BBC wrongly predicted BAD figures for the UK economy

December 23rd, 2011

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Arthur Martin

Last updated at 8:47 AM on 23rd December 2011

Two hours before Britain’s economic figures were released yesterday, the BBC enthusiastically predicted that growth would be ‘even worse than we thought’.

The potential economic slowdown was discussed at length in grave tones for three and a half minutes on Radio 4’s flagship Today programme.

The issue was considered important enough to be placed third on the programme’s news bulletins at 7.30am and 8am.

Stephanie Flanders

John Humphrys

Grave: Stephanie Flanders, left, and John Humphrys were overly pessimistic

Unfortunately, their pessimistic predictions were wrong. Instead of growth being worse than forecast, it was better.

But rather than injecting a more optimistic tone into their analysis, they simply relegated the story to being an also-ran.

Indeed it dropped off some later bulletins altogether. The World at One on Radio 4 did not include it in its headlines, neither did BBC1’s 1pm news.

Earlier on the Today programme, the normally scrupulously impartial John Humphrys introduced the economy story with a dose of doom.

He said: ‘We know the economy is slowing down, which is another way of saying the nation won’t be getting much richer, if at all. But today the latest revised growth figures will be published and everyone seems to think they will show it’s even worse than we thought.’

Broadcasting House: The BBC played down news of better growth figures

While questioning economics editor Stephanie Flanders, Humphrys asked if it would mean ‘most people are actually worse off than they were’.

Flanders replied: ‘So far there is a surprising degree of resignation in the face of austerity and the fact that pay packets at the top are going up.’

Humphrys then suggested that ‘people are getting fed up’ with austerity measures. Less than two hours later the ONS released figures saying that the UK economy grew by 0.6 per cent between July and September – faster than previous estimates of 0.5 per cent.

The issue was discussed for a minute on the World at One, with presenter Shaun Ley introducing the story by saying the economy had expanded slightly more than had been thought. However, he concluded: ‘The prospects for the New Year are far from encouraging.’

On the BBC1 News at One, where the issue did not make the headlines, presenter Sophie Raworth did at least introduce the story as ‘a bit of good news’. On the BBC website, the economic figures from the ONS languished at eighth on their news schedule.

By 5pm, the story had finally been given a more prominent spot, when it was fourth on the news schedule on Radio 4’s PM programme.

Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, said: ‘This is what we have come to expect from the BBC. They leap on anything damaging to the Government, but when there is anything positive they want to bury it.’

Last night the BBC responded: ‘It’s nonsense to suggest we did not cover the fact that the figure was revised up from the original calculation. The Radio 4 13.00 and 18.00 bulletins, the News at One, News at Six and News at Ten all clearly stated in their introductions that the 3rd quarter figure for GDP growth was higher than originally calculated.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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British people are fed propaganda every day by the BBC and they believe it, do they not understand that the Government is not telling the truth. This never happens in Germany.
– Wilfried, Bochum, Germany, 23/12/2011 11:43
Why the red arrows for this poster, anyone with a brain cell knows the Biased Broadcasting Corporation don’t report the news, they manage it.

– wiseman, Chelmsford, Essex, 23/12/2011 11:49

The beeb is always going on about the cuts that haven’t happened, always negative. Had to stop watching as got fed up of seeing families moaning about cuts, whilst surrounded by plasmas, leather sofas, playstations. Must think we are stupid. All news is biased miserable but the beeb is the worst. The problem with them is how it is funded. We can demand a democratic opt out. Why do beeb fans find this an issue? surely they should agree we should all have a choice? Are they not confident there are enough of them to keep it going without the input of dm readers non lefties? Is that why they are always on here defending it? Probably have some self interest.

– Truth, Uk, 23/12/2011 11:48

Mr. B. Onion U.K. 23/12/2011……..This thick D.M. reader can spell hypocritical you arrogant twit.

– Dave, Hants, 23/12/2011 11:48

You can just picture the scene, all the lefties wetting themselves because the news is bad for the government, then hey presto, not so bad after all, bet that spoilt a few Christmases for some. Lol

– wiseman, Chelmsford, Essex, 23/12/2011 11:47

You are forced to pay a license fee to receive bias propaganda, or you go to prison…what country do we live in again?

– fed-up, London UK, 23/12/2011 11:46

0.6% v 0.5% based on the GDP deflator which is about +/- 2%. Economist use decimal places to prove that they have a sense of humour.

– SeaBee, London. UK, 23/12/2011 11:46

Mark Rosmar, Romford, Essex, 23/12/2011 11:2 “…..while on the other hand downplaying or ignoring the growing and massive body of evidence against.” IF you can find a massive and growing body of evidence against AGW please point out where it can be found so the Nobel Prize Committee can begin drawing up their awards.

– Dave, North Yorkshire, 23/12/2011 11:45

“…the normally scrupulously impartial John Humphrys…” You have to be joking. He is the head commissar in a bunch of Commies running the place.

– Jonboy, UK, 23/12/2011 11:45

British people are fed propaganda every day by the BBC and they believe it, do they not understand that the Government is not telling the truth. This never happens in Germany.

– Wilfried, Bochum, Germany, 23/12/2011 11:43

I refuse to watch the BBC News or any documentary programmes as I know they put there own agenda on everything and whilst I can ignore most things I find thier doom and gloom over the economy positively vile, they are guilty of sabotaging us as a country by encouraging a lack of confidence in our country. We should all refuse to pay our licence fee and get rid of the lot of them.
– Milly, Sussex, 23/12/2011 11:07 ***** You can only laugh at those avid DM readers who comment about something they “refuse to watch”. I assume you also criticise books you have not read, films you have not watched, countries you have not visited, food you have not tasted and music that you have not listened to.

– NC, Alba, 23/12/2011 11:43

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