Charlie Beckett | Lightnews

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 2h

And please don't tell me that Marshall doesn't know what he's doing and shouldn't interfere with @gbnewsonline.bsky.social editorial. Their lies and racism only exists because of his funding.

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 2h

For me this as bad as the infamous Libyan Gaddafi episode. The LSE thinks that it knows what the higher moral interest is without considering the grubby moral compromises. No-one is pure but this one stinks

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 2h

Makes me sick that @lsepress.bsky.social takes money from the man responsible for this bsky.app/profile/gerr...

Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 3h

The sewer that is GB News. Now promoting repugnant ethno-nationalism & racism broadcasting calls to remove ethnic minority MPs from the UK Parliament. Even Enoch Powell at his most odious did not stoop this low. Meanwhile the supposed regulator @ofcom.bsky.social is asleep at the wheel.

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 3h

Amazing. @channel4news.bsky.social just trailed an item on water shortages in Tunbridge Wells and then went into a commercial for WaterAid. Priceless irony.

Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 3h

The sewer that is GB News. Now promoting repugnant ethno-nationalism & racism broadcasting calls to remove ethnic minority MPs from the UK Parliament. Even Enoch Powell at his most odious did not stoop this low. Meanwhile the supposed regulator @ofcom.bsky.social is asleep at the wheel.

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 3h

Thanks Andrew - a superb summary!

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 3h

Excellent detailed summary of our Journalism and AI festival. As the article says it was packed with expert and innovative voices from around the world - a great read and all the sessions are online

Andrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · 3h

I was in London last month for the first in-person JournalismAI Festival hosted by @polislse.bsky.social and the Google News Initiative. I wrote up a few of the highlights for @niemanlab.org.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/news...

News media is “becoming part of AI systems”: Notes from the JournalismAI Festival 2025

The London conference tackled topics like AI-assisted reporting, article personalization, and deepfake detection.

www.niemanlab.org

Andrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · 3h

I was in London last month for the first in-person JournalismAI Festival hosted by @polislse.bsky.social and the Google News Initiative. I wrote up a few of the highlights for @niemanlab.org.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/news...

News media is “becoming part of AI systems”: Notes from the JournalismAI Festival 2025

The London conference tackled topics like AI-assisted reporting, article personalization, and deepfake detection.

www.niemanlab.org

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 1d

'what about the kiosks?'

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 2d

Lots of other problems of course. Again, we need more research on this and it's hard to define but I would argue UK news orgs are more partisan than ever. Could just be our politics or increased competition and the subscription biz model?

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 2d

There's much more political reporting and commentary than ever before. There's more policy reporting than ever before. But perhaps the two are more separated? One problem is that policy stories are given to pol corrs as soon as they go up the agenda. f

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 2d

Stephen raises an interesting point here about UK political journalism. I am not sure how I'd prove the level of policy reporting over time with research. People have argued for decades (see J Birt 'Bias against understanding' 1975) that there's too much horse-race/Westminister bubble journalism.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 2d

Think this is exactly right - political journalism that is completely abstracted from policy, which was not the norm before 2017, has become the default. Impossible to have a serious attempt to either shrink what the state does or widen the tax base (have to do at least one) on that basis.

Jane Green @profjanegreen.bsky.social · 2d

All this budget news, claims, counter claims is confusing, but two things of consequence.

1. We're all talking about that, not any financial benefits (or losses) of the budget.

2. Yet more focus on the very weird few weeks and politics of it all. Starting to feel dangerously like a norm.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 2d

Think this is exactly right - political journalism that is completely abstracted from policy, which was not the norm before 2017, has become the default. Impossible to have a serious attempt to either shrink what the state does or widen the tax base (have to do at least one) on that basis.

Jane Green @profjanegreen.bsky.social · 2d

All this budget news, claims, counter claims is confusing, but two things of consequence.

1. We're all talking about that, not any financial benefits (or losses) of the budget.

2. Yet more focus on the very weird few weeks and politics of it all. Starting to feel dangerously like a norm.

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 3d

Och. That's lovely thx

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 3d

What a loss. Moore, Hurst, Peters, Brooking all legends, but we were always Billy Bonds' claret and blue army. RIP share.google/6WVpEshnfuBg...

A statement from the family of Billy Bonds MBE - West Ham United FC

It is with deep sadness and the heaviest of hearts that West Ham United shares the following statement from the family of legendary player, coach and manager, Billy Bonds MBE…

share.google

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 4d

RIP Irony: "I just don’t know what you can do with people like that, people who wilfully refuse to see the reality of a situation simply because it contradicts their political viewpoints" www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

The obvious truth about BBC bias

For quite a few members of the House of Commons culture, media and sport committee, the answer to the claims of left-wing bias against the BBC could be annulled by the simple expediency of firing the ...

www.spectator.co.uk

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 5d

Interesting pricing. I guess they are hoping first tranche of loyal readers will shell out then they'll discount heavily later. I got a year sub to the Washington Post for £15 last week...

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 6d

Apply now for our free APAC region AI Academy open to journalists and media professionals from any news organisation in the region, regardless of size. The 5-week programme will start in February 2026.
Details here: www.journalismai.info/programmes/a...

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 6d

I agree Phil. As Crick wrote, the job of politics and politicians is to bridge the gap between unrealistic public expectations and reality. The failure of UK political media is they see their 'accountability' function as widening the same gap.

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 6d

@vicderbyshire.bsky.social really is one of our most efficient broadcast journalists - relentless focus on facts and such aplomb

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 6d

Interesting to see media obsessions with manifesto promises. Not sure public care. No one reads manifestos, no one really remembers party promises. Perhaps in our affective politics it is NOT the 'economy stupid'

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 7d

And in my continuing fascinating commentary on BBC's bulletin tonight: why the ludicrous over coverage of a minor shooting in DC?

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 7d

And then Coletta Smith at the BBC does exactly that. Excellent

Charlie Beckett @charliebeckett.bsky.social · 7d

Also: don't do vox pops as a way of relating it to 'real people' - do a proper audit of various cases - how people 'feel' matters but give us some facts