The so called BBC

[MontyVeda]

Is anyone else getting tired of the BBC referring to those naughty IS boys as "the so-called Islamic State"?

I mean, do they insist on referring to the Tories the "so-called conservative party"? The "so-called NHS"? The "so called Donald Trump"?

Whether Auntie likes it or not, Islamic State is what the nutters have decided to call themselves, so why not just flipping well call them the same?

And why are they always "militants" or "insurgents"? They're bleeding terrorists Aunty Beeb, so why don't the mentioned tofu eaters at Broadcasting House stop trying to take a political stance with their subtle use of language, and start calling a spade a spade? Be nice to hear the actual news for a change rather than a sanitised dumbed down left wing opinion of the news.

maybe you should stop listening to the BBC news. Other news outlets are available.

I see the 'so-called' prefix as a bit of slur... as if auntie is saying 'you think you're an islamic state, but you're a long way from actually being one'.

 

[srw]

Is anyone else getting tired of the BBC referring to those naughty IS boys as "the so-called Islamic State"?

I mean, do they insist on referring to the Tories the "so-called conservative party"? The "so-called NHS"? The "so called Donald Trump"?

Whether Auntie likes it or not, Islamic State is what the nutters have decided to call themselves, so why not just flipping well call them the same?

And why are they always "militants" or "insurgents"? They're bleeding terrorists Aunty Beeb, so why don't the mentioned tofu eaters at Broadcasting House stop trying to take a political stance with their subtle use of language, and start calling a spade a spade? Be nice to hear the actual news for a change rather than a sanitised dumbed down left wing opinion of the news.

If I remember correctly that twunt Cameron and certain Conservative numpties complained that "ISIS" and "ISIL" were dignifying them with too much influence. So the craven right-wing BBC lackies caved in and agreed to the current wording.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

............BBC...............left wing opinion of the news

craven right-wing BBC lackies

Got the balance correct then?

 

[Brains]

I'm sure Mossad/M15/CIA/KGB are right at this moment scheming on how to form a splinter group which will call it's self the The Real Islamic State, and then another one called the Provisional Islamic State
It's called divide and rule.

Splitters !

 

[SD1]

Calling them Islamic state is hardly derogatory to Muslims in general.
It's the same as calling Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru welsh terrorist becouse like they were Welsh and terrorists.

IS want to create an extreme Islamic state... so there are like.. Islamic and terrorists.
The BBC are as usual beings there typically politically correct selves aka cowards.

 

[SD1]

So the craven right-wing BBC lackies caved in and agreed to the current wording.

There's a new one... the BBC are craven right wing lackies. That's a first.

 

[robjh]

If I remember correctly that twunt Cameron and certain Conservative numpties complained that "ISIS" and "ISIL" were dignifying them with too much influence. So the craven right-wing BBC lackies caved in and agreed to the current wording.

This is correct. In the summer, Cameron and his obedient mouthpieces in the Conservative party decreed suddenly that the terms ISIS, ISIL or Islamic State were now off-limits, and mounted one of their tiresome periodic slurs against the BBC to force them to change their usage. I don't read the publication in this link, but it serves to illustrate the source of the (IMO synthetic) fuss in June 2015. The BBC's response was to start using the prefix 'so-called'.

By December 2015 Cammers had evidently forgotten what he'd said in June, and suddenly announced that it had to be called 'Daesh' (link to another dodgy publication). Thankfully the BBC has had enough backbone this time not to bend with that particular puff of hot air.

So @Drago and others, if you don't like the formulaic 'so-called' etc etc, then please address your complaints to one D Cameron of Downing Street, and not the BBC.

 

[Drago]

It's correct as far as it goes. As far back as the 70s the Beeb made a policy decision to cease referring to terrorists as such (mainly then the IRA, INLA and UVF) and start calling them militants or paramilitaries. The "so called" phenomenon is but the latest manifestation of a policy of avoiding plain speaking in order not to upset the sensibilities of a minority, albeit at the unwitting expense of insulting the intelligence of the majority, which they set in motion over 40 years ago. They were trotting out these ridiculous terms and phrases long before "Call Me Dave" and will be doing so long after he's gone.

 

[rich p]

The BBC are as usual beings there typically politically correct selves aka cowards

I'm confused, where is there?

 

[Drago]

Over their, between Iraq and Syria.

 

[Illaveago]

The IRA were all of those things. The reason for describing IS as so called is because they don't have a recognized state.

Should they be called IS of no fixed abode?

 

[vernon]

It's correct as far as it goes. As far back as the 70s the Beeb made a policy decision to cease referring to terrorists as such (mainly then the IRA, INLA and UVF) and start calling them militants or paramilitaries. The "so called" phenomenon is but the latest manifestation of a policy of avoiding plain speaking in order not to upset the sensibilities of a minority, albeit at the unwitting expense of insulting the intelligence of the majority, which they set in motion over 40 years ago. They were trotting out these ridiculous terms and phrases long before "Call Me Dave" and will be doing so long after he's gone.

There's an alternative explanation - using alternative terms to the ones preferred by the aggressors denatures the threat of the brand image that they peddle. It's a grown up version of the playground term, 'Yeah, you and whose army?'

 

[Tim Hall]

It's correct as far as it goes. As far back as the 70s the Beeb made a policy decision to cease referring to terrorists as such (mainly then the IRA, INLA and UVF) and start calling them militants or paramilitaries. The "so called" phenomenon is but the latest manifestation of a policy of avoiding plain speaking in order not to upset the sensibilities of a minority, albeit at the unwitting expense of insulting the intelligence of the majority, which they set in motion over 40 years ago. They were trotting out these ridiculous terms and phrases long before "Call Me Dave" and will be doing so long after he's gone.

Except, according to one of the periodicals linked to by @robjh, Cameron said:

'I wish the BBC would stop calling it Islamic State because it's not an Islamic State; what it is is an appalling, barbarous regime,' Mr Cameron said.

'It is a perversion of the religion of Islam and many Muslims listening to this programme will recoil every time they hear the words 'Islamic State'.

I wish the BBC would stop calling it Islamic State because it's not an Islamic State; what it is is an appalling, barbarous regime
Prime Minister David Cameron

'So-called' or Isil is better,' he added.

(My bold)

And from The Guardian:

“I personally think that using the term Isil or ‘so-called’ would be better than what [the BBC] currently do,” Cameron said.

Both of which suggest the "so called" prefix came from Cameron.

 

[SD1]

I'm confused, where is there?

Ahh we have grammatical Facist. You know what I meant, only those who have no worthwhile reply use grammitcal mistakes to score points. The word pathetic comes to mind.

 

[vernon]

Ahh we have grammatical Facist. You know what I meant, only those who have no worthwhile reply use grammitcal mistakes to score points. The word pathetic comes to mind.

Back at ya