RE: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

I have made no comment one way or the other about the successes of Cuba or Venezuela. On balance (whoops!) I think it is likely that most of these claims are well-founded.

So the reporter is choosing his words carefully … how else would you have him chose them?

From: ope-bounces@lists.csuchico.edu [mailto:ope-bounces@lists.csuchico.edu] On Behalf Of paul bullock
Sent: 07 December 2008 14:57
To: Outline on Political Economy mailing list
Subject: Re: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

'Utopian prejudice;'.????........ well for example .... does this include 1.3 million people so far who have been treated absolutely FREE for sight deficiency, curable blindness etc in 'utopian' eye clinics set up by 'utopian' Cubans and 'utopian ' government officials in Venezuela who work for a 'persuasive' leader.....a result never ever achieved previously? Or the utopian literacy schemes? Or the utipian health centres and schools and new universities or Womens bank etc etc etc......perhaps event eh 'Utopian' voting turnout ? or the extra 1.1million votes won this time round by the PSUV?

You don't seem to be able to sense the anxiety and care with which the reporter is choosing his words, he sees a change and feels rather at sea with it all.

I don’t deny that all media reportage is ideologically biased – including our favourite sources. That’s why we need to exercise some sceptical judgement about all of them.

Paul, your ‘sense’ of the ‘anxiety’ of the reporter is no basis for evaluating what he is saying.

Michael W

In general however I have to say that as soon as one studies any event with some seriousness the large media organisations are all reflective of the social composition of society, which means that the class interests at stake determine the structure of the message, thus the BBC. Facts may be stubborn things but I was pointing to the weighting and presentation. Orwell understood well enough the BBC and its role with regard to the Spanish Civil War as presented in Britain.

Paul B.

----- Original Message -----

From: Michael Williams <mailto:michael.williams.j@googlemail.com>

To: 'Outline on <mailto:ope@lists.csuchico.edu> Political Economy mailing list'

Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 2:13 PM

Subject: RE: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

That’s alright then. We KNOW that there is nothing of factual value in this little BBC report so we can use some notional rhetorical percentages and reference to a truly horrible vision of a dictatorial authoritarian dystopia to make us feel good about our utopian prejudices.

Of course if we KNOW our side is correct in all details, ‘balance’ as an objective is irrelevant.

That kind of certainty is obtainable only from your priest, rabbi, mullah, witch-doctor … or whoever guards the certainties of your particular faith.

Ugh!

michael W

From: ope-bounces@lists.csuchico.edu [mailto:ope-bounces@lists.csuchico.edu] On Behalf Of paul bullock
Sent: 07 December 2008 14:04
To: Outline on Political Economy mailing list
Subject: Re: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

Dogan

quite right... the apparent obsession with balance at the BBC means that 1% is converted into 50%, and the other 99% into 50%, ie balance goes out of the window. Whatever we think of George Orwell his time at the BBC seems to have been well reflected in '1984'....

Paul B.

----- Original Message -----

From: dogangoecmen@aol.com

To: ope@lists.csuchico.edu

Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 9:17 PM

Subject: Re: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

"But what is clear is that after 10 years in office, the opposition are still going to need a lot more than a candidate with a pretty face to defeat him."
 
This is how the report ends. What is the BBC trying to say? There is very little about the major changes that have taken place over last 10 years. So it is a seeming impartial report with a more or less clear partiality in favour of the so called USA paid, CIA supported opposition.

Dogan

-----Original Message-----
From: Alejandro Agafonow <alejandro_agafonow@yahoo.es>
To: OPE List <OPE@lists.csuchico.edu>
Sent: Sat, 6 Dec 2008 21:23
Subject: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

In the link below you can see on-line the short special TV report on Venezuela, which BBC screened yesterday:

 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7767417.stm> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7767417.stm

I’ll wait for your comments.

Sincerely yours,

A. Agafonow

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Received on Sun Dec 7 10:49:29 2008