Something really nasty in parts of the British polity

The referendum of 23^rd June this year has unleashed some pretty nasty public displays of bigotry, intolerance if not downright racism and has shown a worrying disregard to facts and logic. Yes I did vote to remain but I fully accept the result and we have to leave the EU. However the reaction to the decision of the High Court (03/11/2016) in some quarters cannot be excused as a mere excess of febrility. Below are some of the headlines (04/11/2016) in the printed media:

Daily Telegraph:-

“The Judges versus the people”

Nigel Farage quoted as saying:

“Voters aren't going to let this incredible

arrogance lie”

Daily Mail:-

“Enemies of the people (Fury over 'out of touch' judges who defied 17.4m Brexit voters and could trigger a constitutional crisis”

Daily Express:-

“We must get out of the EU

Three judges yesterday blocked Brexit

Now your country really does need you...”

Sun:-

“Who do EU think you are?

Judges Brexit blow. Loaded foreign elite defy will of Brit voters”

Some facts:

1) Referendum result: Leave 17,410,742 (51.9%); Remain 16,141,241 (48.1%) (BBC News). So while these newspapers might want you to believe that some great injustice has or is about to be imposed on the British people there are many millions who probably consider this result to be pretty evenly balanced. As for arrogance I think these figures suggest that it would at the very least be mis-placed by either party.

2) The judgement was about process not the substantive issue. In simple terms the exercise of the Royal prerogative is constrained by existing Acts of Parliament (1610) and the Bill of Rights 1688. Membership of the EU conferred on British Citizens rights via the European Act of 1972. It follows that any attempt to remove or contemplate such removal of those rights has to receive the approval of Parliament. Monarchs once claimed the Divine right to rule – 1610 and 1688 said no – Parliament is sovereign!

“(The Lord Chief Justice said the Government’s attempts to trigger Article 50 without consulting MPs were “contrary to the fundamental constitutional principles of the sovereignty of Parliament”. The judgement concludes: “We decide that the Government does not have the power under the Crown’s prerogative to give notice pursuant to Article 50 for the UK to withdraw from the European Union.)” Courtesy Independent 04/11/2016.

Since the judgement is about process Brexit is not blocked!

3) Trust the Sun to nuance dislike and mis-trust of non indigenous British people.

“The People’s Challenge is a crowd-funded coalition of citizens against Brexit, including members who are ex-pats living abroad, as well as citizens in Gibraltar and Northern Ireland. Investment manager Gina Miller and hairdresser Deir Dos Santos were also chief claimants in the case against the Government.”Courtesy Independent 04/11/2016.

4) Speaking as a person residing in the Provinces (Cheshire actually) to hear metropolitan newspapers talk about an elite and out of touch just makes me laugh – they really ought to get out more! Do more real research and analysis and stop portraying gossip as reality.

Declining reputation of Journalism

On 21^st May Amol Rajan (Editor of The Independent) wrote about the confrontations between Donald Trump and Megyn Kelly of Fox News. He made the point, quite rightly, that “..For a civilised society to advance, there needs to be a reasonably settled view of what we call facts: sequential events that we can all agree have taken place.” In saying this Amol Rajan attacked, again quite rightly, Trump's attempts to simply deny and/or ignore facts as we understand them. He goes on to identify that many (not just in the USA) do not believe what the News Media and Journalists in particular tell them. How has this come to pass? Moreover how on earth could a significant minority of people believe/support what Trump says? One could engage in a heavy discussion about truth and meaning in the philosophical sense but where I do agree with Amol Rajan is facts are important and that these are generally accepted events and happenings as well as scientifically based true representations of reality.

It is my view that much of the declining reputation of Journalism is due to two principal reasons: first the expansion of news presentation particularly 24 hour visual media together with the accompanying expansion in the numbers involved – paid and unpaid; and secondly much greater awareness by the general public of the distinction between fact and opinion – not always evident in News and Journalism.

The expansion of news presentation leads to competition for readers/viewers as revenues depend on audience numbers. Slightly different for the BBC but it is clear they still compete for viewers/listeners/readers. In the end News has to be sold! The visual media demands/requires attractive presentation and time constraints which work against rigorous analysis and accuracy . This is a diversion from truth telling and reporting things as they are! The myriad of players (they all term themselves as Journalists but whether they are depends on what they do). Reading the news does not make one a journalist even if you have been trained it should be much more than that! I certainly do not claim to be Journalist only a mere commentator with life experiences. The expansion has seen people pursuing their own stories sometimes admirable stuff sometimes celebrity voyeurism. This expansion therefore leads to confusion as to what is Journalism and what is no more than gossip. It also diverts attention away from the seeking of truth and rigorous analysis.

The absence in much of the media of a clear distinction between fact and opinion has also contributed to the decline in the reputation of journalism. Sometimes the Journalist cannot help themselves particularly if they are “reporting” politics. How often have we heard, “..the agenda has now moved on...”; “..the issue is now...”. It is likely that these ideas were input from an external source maybe sometimes in the media and sometimes from a politician. Remember the old adage: “Just because you say it does not make it so!” Which brings us back to Trump. Don't give up Independent, New York Times, Economist, Washington Post. Trump is an ignorant, loud mouthed, egotistical and dangerous opportunist and while the political elites in both the USA and Europe have much to answer for Trump is not the answer more a nightmare for reasonable discourse.