Do they think we are fools?
Normally at home we watch TV3, which is a Catalan channel. The reasons for doing so are simple. First, it shows all programmes in Dual, so I can watch English language programmes in English. Second, the programmes are, on the whole, much better than any of the Spanish language channels. Lastly as I live with a Catalan she likes to watch TV in her own language - natural enough.
One thing I’ve noticed some time ago and now more recently is the political bias of the news. I first noticed this when every edition seemed to have an item about domestic violence. So why were there so many stories of domestic violence suddenly - had Catalans as a whole suddenly become sick of each other and needed to bludgeon/shoot/strangle/poison their spouses to death?
Unlikely I think, a more reasonable explanation seemed that since the Generalitat (the autonomous government of Catalonia) was raising the issue of domestic violence in a series of posters across Barcelona and television advertising, that the news was also reporting in line with the Generalitat, who funds them.
Without wanting to diminish the issue of domestic violence, I am really uncomfortable with the fact that news reporting is being corrupted by issues that the Government is raising, whether or not they fund them. One of the Generalitat’s latest initiatives accidents in the workplace, and guess what - daily news items about work accidents, mainly in construction.
But to top it all, the Generalitat is lobbying at the moment so that the Spanish train operator Renfe’s operations in Catalonia are handed over to be controlled by the Generalitat. And so guess what we see on the news every day at the moment - a news item about how bad the train were today, look at the chaos.
Now domestic violence and workplace accidents are one thing, but this is complete propaganda; when I watch the news I want to make up my own mind, not be brainwashed into thinking what the Generalitat wants me to think. And since the Government is made up of a tripartite of incompetant liars, do they honestly expect me to believe that they could run a train service?
April 11th, 2007 at 23:35
Do you think that the FGC train service is better or worse than RENFE?
That’s your answer.
The problems with RENFE is not TV3 propaganda, but that it is something that actually happens. If it didn’t happen, it would not be news.
What is also a scandal is than CercanÃas Madrid is cheaper (per Km) than Barcelona…and that investment in CercanÃas Madrid is higher than in Barcelona’s network and that the El Prat Airport train station is in zone 4, when it should clearly be in zone 2.
You may see this as typical Catalan grievances, I see it as something that affects our economy and quality of life, something that it is a fact.
April 12th, 2007 at 07:41
Roger, thanks for your comment.
“You may see this as typical Catalan grievances” - you’ll have to point out where I said that, but not doubt you consider me to be anti-Catalan. My problem, as stated, is with the Generalitat’s attitude which is clear propaganda. Since you’re not writing from Catalonia I’ll presume that you haven’t actually seen the broadcasts I’m talking about.