From the category archives:

Media

Despatches from Afghanistan

March 8, 2010

I was privileged to hear the photojournalist John McHugh today, talking at Focus on Imaging on his experiences in Afghanistan. This was part of a promotion organised by Canon, because he’s been using their EOS 5D for both video and stills.
It was absolutely fascinating both to hear about the process of gathering the news stories [...]

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Swearing and the art of non-apology: a broadcaster’s tale

February 23, 2010

The art of non-apology has been growing in recent years, most often taking the form of “I’m sorry if you feel offended, but …”, Tony Blair was one of many who helped raise it to an art form. But the BBC has a new idea of what counts as an apology after last night’s Newsnight. [...]

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Harry Potter and the language of Weasley

February 13, 2010

I’m enjoying rewatching all the Harry Potter films on Blu-ray. Getting towards the climax of HP and the Order of the Phoenix I noticed Ron Weasley’s language. The Inquisatorial Squad had told him “to bugger off” and then nicked his puking pastilles.
In the first few films Ron was inclined to the odd “bloody hell”. By [...]

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Going clubbing with the Bible (mainly anyone who disagrees)

February 7, 2010

The C4 series The Bible: A History is so loosely interlinked that “series” is almost a misnomer. I gave some attention to the first episode on creation. I suppose one could characterise that by saying Jacobsen wanted to develop an agnostic aestheticism that valued the text as myth and literature. Last week’s episode was essentially [...]

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Living in the present: a word in defence of Aaqil Ahmed

February 7, 2010

There’s another dodgy Wynne-Jones story in the Telegraph today about Aaqil Ahmed (Head of Religion at the BBC), made even dodgier by the headline. Those who tend to knee-jerk reactions whenever the BBC or Islam get a mention, like Cranmer, seem to have only read the headline accusing the Church of England of living in [...]

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Misleading sexpectations

February 4, 2010

And another wonderful advert

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Sometimes you just need a drink

February 4, 2010

I’m not quite sure how I missed this advert when it was on.

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God and the BBC: the NSS tries to put the boot in

January 22, 2010

As readers of a previous post will know, I’m not impressed with Nigel Holmes’ private member’s motion on the BBC. Of course, in the current climate, that motion is also a red rag to the humanist bull, more-or-less inviting it to rampage round the synodical china shop. And sure enough, Terry Secular of the National [...]

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Memo to subs: read the bloody story

January 21, 2010

Yesterday I blogged on the forthcoming Synod debate about BBC coverage of religion. (I am not uncritical of the proposed motion.) As a result of blogging this I have been checking what else is out there on the topic. I obviously missed the Grauniad Monday report on it, which I’ve just now discovered.
It is a [...]

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Does the BBC “do God” enough or at all?

January 20, 2010

I see that there are background papers (first item under the Wednesday agenda) published for the forthcoming General Synod debate on the way the BBC treats religion (mainly Christianity).
I expect that bits of this debate will garner headlines at various intervals between now and the debate. It will, I suspect, do so in part at [...]

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