Crippen Cartoons cartoons at the cutting edge of disability

The Right-wing influences are at it again with two new appointments to high ranking roles within the broadcasting industry and the launch of a new TV channel that has raised more than a few eyebrows.

One of the things that clouds the judgement of the general public when ever they read or hear anything to do with disability is the usual right-wing bias that accompanies the report. This can simply be the old stereotypes such as portraying us as needy and reliant upon the many charities that claim to represent us, or it could be something more sinister, like a hidden agenda (Ed: here he goes again!) orchestrated, let’s say by the spin doctors at Tory HQ.

Whether you believe that this bias exists or not, you have got to admit that the appointment of two top Tory supporters to powerful roles within our broadcasting industry smells of something that’s distinctly fishy!

It’s been revealed that Richard Sharp, former Goldman Sachs banker and adviser to the chancellor, has been lined up to be the next chairman of the BBC after Sir David Clementi steps down. Electoral Commission records show that this man has donated more than £400,000 to the Conservative Party since 2001, leading to accusations of cronyism and a clear bias.

This appointment comes at the same time that another Tory supporter  Paul Dacre gets set to become the new Ofcom chair.

Under his tenure at the Daily Mail, Dacre ran such provocative headlines as “The Swarm On Our Streets” in relation to migrants as well as peddling other nationalistic hyperbole such as “Migrants Spark Housing Crisis”,  along with many biased disablist articles.

And GB News, the new TV channel chaired by Andrew Neil, launches in the UK soon. Billed as the UK’s version of American right-wing channel Fox News and claims to be the biggest news TV channel to be created since Sky News went on air 30 years ago.

The channel has yet to broadcast any coverage, but it has already faced an attempted advertising boycott started by campaign group Stop Funding Hate following speculations that the channel will be similar to Fox News.

Just what we need. A new right-wing tv channel plus a top Tory running the BBC and both overseen by a Tory Ofcom regulator. No bias there then?!

Description of cartoon for those using screen reading software

A large newsroom with a sign identifying it as ‘GB News – we make the news’ is filled with journalists at their desks and laptops. The sign has been changed however to read ‘we invent the news!’ An editor has just entered the room with a piece of paper that has ‘News – Darce to head OFCOM’ printed on it. He is saying: “OK guys gloves off – OFCOM’s ours now so we can publish what we want again!”