be paying for it.
17 responses so far ↓
1 john b // Nov 13, 2012 at 9:45 am
In the case of Save the Children, the money was paid for a specific research project into infant mortality in the developing world. Which is entirely legit, obviously: knowing where and how the children die makes it a great deal easier to save them. The Oxfam one looks murkier, granted.
2 bloke in spain // Nov 13, 2012 at 11:05 am
Sorry JohnB, but really can’t follow your logic there. What would a journalist know about “infant mortality in the developing world”? Journalist would consult experts on the subject. Save the Children could do that themselves. They don’t need a middleman.
3 bloke in spain // Nov 13, 2012 at 11:11 am
Unless, of course, you’re saying the BIJ is a good place to go if you want a subject written up to support a particular point of view. In which case they’re a PR outfit. And not really journalists..
4 MakajazMonkee // Nov 13, 2012 at 11:18 am
“to save starving babies in Africa”
I can assure you they do nothing of the sort, They just want to stop progress and spread poverty.
Essentially its like a form of Ludite-imperialism and they really should just be kicked out. Thankfully no-one here gives a damn, we’re starting to explore for shale gas, expanding the coal nuclear energy program, researching GM crops.
5 john b // Nov 13, 2012 at 11:29 am
BiS: a journalist who’s built a hatful of Africa contacts who’re willing to be honest and upfront with them is worth a million times more than someone in head office who can phone official spokespeople and be given the PR line by them. I’ve got a friend who makes a decent living doing precisely this.
6 Rob // Nov 13, 2012 at 11:30 am
After their über-smug submission to the Leverson movement for State control of the media I am delighted to see that the Newsnight catastrophe has fucked them below the waterline. They are now ‘toxic’.
Hubristic wankers.
7 Johnnydub // Nov 13, 2012 at 11:36 am
As the BIS/Newsnight clusterfuck proves, there’s always a bunch of lefty wankers available to smear the right wing on demand…
The wrapping up in “Charidee” is just the cherry on the top of the turd…
8 Tim Newman // Nov 13, 2012 at 11:46 am
a journalist who’s built a hatful of Africa contacts who’re willing to be honest and upfront with them is worth a million times more than someone in head office who can phone official spokespeople and be given the PR line by them.
It’s almost guaranteed that said journalist will be taken for a ride from the opening sentence by those on the other end of the phone.
9 john b // Nov 13, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Yes, but unlike the intern in London who’s been given the task of phoning official wallahs, they’ll have a good idea what book the person on the line is trying to talk.
10 heydj48 // Nov 13, 2012 at 1:34 pm
we pay them in tax.
11 Martin Davies // Nov 13, 2012 at 2:22 pm
And those with starving babies also don’t have a phone. The local government official responsible for them probably does however.
12 bloke in spain // Nov 13, 2012 at 3:36 pm
JohnB
Think most would presume “research project into infant mortality in the developing world.” would imply…well …research. You know, that stuff done by reputable people, peer reviewed, verifiable. If you’re going to then use the ‘research’ to make specific claims, influence policy, solicit charitable donations. Can’t think an intern phoning round quite meets that criteria. Do you?
13 Squirrel Nutkin // Nov 13, 2012 at 3:37 pm
“Save the Children could do that themselves. They don’t need a middleman”
Entertained/delighted to see blokeinspain join the campaign against the cult of outsourcing.
14 Squirrel Nutkin // Nov 13, 2012 at 3:38 pm
you and your faster typing…
15 Squirrel Nutkin // Nov 13, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Incidentally, do you happen to know the name of the intern and how much phoning around they did?
16 Monty // Nov 13, 2012 at 4:59 pm
On a related matter, concerning TBIJs partner in crime, the BBC, this petition is open for signatures:
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-bbc-release-the-balen-report-to-the-public
Concerns their refusal to publish the Balen Report on their lack of balance in Middle East coverage.
17 Andrew Duffin // Nov 13, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Yet another reason never to give these people money.
“A charity that depends on government handouts is no more a charity than a prostitute is your girlfriend”.
Of course, they get my money anway, see above, but it makes me feel better if I never hand it over voluntarily.
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