BBC: Money more important than children

[Dave Brown | cross-platform director/producer]

While talking about Madonna & Guy Ritchie’s divorce settlement on last night’s six o’clock news, BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba stated that the £50m financial settlement was more important than reaching agreement on their children.

Huh?

What does that say about our society?

Having just spent three years in court ensuring that I can be a dad to my children, at a financial cost measured in hundreds of thousands of pounds, I take issue with that opinion. Only now that it’s been established that I see my kids every week, has my attention moved on to financial matters.

It’s important to keep in mind that because Mzimba’s opinion was broadcast on BBC primetime it got across to millions and my opinion won’t. Don’t get me wrong, Lizo Mzimba is fully entitled to his opinion. However, surely his opinion is intrinsically endorsed by the BBC. The way I see it, the BBC broadcasts to the nation on behalf of the nation, and therefore I feel that the BBC inherently has responsibility for the messages that it broadcasts.

Now if I’d come across Mzimba’s opinion online it simply wouldn’t have cheesed me off, as I expect a full and colourful spectrum of views in that environment …AND I’d have been able to disagree with him. However, it seems to me that as the orator to the nation, the BBC in particular has a responsibility to steer away from the anarchic opinions of the minority, and instead adhere to a high standard of morals and commonsense.

Yes it’s everyone’s BBC, and yes it should be inclusive …but surely that should also mean that the vast majority of viewers shouldn’t be getting subliminally indoctrinated by the values of leftfield loonies like Lizo Mzimba. There is an element of our society that believes that everything they see on the telly is true. I for one am not convinced that the BBC should be a platform that amplifies minority views; artificially prioritising those views above mainstream opinion, to an audience which includes a substantial army of armchair absorbatrons sucking-up BBC opinion as gospel.

Maybe this is where the BBC is going wrong [maybe this is where the country is going wrong]. Is the BBC trying to broadcast inclusive, diverse, non-mainstream views such as those that are prevalent online …when arguably it should be the one beacon of straight-laced commonsense?

[Dave Brown | cross-platform director/producer]

Fair point well made Stuart ...you’re right, I’m not sure that the story constitutes news at all.

It was just one throw-away line that got my goat. I’m paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of: “…they’ve reached agreement on the children, but more importantly the money”.

[Stuart Cosgrove]

I saw the piece Dave I though the point was that the finance settlement contained 'costs' that would allow them joint-access and a financial agreement to allow for transatlantic visits, for both kids and absent parent. But I'm thnakfully not an expert. Nor do I wish to pass judgment on people's complex lives. The issue for me is why is the story on the news at all. Tired celebrity fascination I suppose.