When Money Controls The News

‘Store-bought’ news is not only a problem in America, it is also a problem in Britain.

On Tuesday, The Daily Caller reported the following:

The BBC is defending its decision to create propaganda content for the Chinese state media and commercials for Huawei, according to a Deadline investigation published Monday.

The BBC’s Executive Vice President Sean O’Hara said that the tax-payer funded broadcast service depends on Chinese contracts for funding international journalism, Deadline reported after a detailed investigation into the contracts.

“The commercial income generated from advertising provides vital investment in BBC News, ensuring that we are able to sustain our global network of journalists and continue to bring independent and impartial news to the UK and beyond. I’d like to assure you that it has no influence on our editorial output,” O’Hara said in a memo to British lawmaker Lord David Alton, according to the outlet.

Am I honestly supposed to believe that the fact that China is funding major portions of advertising on the BBC has no impact on their content? That illustrates one of the many reasons this site does not have ads–I don’t ever want to have to choose between someone who buys and ad and an article I want to print.

The article also notes:

Sources at the BBC are “uncomfortable with these relationships” with China. BBC StoryWorks has partnered with at least 18 different Chinese clients, nine of which were affiliated with the CCP.

Journalists have questioned the thought processes behind working with Chinese propaganda companies, such as CGTN, who have previously been accused of creating “perilous” working conditions for British reporters.

The New York Times and The Washington Post have also reaped profits from relationships with Chinese state media and the Communist Party. In one instance, The Washington Post touted China’s Communist Party as a means of bettering the lives of citizens, but made no mention of China’s oppression and genocide against the Uyghur population.

Mainstream media news needs to be viewed skeptically. Even if they report the story, they will leave out the parts that do not fit the desired narrative.