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Message started by Administrator on Jul 22nd, 2017, 8:09am

Title: BBC Class Gap?
Post by Administrator on Jul 22nd, 2017, 8:09am

Lewis Goodall (ex-Newsnight now SKY Political Correspondent) compares the Gender Gap, The Pay Gap and now 'The Class Gap' here:-


"I've been doing some research and number crunching. The list contains over 80 on-screen names. No fewer than 45% of the BBC's best paid stars went to private schools. That compares to 7% of the nation overall."

Title: Re: BBC Class Gap?
Post by JohnW on Jul 22nd, 2017, 1:35pm

Not that I would want to disagree with his conclusions ... but you can bend figures and statistics to show almost anything.

I'm afraid if 'Essex English' became prevalent on the BBC airwaves I fear that I for one would become 'a listener' in the past tense.
Estuary English is perhaps getting to the point of annoying, but I don't ascribe that down to "class" [not a term I particularly like anyway] - but a lack of "clear diction" is not in my experience something which is in any way related to class. Gender does sometimes produce a voice that I find more difficult to listen to (to whit Mischief May, and Maggie Thatcher in her harridan days!) but sometimes that's because they're incorrectly balanced to the other material (people using meters instead of their ears to balance a programme).

I don't think, for instance, that I could listen to a News programme which was fronted by a real Geordie - I'm not sure I could keep up with mentally translating the dialogue into something I recognise! But then I wasn't brought up listening to that accent. Again, it's NOT a class thing - and nor is it related to salary, or for that matter gender.

As ever, YMMV.

Title: Re: BBC Class Gap?
Post by chris west on Jul 26th, 2017, 9:13am

Listening to Amol Rajan, the BBC's media editor, and he really does sound like someone they hauled in from the cafe next door to read an unfamiliar script. Do they not get training? Do they no longer realise that broadcasting is the art of using artifice to sound natural?

Title: Re: BBC Class Gap?
Post by WG on Jul 28th, 2017, 11:24am

Try watching the "new" Watchdog from Salford... :( :-/

Title: Re: BBC Class Gap?
Post by HG on Jul 29th, 2017, 3:30pm

Yes WG...agree entirely....I cringe trying to watch (listen) to it. Never got to the end before turning off.

Title: Re: BBC Class Gap?
Post by John on Jul 30th, 2017, 6:17am

I have managed to watch particular items in Watchdog but not all the show. It is not good when you have to force yourself to watch.

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