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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Varche on 30 October 2013, 11:24:24

Title: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Varche on 30 October 2013, 11:24:24
As an expat, it is very noticeable that UK television only really covers UK news. If they do venture abroad then it is to report on disasters in the USA or Australia. There hardly ever seems to be any news on Europe.

On Monday there was a mine tragedy in Northern Spain which killed six coal miners (methane). Anything on UK TV about it? If there was I haven't seen it. There was also recently a bunch of none English(first language) speaking Europeans that had been held hostage in a South American country for years that were finally released. 

Is this the British psyche to only be interested in own country or former colonies (at a push)?
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Nickbat on 30 October 2013, 11:29:49
As an expat, it is very noticeable that UK television only really covers UK news. If they do venture abroad then it is to report on disasters in the USA or Australia. There hardly ever seems to be any news on Europe.

On Monday there was a mine tragedy in Northern Spain which killed six coal miners (methane). Anything on UK TV about it? If there was I haven't seen it. There was also recently a bunch of none English(first language) speaking Europeans that had been held hostage in a South American country for years that were finally released. 

Is this the British psyche to only be interested in own country or former colonies (at a push)?

No, it's more a case of British news organisations (especially the BBC) being only interested in stories upon which they can put a bit of political spin. No mileage in running a story about the miners' tragedy.  ::) :( 
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: chrisgixer on 30 October 2013, 11:43:55
Yes. Unless there's British involved, not interested. We'd be there all day otherwise.

Although, I do find it a bit narrow minded from the media. And that's coming from someone that's not massively interested in overseas affairs.


The world doesn't revolve around polotics, vice versa, unless it's allowed to of course. ::)
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 30 October 2013, 11:46:40
No, it's more a case of British news organisations (especially the BBC) being only interested in stories upon which they can put a bit of political spin. No mileage in running a story about the miners' tragedy.  ::) :(

That's true except when the US are within about 18 months of selecting a president, it seems, when we seem to get bombarded with every detail of all the tedious primaries, etc. Why do they imagine I'm remotely interested in a nation that are even more insular than us? ::)

 ;)
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 30 October 2013, 12:27:10
I used to think that also until I experienced US TV news!

Very big on local - mainly sports actually, then some national and only an occasional "by the way, the Pope just died"!

Turning it around, do things that happen here register any interest in Europe?
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: MR MISTER on 30 October 2013, 12:41:01
English speaking France 24 does France and it's former colonies in Africa. BBC news 24 does UK and it's former colonies Pakistan, India and, consequently, the middle east. Russia today doesn't do Russia, it just takes the piss out of US/UK all day. Al Jazeera and Euronews have a go at everything, but are dull.
Fox news is not news, it's full of bits of crap held together with the headlines. CNN is quite good, I find.
The one I have on in the background most of the day is Bloomberg.
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 30 October 2013, 13:05:05
I used to think that also until I experienced US TV news!

Very big on local - mainly sports actually, then some national and only an occasional "by the way, the Pope just died"!

Turning it around, do things that happen here register any interest in Europe?

Germany are equaly as bad.
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: TheBoy on 30 October 2013, 13:08:51
Insular? It happens at a regional level as well...

My local BBC news will not report on anything thats not within 4 miles of the Solent. Useless 'tards, they think the world ends at Southampton's borders.
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Gaffers on 30 October 2013, 13:25:13
I used to think that also until I experienced US TV news!

Very big on local - mainly sports actually, then some national and only an occasional "by the way, the Pope just died"!

Turning it around, do things that happen here register any interest in Europe?

Germany are equaly as bad.

Generally my experience is that US news channels always covers more international topics than the UK news ever does.  Of course I am speaking as a whole as some channels do more than others.
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: tigers_gonads on 30 October 2013, 13:27:31
English speaking France 24 does France and it's former colonies in Africa. BBC news 24 does UK and it's former colonies Pakistan, India and, consequently, the middle east. Russia today doesn't do Russia, it just takes the piss out of US/UK all day. Al Jazeera and Euronews have a go at everything, but are dull.
Fox news is not news, it's full of bits of crap held together with the headlines. CNN is quite good, I find.
The one I have on in the background most of the day is Bloomberg.


Quite entertaining that channel and some of it is pretty informative.
Especially when it comes down to the financial bitching sessions 
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 30 October 2013, 13:28:55
When I was in The States in the summer, the news channels were wall to wall with UK news..........  ::)

The birth of Prince George!  ;)  ;D
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: cleggy on 30 October 2013, 13:41:35
I personally couldn't give a flying freak about the rest of the world unless it affects us. Nice to hear when they kill each other tho' :y
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: albitz on 30 October 2013, 13:44:46
No need to take an interest. Ghandi wouldn't eat his dinner,so some idiot felt sorry for him and gave him India,that was the end of the empire really,so no need to bother anymore. ;D ;D
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: cleggy on 30 October 2013, 13:45:58
No need to take an interest. Ghandi wouldn't eat his dinner,so some idiot felt sorry for him and gave him India,that was the end of the empire really,so no need to bother anymore. ;D ;D

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 30 October 2013, 13:48:06
Actualy Italy is VERY insular to.....but then Berlusconi did own the TV stations!
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 30 October 2013, 14:25:13
Well, we are technically an island ::)
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: scimmy_man on 30 October 2013, 14:25:28
also the BBC coverage of "news" in the south, is more than in the regions,

such as man in London stubs toe, followed by 5 mins on it, then "bus full of nuns killed up north," and ten seconds,

same as the recent winds and last years snow................
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: albitz on 30 October 2013, 14:36:29
Which seems fair tbh,as the south is much more heavily populated. There are 8.5 million people living in London (without taking into account the rest of the south) which is 3 million more than the whole of Scotland,for example.
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: MR MISTER on 30 October 2013, 14:52:00
Which seems fair tbh,as the south is much more heavily populated. There are 8.5 million people living in London (without taking into account the rest of the south) which is 3 million more than the whole of Scotland,for example.
1 million  British and 7.5 million immigrants.
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: albitz on 30 October 2013, 14:54:35
Many a true word......... ::)
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: Varche on 30 October 2013, 15:21:49
Which seems fair tbh,as the south is much more heavily populated. There are 8.5 million people living in London (without taking into account the rest of the south) which is 3 million more than the whole of Scotland,for example.
1 million  British and 7.5 million immigrants.

400,000 Frenchies live and work in London making it the sixth biggest city in France! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18234930
Title: Re: Is Britain very insular?
Post by: albitz on 30 October 2013, 15:25:28
And there really is no upside to that. ::)