TV journalism in the UK has dumbed down to an incredible degree. I've watched a couple of 'business exposes' over the last couple of weeks that made me cringe for the producers, who clearly would be better off with life in that most idiotic of genres, reality TV. Actually, they'd be better off working at Yo! Sushi or as cabin crew at Ryanair...
First of all came a programme which sought to expose Yo! Sushi, ostensibly for leaving food available for an hour or so longer than the stickers they put on the food - hardly worthy of a tweet let alone a whole prime time programme, and then came the pathetic Panorama programme on Ryanair. I hate this airline with a passion, but the journalism was appalling - there was nothing in the programme that the obnoxious airline's 'customers' didn't already know.
At the same time, the BBC's poster kid political journalist, Andrew Marr gave credence to rumours made up by politically motivated bloggers about the Prime Minister's health (despite seeking a gagging order against journalists who reported on his private life - he allegedley fathered a child with another woman whilst being married). Such hypocrisy.
Meanwhile, the BBC, in particular, seems obsessed with MPs' expenses whilst not blushing at all at the excesses of its own management. There hasn't been a Panorama on why so many people in the BBC are paid ludicrous salaries for pen pushing - money they would never have a hope of earning anywhere else.
Meanwhile, an injunction against the Guardian reporting a question asked in Parliament issued by a judge who must have earned his wig in Russia, challenging the very basis of our democracy and right to free speech, initially went practically unreported outside the blogsphere and still hasn't been covered properly by the BBC.
In an age where the internet has fundamentally changed the face of news reporting it's depressing to see the collapsing standards of reporting, especially by the BBC, since we pay so dearly for this televisual doggerel.
It's high time to hive away a large proportion of the money given to the BBC and use it for more constructive television and better journalism.