Two days ago, the BBC published a response to the complaints it had received on the issue:
It is incorrect to say that the BBC has replaced date systems BC and AD with Before Common Era (BCE) and Common Era (CE). Whilst the BBC uses BC and AD like most people as standard terminology, it is possible to use different terminology, particularly as it is now commonly used in historical research. The BBC has issued no editorial guidance on date systems, and the decision rests with the individual editorial and production teams. It should also be noted that for every BCE or CE reference, there are still a great many BC and AD references used across the BBC.
But the Mail's Steve Doughty has decided to completely ignore this and repeat the original lie. In today's paper, he writes:
The finding that the nation remains overwhelmingly Christian comes days after it emerged that BBC programme-makers have been put under pressure to stop describing dates as BC or AD.
Instead, they have been told to use the non-Christian alternatives Before Common Era and Common Era.
To Doughty, 'no editorial guidance' and 'decision rests with the individual editorial and production teams' means 'programme-makers have been put under pressure' and 'have been told'.
Hopefully, Full Fact will now include this in their complaint to the PCC on this issue.
(Hat-tip to build_a_fire)
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I'd just read and commented on that DM story before coming here. The cynicism of just repeating a lie is bloody depressing.
ReplyDeleteIt's this year's Winterval and will get trotted out every time religion and/or the BBC is the story.
I love this story and how it directly contradicts other Mail scare stories about how the Muslims are taking over.
ReplyDeleteI think Doughty's even done at least one of the periodical 'pretend Mohammed is the most popular boy's name' efforts.
@romanhousing
ReplyDeleteWinterval shouldn't be an issue this year, Eric Pickles (the noble knight of Christian justice) destroyed it forever last year and saved Christmas
There's an opinion piece on the Media Guardian website today with a lengthy discussion filled
ReplyDeletewith people who want to believe this is true: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/28/bbc-respect-political-correctness
Interestingly the editor who commissioned the article has commented (on page 4):
'Oops. I commissioned this piece before the story was shown to be false, didn't publish it for a couple of days and missed the revelations in the meantime ... My fault, not Giles!
however - I think his argument still stands: that those who reacted furiously to the story were simply using it as a way to have a pop at the BBC'
Seems Boris Johnson is at it now as well: http://tgr.ph/nejsVK
ReplyDeleteChrist on a bleedin' bike - they're talking the piss now!
ReplyDeleteDoughty has repeated this on yet another story.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2043251/The-absurdity-statistical-surveys-just-numbers-game.html
"At the weekend we learned that the Corporation wishes to replace the terms AD and BC with CE and BCE, for Common Era and Before Common Era"
This is an object lesson in how urban myths get into the system - write this shit often enough and they become "the truth"
And now Littlejohn is wading in:
ReplyDelete"Only this week the BBC announced it was scrapping references to AD and BC because it didn’t want to offend, or discriminate against, non-Christians."
And so it continues with that moron Littlejohn climbing on the bandwagon.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2043482/Whatever-BBC-say-Britain-mainly-white-Christian-straight.html
Only this week the BBC announced it was scrapping references to AD and BC because it didn’t want to offend, or discriminate against, non-Christians. To hell with the millions of Christians who pay the licence fee.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2043482/Whatever-BBC-say-Britain-mainly-white-Christian-straight.html#ixzz1ZQGDxcG5
And you know what? There's nothing anyone can say to change their mind. Look at the red arrows against anyone that says he's wrong. People have made up their minds. The BBC have done this and that's the end of the matter.
And Littlejohn has repeated it AGAIN to-day...
ReplyDelete"Only this week the BBC announced it was scrapping references to AD and BC because it didn’t want to offend, or discriminate against, non-Christians. To hell with the millions of Christians who pay the licence fee."
Rather depressingly this story has now even made it abroad...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/bbc-streicht-jesus-christus/4665770.html
Although fortunately it's already been debunked in the comments and elsewhere:
http://www.bildblog.de/33770/urbane-legenden-von-der-political-correctness/
Keep up the good work!
I'd say "overwhelmingly Christian" is a bit of a stretch for 70% - even ignoring the fact that a) only 15% are actually practising and b) the question used is widely criticised as leading.
ReplyDelete