Monday 20 June 2016

Is Polly Toynbee being sidelined?

Is Polly Toynbee being sidelined?

Just a curious question to put in a blog and see what feedback there might be, or just notes for when something turns up.

In the pause after the murder of Jo Cox I tweeted a link to a comment from Polly Toynbee. She wrote about the ugly mood and the role of named politicians. As far as I know this has not appeared in print and there have since been other opinions about the dangers of making comments too soon or without enough information till after legal restrictions are lifted. I have not come across any updated or revised comment from Polly Toynbee and I notice she was not invited to the Sunday Politics with Andrew Neil.

This may have been just by chance but the panel this week seemed to be less balanced than usual , Telegraph / Sun / FT , and there was comment against suggesting any link between the murder motives and public debate.

I also watched Dateline London on BBC News channel and was surprised at the comments by Alex Deane. He defended the UKIP poster and approach and claimed that criticism of this was based on a lack of understanding for working class views. My impression is that panel discussion on TV is getting less like professional analysis and more like a jumble of views that can be claimed as a sort of balance. It is good for a blogging site to be included but the time allowed should be kept in proportion. I would have like to hear more from Marc Roche of Le Point.

Sun editorial today

We acknowledge that some on the fringes of this debate have unjustly targeted migrants for crude political advantage.
But the vast majority of people who will vote Leave this week want a kind, caring, inclusive society -  yet face unfair accusations of bigotry and intolerance from Remainers.

Could there be some investigation of the role of print journalism in how this came about? What used to be known as Fleet Street seems to stick together in terms of the questions that can be asked. TV mostly accepts the news agenda.

I probably will buy copoies of the Guardian for the rest of this week but may have to wait for comment on media. And I may find Polly Toynbee only by looking online.

Next post based on Jeremy Corbyn , Andrew Marr show.

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