The Great Step Forward

[Andrew_C]

Now, call me crazy, but isn't what Mr. Jaffe suggesting similar to, but not identical to, what the BBC does?

Of course the BBC has editors and such, but they are bound by it's Royal Charter and Agreement to maintain "editorial independence" and, because of the licence fee providing guaranteed income (i.e. no need for advertisers) they can cover stories in any which way as long as it remains neutral and independent, even as a state broadcaster.

The way I see it, what the hypothetical Kickstarter money would do is give the hypothetical writing team that same level of editorial/writing independence.

tl;dr: make the whole of the BBC a games focused news outlet.

I'm amused that you think the BBC still employs actual journalists and not just underpaid interns who trawl Twitter for stories.

 

[Chrono212]

Now, call me crazy, but isn't what Mr. Jaffe suggesting similar to, but not identical to, what the BBC does?

Of course the BBC has editors and such, but they are bound by it's Royal Charter and Agreement to maintain "editorial independence" and, because of the licence fee providing guaranteed income (i.e. no need for advertisers) they can cover stories in any which way as long as it remains neutral and independent, even as a state broadcaster.

The way I see it, what the hypothetical Kickstarter money would do is give the hypothetical writing team that same level of editorial/writing independence.

tl;dr: make the whole of the BBC a games focused news outlet.

I'm amused that you think the BBC still employs actual journalists and not just underpaid interns who trawl Twitter for stories.

I'm amused you don't cite any sources.

 

[Andrew_C]

I'm amused you don't cite any sources.

I was exaggerating, but only slightly.

I will give you one example of the way the BBC is the total opposite of what you believe it. The way the Saville Scandal broke, with the BBC commissioning a documentary and then cancelling it, leaving ITV to pick up the investigation and break the story. This was caused not by a sinister conspiracy but by the massive proliferation of managers since Lord Birt, all too interested in protecting their own patch, and downplaying of actually creating content or doing journalism, because that's risky.

There was no-one prepared to take the risk of saying "Yes, lets broadcast this" and too many willing to say no, because it was too risky, or it might clash with their own programming (seriously). And nothing has changed since then, the woman who ultimately was most responsible for the whole debacle, Helen Boaden, the then head of BBC News, was even promoted and there has been another round of layoffs in the newsrooms (but only the token scapegoats fired from the managers).

 

[Kermi]

It's a sad day when you have to provide context for the joke.

But seeing as how the last two comics got a myriad of 'I don't it', then I can understand why

I needed the context. Not because I didn't get the joke, but because I don't happen to read every goddamn thing on the internet.

 

[The Random One]

Guy says we should pick the five best journalists.
Guy mentions Ben Kuchera and Jim Sterling.
Realize I'm leaving a blog from an alternate, far worse dimension.