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Ben Fenton

@benfenton.bsky.social

6.1K followers 960 following 1.1K posts

Media/politics(Covered 2 US presidential elections); Fairness - Author of TO BE FAIR https://menschpublishing.com/books/to-be-fair/ Formerly: Chair, Orwell Journalism Prize; FT chief media corr; Telegraph Senior Reporter & Washington Correspondent

menschpublishing.com

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · Dec 16

I wrote a thing about how the folk-hero-worship of Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of a health-insurance CEO, is a result of our profound instincts of fairness and unfairness.

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/united...

Luigi Mangione, folk hero

The man suspected of murdering the CEO of America’s largest healthcare company has been lionised because of a yearning for fairness

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

AI foul-ups are boring, but this seems different:Asked Google area of Iveragh peninsula in hectares: AI overview said "450 sq kms or 45K hectares"

Then it showed its working, which was based on 30 x 15 *miles*. And then it showed a different (correct) calc of 116K ha.

Why bother with it?

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

If European courts were to make hallucinations a form of defamation, then we might be able to force people to check their AI research a bit more.

In the UK, defamation includes holding people up to "hatred, ridicule or contempt". Could be expanded to "by false attribution or citation".

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

This is astounding. Global Financial Crisis, plus the knee jerk response to cut, cut, cut, plus Brexit has made us a shadow of what we could have been.

Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 1d

Britain has seen an acute living standards slowdown over the past 20 years.

This has affected incomes across the distribution.

A typical family today would be £20,000 richer if incomes had continued growing at the same rate since 2005, when the Foundation was founded.

⤵️ buff.ly/NuhNFF9

Chart showing average annual non-pensioner real household income growth, by income percentile: GB/UK

Reposted by Ben Fenton

Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 1d

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

Each in their own way is thinking: "Thank goodness I'm the right kind of undesirable."

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

Tobogganing was invented by adults for adults and its peak performance (Cresta Run) is a legitimate form of suicide; I would never criticise anyone for their choices in ending the bitter trail of human life.

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

It's one of those 'Before Ozempic' and 'After Ozempic' pictures taken by the Thunder Bay branch of Weightwatchers.

Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · 1d

Tragic news from Canada where the Canadian Supreme Court has gone from the official dress on the left to the one on the right

Canadian Supreme court. Everyone is dressed in bright red wooly gowns, with a beige trim. It looks sort of like a Santa robe

The Canadian Supreme court. Everyone is dressed in black gowns with a bright white kravat, and two thin red vertical lines on the side of the robe

Reposted by Ben Fenton

Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · 1d

Tragic news from Canada where the Canadian Supreme Court has gone from the official dress on the left to the one on the right

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

You don't have to be a cynical journalist to believe that window manufacturers in the Russian Federation may not be very good at their jobs.

metro.co.uk/2025/10/06/r...

Russian newspaper head mysteriously falls 70ft to his death from a window

The veteran publisher died on Saturday. Police are investigating the 'strange death'.

metro.co.uk

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

The largest social change in my lifetime is the infantilisation of adults and the adultification of children.

Both run counter to the interests of the species and the ability to find common cause.

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 1d

If Vladimir Putin and pals were not mounting a full, all-levels influence campaign to push the US further into civil strife/war, using sleeper agents, useful idiots (oh so many of those available), kompromat, online agitation, etc etc...

...they would not be serving the interests of the Rodina.

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

Now then, let's have a thinK...

Simple symbolism, shadow transport secretary, maybe roadsigns, hmmm.

Ah, got it...

Reposted by Ben Fenton

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 2d

I’m in the main hall of Tory conference to watch new-ish shadow transport secretary Richard Holden give his speech. The title leads me to expect talk about the war on the motorist and 20mph zones.

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

Or maybe they are sticking an arm out to indicate that they are turning right?

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

Could you possibly get Henry to do a Lunch with her dogs?

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

I hope she would have appreciated that my intent was merely to add to the gaiety of nations.

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

Died after a fall, which, I suppose, is better than after a refusal.

The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 2d

Jilly Cooper, author of Rivals and Riders, dies aged 88

Cooper, who ‘defined culture, writing and conversation’ died after a fall

www.irishtimes.com

Reposted by Ben Fenton

The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 2d

Jilly Cooper, author of Rivals and Riders, dies aged 88

Cooper, who ‘defined culture, writing and conversation’ died after a fall

www.irishtimes.com

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Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

Didn't split the G, I notice.

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

FYI. Just checked Wikipedia:

Una Stubbs - enforcer for Alf Garnett's Till Death Do Us Party

Larry Grayson - Camp follower/character assassin

Sooty - bestiality, less said the better.

Beatrix Potter - Harry's auntie, again, also did unspeakable things with animals, like most famous Brits.

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 2d

Talking about the NHS (or most public services) is as toxic to the Cons now as talking about trade unionism was for Lab in the 80s and early 90s.

So everything becomes about securing the leadership first and then trying to figure out a way to distance from the 14-year foul-up.