Just 48 hours after I blogged about the mountain of pre-launch publicity the BBC are ‘giving’ to Apple’s new iPhone – the BBC are doing it again! You can read their latest iPhone pre-launch publicity article here!
In the UK, the BBC are not allowed to advertise; yet they are giving stacks of powerful publicity to Apple’s iPhone, which would cost a company a fortune to buy, because the BBC is seen as being ‘neutral.’
No one at the BBC has been bothered to respond to the various questions raised regarding this publicity in their blog. This is unusual, as they often do respond to posts on their blogs. Could it be that they realised their gaffe and want it to die down?
Nope – they are at it again!
They may not have answered the questions surrounding their iPhone coverage, but they have managed to crank out yet another pre-launch promotional piece for their beloved iPhone.
You can read it here!
Apple love
I love the iPhone too, use a Mac most days and will not go near a gym without my beloved iPod. My issue is not with Apple; my issue is with the double standards at the BBC.
That same BBC blog, which promotes Apple and the iPhone and gives acres of space to it, has a set of rules, which clearly state that no one can post anything that promotes products or services. You can’t even comment on their blog, if your user name is linked in any way to a business (seriously.)
BBC love
I am a big fan of the BBC and I work on the BBC occasionally as a reviewer for BBC radio. I Find it disappointing that no one has clarified the situation or explained why it’s OK to promote / publicise ‘some’ companies and products and not others.
Dear BBC
If there IS a reason that explains what ‘seems’ to be a real double standard, let us know!
Hi Jim,
Did the BBC respond to the comment you left on their original blog post. I’m surprised they’re at it again!
Hi Gregor,
Someone from the BBC usually posts a reply to a comment, if the comment asks a question. In that particular blog post, there were a number of people asking the same kind of questions and no one responded.
To see the BBC then give a stack more pre-launch iPhone coverage is very odd. If you go to their blog now and simply post the name of your company, your post will be deleted – yet they are giving all this MASSIVELY valuable advertising to Apple.
It ‘smells’ wrong to me!
Jim,
Please stop writing about the new iPhone. You are giving Apple free publicity, as you well know.
In fact, since this is your second blog entry in a row about the new iPhone, I’m beginning to believe you are conspiring with Apple, Steve Jobs, the BBC and a bunch of other large corporations to promote this device over much more capable phones. You are just another Apple fanboy.
It’s possible that the bbc are corrupt and receiving back-handers for the free publicity. In some ways I wish this was true – then the individuals could be found and prosecuted.
Unfortunately I imagine it’s more a case of the bbc’s staff being incompetent.
I imagine if you apply for a job at the bbc you will be handed a list of bbc values. No doubt they will include phrases such as ‘independent’, ‘impartial’, ‘free thinking’, ‘open minded’, ‘focused’, ‘cutting to the heart of issues’ etc. etc.
The fact is, that at least the journalists responsible for their Apple fascination are no more intelligent, educated, special or whatever you want to call it than the average member of the public.
Apple trades very well on the perception that their products are cool, perfect, for the person with taste, and by using one you become somebody ‘special’. This is not an accident but the result of a great deal of thought, effort, and doubtless talent.
The bbc staff, alas, are victims of this marketing. They lap it up and believe that they indeed are ‘special’ by talking about (and no doubt, as individuals, owning) Apple products. But the fact is they are not ‘special’ – they are simply lemmings that can’t see beyond a marketing strategy any better than the man in the street.
And yes, when you point this out to them they seem to have no comprehension of the blatantly obvious.
What is most worrying is that if they can’t see through a manufacturer’s spin, how they hell can they claim to be ‘impartial’, ‘objective’ etc. when they report on more important issues such as politics, war, human rights etc.
It beggars belief. I’m VERY glad I no longer pay the licence tax.