Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #GBnews
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#THREAD
Hitler, Franco, & Mussolini all headed coalitions of Nationalist Fascist & Conservative factions, & all subscribed to a far-right ideology which we may call National Conservatism, & which involves scapegoating minorities & the Left as threats to 'Western Civilisation'.
Hitler, Franco, & Mussolini all headed coalitions of Nationalist Fascist & Conservative factions, & all subscribed to a far-right ideology which we may call National Conservatism, & which involves scapegoating minorities & the Left as threats to 'Western Civilisation'.
Should we be concerned that it was Britain's turn to host the National Conservatism conference aka #NatCon, aka the #NatC conference?
Unless you've been living under a rock you'll know that in May, the American hard Right came to England. Calvin Robinson did not speak at it.
Unless you've been living under a rock you'll know that in May, the American hard Right came to England. Calvin Robinson did not speak at it.
Unlike in Hungary, where last year's gathering of Europe’s extreme-right figures was an offshoot of the Trump & Bolsonaro supporting US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the NatCon conference here was backed by the Edmund Burke Foundation.
#THREAD
A small densely inter-connected homophily of political actors who share media platforms & cooperate with think-tanks, campaign groups & ‘educational charities’ wage the 'war on woke'.
#Spiked is #1 & #GBNews the #2 'anti-woke' media outlets.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.117…
A small densely inter-connected homophily of political actors who share media platforms & cooperate with think-tanks, campaign groups & ‘educational charities’ wage the 'war on woke'.
#Spiked is #1 & #GBNews the #2 'anti-woke' media outlets.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.117…
Recently, a group of academics and cultural commentators have framed wokeness as a pseudo-religion.
Hayek, in 1973, foreshadowed this by calling social justice a ‘quasi-religious superstition’ that ‘has no meaningful place in a social order organised around a market economy’.
Hayek, in 1973, foreshadowed this by calling social justice a ‘quasi-religious superstition’ that ‘has no meaningful place in a social order organised around a market economy’.
This framing was resurrected by controversial American academic John McWhorter & developed into a full ‘taxonomy’ of ‘woke religion’ by ex-PR Michael Shellenberger, & acadmic Peter Boghossian who "violated ethical guidelines on human-subjects research".
boghossian.substack.com/p/woke-religio…
boghossian.substack.com/p/woke-religio…
Following on from my thread about @GBNEWS winning “most loved News brand” by being the ONLY TV News channel/programme in the category, some guy tried to rebut the thread by posting:
So I thought I’d take a look at the claims in the article😁
1/12
order-order.com/2023/05/26/gb-…
So I thought I’d take a look at the claims in the article😁
1/12
order-order.com/2023/05/26/gb-…
So it begins with the claim that they’re the “most loved News Brand” (already covered that in my previous thread👍🏻)
Note how they provide a link for that claim…
Then they claim that “yesterday” they had bumper ratings - but provide no link for *that* claim🤷♀️
2/
Note how they provide a link for that claim…
Then they claim that “yesterday” they had bumper ratings - but provide no link for *that* claim🤷♀️
2/
They claim GB News “beat” Sky News and BBC News for a few hours in that one day
Now someone looked at these types of claims before but I can’t remember who! (Comment if you have a link!)
Without a link to the data they’re quoting I can’t check that exactly.
3/
Now someone looked at these types of claims before but I can’t remember who! (Comment if you have a link!)
Without a link to the data they’re quoting I can’t check that exactly.
3/
Had this shared with me by a gleeful GB News fan🙄
It seemed incredibly unlikely - so I wondered who they asked, what they asked etc.
Went to look at the results of the poll itself….
1/
#GBeebies
#GBNews
uk.news.yahoo.com/gb-news-named-…
It seemed incredibly unlikely - so I wondered who they asked, what they asked etc.
Went to look at the results of the poll itself….
1/
#GBeebies
#GBNews
uk.news.yahoo.com/gb-news-named-…
So the first thing to jump out was that out of 100 media brands, GB News wasn’t in the top 10 or the top 20 or even the top 50.
I had to scroll to the end of the report - it was number 53
2/
5043860.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5043860/…
I had to scroll to the end of the report - it was number 53
2/
5043860.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5043860/…
So, OK, maybe all the “news” brands were just really unpopular and GB News was the least unpopular of an unpopular sector?
Well, no, that’s not what’s happening here.
While the brands were all ranked together, they were also split into categories - Social media, News, etc
3/
Well, no, that’s not what’s happening here.
While the brands were all ranked together, they were also split into categories - Social media, News, etc
3/
🧵 1 We closed down RT, the Russian Dictatorship state propaganda service, but we haven’t shut down everything in my opinion.
#Ukraine #GBnews #FarageOnGBNews #Farage #RussianPropaganda #LordHawHaw
#Ukraine #GBnews #FarageOnGBNews #Farage #RussianPropaganda #LordHawHaw
🧵 2 It can be argued Farage has done more economic harm to the UK than anybody else.
On whose orders did he do it?
#Ukraine #GBnews #FarageOnGBNews #Farage #RussianPropaganda #LordHawHaw
On whose orders did he do it?
#Ukraine #GBnews #FarageOnGBNews #Farage #RussianPropaganda #LordHawHaw
🧵 3 Here’s Farage chastises the King, because King Charles rightly compared the brutal Russian Dictator to Hitler
Did Farage get instructions to resist such claims?
#Ukraine #GBnews #FarageOnGBNews #Farage #RussianPropaganda #LordHawHaw
Did Farage get instructions to resist such claims?
#Ukraine #GBnews #FarageOnGBNews #Farage #RussianPropaganda #LordHawHaw
#THREAD on GB "News", mainly courtesy of @PrivateEyeNews.
The polarising, increasingly unhinged, & dangerously irresponsible multimillionaire hedge-funder funded GB "News" has become a rich breeding ground for harmful conspiracy theories, effectively becoming the UK's Fox News.
The polarising, increasingly unhinged, & dangerously irresponsible multimillionaire hedge-funder funded GB "News" has become a rich breeding ground for harmful conspiracy theories, effectively becoming the UK's Fox News.
The channel was only founded in 2021 amid much-regretted promises from then frontman Andrew Neill that it would not become a "British Fox News" but has slid deep into #misinformation, #disinformation, & pure #propaganda, often about the COVID pandemic.
In one recent show, presenter Patrick Christys praised a largely discredited new book which claims Covid was genetically engineered and leaked on purpose, with help from US chief national scientific adviser Anthony Fauci and cover-ups by UK scientists.
This is how #BBCNews announced the death of #QueenElizabethII to BBC Television channels
A minute earlier #BBCNewsChannel made the first announcement
* 📸 Note the 2 women on the background to the right of @thehuwedwards who get told off for taking photographs
#QueenElizabeth
A minute earlier #BBCNewsChannel made the first announcement
* 📸 Note the 2 women on the background to the right of @thehuwedwards who get told off for taking photographs
#QueenElizabeth
This was the very first, slightly less formal, announcement of the death of #QueenElizabethII on #BBCNews
This wasn't marred by people taking photographs in the background as above (due to the broadcast delay they wouldn't have known it was happening)
#QueenElizabeth
This wasn't marred by people taking photographs in the background as above (due to the broadcast delay they wouldn't have known it was happening)
#QueenElizabeth
Here's how @BBCTwo broke into its programme to announce the death of #QueenElizabethII
#QueenElizabeth
#QueenElizabeth
How the UK television networks and news channels announced the passing of Queen Elizabeth II 🧵
(1) #BBCOne
(1) #BBCOne
(2) #BBCTwo
(3) #ITV
🥱
"(Left to right) Neil Oliver, Tony Robinson and Sarah Smith of The Time Team celebrating the Queen's 80th birthday by excavating at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh" - 21 August 2006
Very spiffy
"NEIL OLIVER, AMBASSADOR FOR THE SCOTTISH TOURIST GUIDES ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER 2010"
kinlochanderson.com/blog/neil-oliv…
"NEIL OLIVER, AMBASSADOR FOR THE SCOTTISH TOURIST GUIDES ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER 2010"
kinlochanderson.com/blog/neil-oliv…
odysee.com/@hugotalks:8/B…
"There is literally no one else like Her Majesty alive on the planet today.. Long may she reign" - Neil Oliver
#GBNews #CoastGuy
😆😂
"There is literally no one else like Her Majesty alive on the planet today.. Long may she reign" - Neil Oliver
#GBNews #CoastGuy
😆😂
THIS is how the criminals of the plandemic planned to weazel out of the public coming after them for the huge damage caused..
They've supplied you with HEROES who will keep you busy and misdirected..
So, who's looking after the vaccine injured now?👇
They've supplied you with HEROES who will keep you busy and misdirected..
So, who's looking after the vaccine injured now?👇
Come on peeps.. cough it up.. empty those pockets
While the so-called elite build their luxury wellness resorts for themselves
justgiving.com/crowdfunding/j…
While the so-called elite build their luxury wellness resorts for themselves
justgiving.com/crowdfunding/j…
Dipping into Farage on #GBnews - and it's genuinely boring. Like watching a potato on a broken conveyor belt.
Same problem with the rest of their output. No drama. It's an echo chamber
He's doing radio on tv.
Across the world, the Right reaches out to its base by campaigning on cultural issues, while serving elite economic interests.
This effective political strategy works by making the base ever angrier & more desperate.
It explains why #GBNews is paid for by wealthy hedge-funders.
This effective political strategy works by making the base ever angrier & more desperate.
It explains why #GBNews is paid for by wealthy hedge-funders.
Trump, Orban, Bolsonaro, Farage & now Boris Johnson have all embraced & successfully exploited this strategy.
ALL of these societies are now dangerously polarised.
For centuries, dictators have galvanised support by demonizing imagined enemies - it's the exact same principle.
ALL of these societies are now dangerously polarised.
For centuries, dictators have galvanised support by demonizing imagined enemies - it's the exact same principle.
This is, effectively, what the culture war is all about: KEEP fueling the passionate base's anger & desperation: KEEP telling them that Britain, civilisation, & *our entire way of life* is under threat from a wide range of Others who are everywhere.
It's McCarthyism on steroids.
It's McCarthyism on steroids.
Donors Pumped Millions into White Nationalist Hate Group exposedbycmd.org/2021/06/17/don… via @EXPOSEDbyCMD
The large sum represents an unprecedented annual haul for an American white nationalist group and suggests that big-money donors of the conservative movement may be moving their riches to more extreme causes in the aftermath of Trump’s rise.
In an era where white nationalists increasingly embrace decentralized online activism, VDARE stands out for its organizational prowess and links to power.
#Hatewatch connected former Trump administration officials Stephen Miller and Julia Hahn to its founder, Peter Brimelow.
#Hatewatch connected former Trump administration officials Stephen Miller and Julia Hahn to its founder, Peter Brimelow.
A short #THREAD on RIGHT-WING BOYCOTTS OF TV CHANNELS & other media, companies & brands in the US.
It's based on Terrence Witkowski's 'Broadening Anti-Consumption Research: A History of Right-Wing Prohibitions, Boycotts, & Resistance to Sustainability'.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…
It's based on Terrence Witkowski's 'Broadening Anti-Consumption Research: A History of Right-Wing Prohibitions, Boycotts, & Resistance to Sustainability'.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…
The wider article seeks to broaden the scholarship field of anti-consumption research through a historical counternarrative illustrating right-wing prohibitions, boycotts of media content, brands, and companies, and, most recently, resistance to sustainable consumption.
Manifestations of anti-consumption include boycotts & consumer resistance, brand avoidance, culture jamming & more, often motivated by concerns over environmental sustainability, consuming ethically, materialistic values, or opposition to corporations & capitalism more generally.
Pretty much every #GBNews presenter has demonized & voiced vicious & divisive criticism of "woke" academics & Universities for sensibly considering the legacies of British colonialism & Empire & their potential role in contemporary #racism.
#StopFundingHate #BlackLivesMatter
#StopFundingHate #BlackLivesMatter
At least three other brands have suspended advertising on the divisive populist nationalist #GBNews: Kopparberg, Grolsch & Nivea have bravely distanced themselves from the toxic free-market supporting #propaganda channel. The LAST thing we need is more US style culture war crap.
Andrew Neil's "anti-elite" "news" channel, puking out divisive populist nationalist tripe, is funded by LORD Farmer & LORD Spencer (both ex-Tory Party treasurers), hedge-funder SIR Paul Marshall, US BILLIONAIRE run media group Discovery, & the Dubai-based pro-free-market Legatum.
*Entirely predictably*, 'Coast Guy' has joined #GBNews.
Neil Oliver's #QUALIFICATIONS:
Declared his love for racist David Starkey! 🤪
Said young people shouldn’t go to university because Universities have succumbed to a "Maoist" cultural revolution! 🤪
thenational.scot/news/18557601.…
Neil Oliver's #QUALIFICATIONS:
Declared his love for racist David Starkey! 🤪
Said young people shouldn’t go to university because Universities have succumbed to a "Maoist" cultural revolution! 🤪
thenational.scot/news/18557601.…
RTd hard-right crank Paul Joseph-Watson! 🤪
Said #BlackLivesMatter activists are 'anarchists & communists' who want to “bring down British society”! 🤪
Claimed the removal of slave trader Edward Colston’s statue was the first step to the reintroduction of the guillotine! 🤪
Said #BlackLivesMatter activists are 'anarchists & communists' who want to “bring down British society”! 🤪
Claimed the removal of slave trader Edward Colston’s statue was the first step to the reintroduction of the guillotine! 🤪
The Andrew Neil Code Of Conduct:
Take a tweet & deceptively suggest it implies something it doesn't.✔️
Use it to misrepresent the tweeter & attack #GBeebies' competitors.✔️
Amplify it to his servile 1,179,521 followers - 414,012 of which are, like him, fake.✔️
#drawandrewneil
Take a tweet & deceptively suggest it implies something it doesn't.✔️
Use it to misrepresent the tweeter & attack #GBeebies' competitors.✔️
Amplify it to his servile 1,179,521 followers - 414,012 of which are, like him, fake.✔️
#drawandrewneil
⚡️Public Service Announcement⚡️
Use the hashtag #drawandrewneil to find magnificent entries to @MartinRowson's competition.
Deadline for entries: April 8th.
Credits for entries in previous tweet:
@mrleft1980
@DavidWaywell
@kevinwellsart
#GBNews credit: @Coldwar_Steve
Use the hashtag #drawandrewneil to find magnificent entries to @MartinRowson's competition.
Deadline for entries: April 8th.
Credits for entries in previous tweet:
@mrleft1980
@DavidWaywell
@kevinwellsart
#GBNews credit: @Coldwar_Steve
Stumbled across the ‘COMPETITION AND MARKETS AUTHORITY 21ST CENTURY FOX / SKY MERGER INQUIRY’ - Notes of a hearing with @afneil, held18 October 2017.
Imho, it’s a really fascinating read, & gives us a few clues about the likely direction of #GBNews.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a02fa15…
Imho, it’s a really fascinating read, & gives us a few clues about the likely direction of #GBNews.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a02fa15…
Asked what's required by a broadcaster who has commitment to UK broadcast standards:
AN: “To be impartial & truthful & honest & to reflect all manner of opinion that reflects the great public debate that goes on in this country about a multiplicity of issues.”
AN: “To be impartial & truthful & honest & to reflect all manner of opinion that reflects the great public debate that goes on in this country about a multiplicity of issues.”
Q "Could Sky News become more partisan whilst still, essentially, meeting the requirement of due impartiality?"
AF: “That would be up to two things. One would be a commercial judgement: is there an audience and money to be made out of providing that kind of service?"
AF: “That would be up to two things. One would be a commercial judgement: is there an audience and money to be made out of providing that kind of service?"
A quick update on #GBNews... A number of people have asked if we have any info on the advertisers who'll be supporting this controversial channel....
The latest we've seen is that the GB News launch date has *still* not been confirmed. In the meantime #StopFundingHate has been developing a system to help track & identify as many advertisers as possible from the first day that GB News starts broadcasting...
We've been trialing this system with some advertiser monitoring on the Russian Government's notorious propaganda channel RT (formerly known as Russia Today, now broadcasting on UK Freeview channel 234) and it's already yielded some interesting results... theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
No-one has been "banned", & it's nothing to do with our "education system".
The irony of dangerous extremist Nigel Farage - our very own shit-stirring 21st century Oswald Mosely - describing a decision taken BY STUDENTS to drop Winston Churchill as a house name as "dangerous".
The irony of dangerous extremist Nigel Farage - our very own shit-stirring 21st century Oswald Mosely - describing a decision taken BY STUDENTS to drop Winston Churchill as a house name as "dangerous".
LIAR Nigel Farage has used racism, xenophobia, sexism & Islamophobia to stir up division, has toxic connections to extreme & far-right figures across the world, & Thatcherite beliefs that he has tried to hide from communities in former industrial towns.
hopenothate.org.uk/2019/11/15/who…
hopenothate.org.uk/2019/11/15/who…
Farage on LBC Radio, 2014: “I was asked if a group of Romanian men moved in next to you, would you be concerned? And if you lived in London, I think you would be”. Asked whether he would object to living next door to German children, he replied “You know what the difference is”.
#Outrage is the most profitable emotion: pundits, columnists, politicians & advertisers are trying to make us angry.
It's partly why society is so polarized: to get attention (& ad-revenue, audiences, followers etc), say something controversial!
Trump turned it into an artform.
It's partly why society is so polarized: to get attention (& ad-revenue, audiences, followers etc), say something controversial!
Trump turned it into an artform.
Sparking outrage seems counter-intuitive when trying to sell or promote a product or an idea, but as Oscar Wilde said, the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
84% of advertising isn't noticed - outrage gets people talking, or at least noticing.
84% of advertising isn't noticed - outrage gets people talking, or at least noticing.
Outrage sells newspapers & gains listeners. @Conservatives use it all the time.
It's partly why billionaires invest in people/organisations who say outrageous things, & it's why #GBNews will be deliberately provocative: it's 'good for business'.
But it's an energy-sapping trap!
It's partly why billionaires invest in people/organisations who say outrageous things, & it's why #GBNews will be deliberately provocative: it's 'good for business'.
But it's an energy-sapping trap!
Britain was a much more equal society before Thatcher than it has been at any time since.
In this short THREAD, I just want to try and quickly take stock of what forty years of increasingly deregulated free-market capitalism has actually achieved.
In this short THREAD, I just want to try and quickly take stock of what forty years of increasingly deregulated free-market capitalism has actually achieved.
The attacks on the welfare state in the 1980s were based on views that saw poverty as the result of individual moral failings, rather than structural inequality. This narrative has become so dominant, it is now unusual to hear the Govt attach the prefix 'structural' to any issue.
Permanent jobs and decent pensions for the masses have become a thing of the past.
British manufacturing, once the envy of the world, has all but disappeared.
Around 10 million people are trapped in insecure, relatively low-paid work, with declining working conditions.
British manufacturing, once the envy of the world, has all but disappeared.
Around 10 million people are trapped in insecure, relatively low-paid work, with declining working conditions.
Both #GBNews & #NewsUK are about to launch Fox News style channels in the UK.
Despite Mr Neil saying 'wait & see', it's obvious to a child that both channels will try to drag public opinion EVEN FURTHER Right.
What to do?
#DontFundGBNews
washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/medi…
Despite Mr Neil saying 'wait & see', it's obvious to a child that both channels will try to drag public opinion EVEN FURTHER Right.
What to do?
#DontFundGBNews
washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/medi…
As Fox News ratings began to plummet after Trump's defeat, with their audiences seeking even further right-wing channels, & with profit as the one true religion at Fox, something had to change, so according to a number of reports, Murdoch stepped in to call the shots directly.
Most notably, the network decided to add an hour of opinion programming to its prime-time offerings.
The 7 pm hour will no longer be nominally 'news', but straight-up #outrage production.
Why? Because that’s where the ratings (& ad revenue) are!
The 7 pm hour will no longer be nominally 'news', but straight-up #outrage production.
Why? Because that’s where the ratings (& ad revenue) are!
