Tag Archives: carol thatcher

LDV readers say: BBC not justified in banning Carol Thatcher

By Stephen Tall | Wed 11th February 2009 - 3:30 pm

Last week, in the wake of the whipped-up hysteria surrounding Carol Thatcher being banned by the BBC from The One Show for using the term ‘golliwog’, LDV asked our readers if you thought the corporation was justified in its actions.

Here’s how you voted:

Yes, the BBC was justified – 44% (116 votes)
No, the BBC wasn’t justified – 52% (139)
Don’t know – 4% (11)
Total Votes: 266. Poll ran: 5th-10th February 2009

So, a bare majority of you think the BBC over-reacted to Carol Thatcher’s use of racially-loaded language.

The poll was picked-up by the Telegraph’s James Kirkup, who used it …

Posted in Voice polls | Also tagged daily telegraph and james kirkup | 7 Comments

NEW POLL: was the BBC right to ban Carol Thatcher from The One Show?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 5th February 2009 - 2:25 pm

I’ve avoided for as long as possible the uber-hyped ‘nowtrage’ over Carol Thatcher’s off-air-but-in-the-studio comment that a still-to-be-identified tennis player looks like a ‘golliwog’.

It does of course pose lots of interesting questions for liberals: the conflict between freedom of speech, and the offence that may cause; to what extent unbroadcast behind-the-scenes remarks should be regarded as private; whether remarks that cause offence are best dealt with by individuals at the time, rather than by being referred to an ombuds~~man~~person.

The Lib Dem blogosphere has wrestled with many of these issues and more, and given more time to …