The BBC. Just how awful is their standard of journalism and editing team?

[chrisjpainter]

Wolf spider lays eggs in man's toe during cruise - BBC News

Just about every detail in this article is wrong: 

Spider behaviour: Wrong

Spider biology: Wrong

Parasite behaviour: Wrong

Spider ID: Wrong

Venom biology: Wrong

Spider photo: Wrong.

Whatever happened to the unfortunate fellow, what's being reported is so far from the truth that it belongs more in the Alien series. 

Twaddle of the highest order.

[Pushkin]

Chrisjpainter, have you complained directly to the BBC about the facts all being wrong (I am assuming )you have researched details and know for a fact their details are wrong and they need to hold their hands up to you for this and some kind of public withdrawal be made in the press etc?

Good for you knowing your stuff to the extent given. Pushkin

[Rim Fire]

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No. It's urban legends, myth and Hollywood. Spiders are pretty resourceful predators they are also aware that you are a living creature and one thing I've learned from studies of these marvels is that they put their egg sacs in a secure location away from predators, you are a predator, a big one!7 Mar 2016

 

Is it possible for spiders to lay eggs in a human? - Quora

[chrisjpainter]

30 minutes ago, Pushkin said:

Chrisjpainter, have you complained directly to the BBC about the facts all being wrong (I am assuming )you have researched details and know for a fact their details are wrong and they need to hold their hands up to you for this and some kind of public withdrawal be made in the press etc?

Good for you knowing your stuff to the extent given. Pushkin

I have indeed. The problems are myriad. The basic and most striking is they label it a wolf spider. Wolf spiders as a family are known for carrying their egg sacs around with them - in fact it's a critical ID feature for them! I first saw it on a spider ID page on FB and a lot of people are putting their complaints in. Staggering how bad journalism is just accepted these days. Whatever happened to an editor being able to say, 'wait a minute, that can't be right. Are we sure we've checked this?'

[islandgun]

BBC, packham et al . Why let the truth get in the way of a good story

[Scully]

Being discussed on the Vine show shortly if anyone wants to put in their two pennarth. 👍

[Penelope]

It's the BBC; if that can't say that Hamas are terrorists, you can't expect them to get something right about a spider?

[JKD]

On the subject of poor BBC reporters, Jon Kay regularly says,,,  "Good morning everybdy" [yes,,,  no o 🤭] with co presenter often giving a sideways smirk/smile on hearing it. Many other verbal blunders daily,,,, it's laughable 😂 Can't be hard to talk/say words properly, if that's your job !!!

[Westley]

1 hour ago, islandgun said:

BBC, packham et al . Why let the truth get in the way of a good story

I think he fell into the 'Parasite behaviour'  bracket  !

[Bigbob]

7 hours ago, Pushkin said:

Chrisjpainter, have you complained directly to the BBC about the facts all being wrong (I am assuming )you have researched details and know for a fact their details are wrong and they need to hold their hands up to you for this and some kind of public withdrawal be made in the press etc?

Good for you knowing your stuff to the extent given. Pushkin

Waste of time i have complained to the BBC about countryfile  there like the police monitor there complaints themselves , It says allow 2 weeks for a reply after a month i sent my email back to them for a answer 

[chrisjpainter]

Spiderphiles have had their day in court! or at least at the BBC. The original article has been substantially rewritten, keeping the same basic gist, but turning it into someone 'claiming' all this. They even managed to track down a spider expert or two. Dr Sara Goodacre (research geneticist and Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Genetics at the University of Nottingham) said she couldn't 'possibly see how it could be true at all because [she knows] about their biology.'  The British Arachnological Society just called the whole thing 'implausible'.

At least they edited it this time!

[Pushkin]

CJP and BBob thanks for your replies guys.  Surely if we keep writing, calling them they must answer more clearly?  After all aren't they the ones who are supposed to bring us the whole truth and nothing but it - as supplied by their totally honest reporters ----walks off into the distance laughing hysterically.  Should not the gevernment hold them to account on behalf of us - the taxpayers who contribute to the millions they spend spreading this drivel? or should I book myself into the nearest lunatic asylum?

Pushkin's Dad in the far background c'mon lad, your Mum and me brought you up better than that, stop believing fairytales - your nearly 70 years old now!

You also taught me about truth and honesty

Ah weel Pushkin

[chrisjpainter]

1 hour ago, Pushkin said:

CJP and BBob thanks for your replies guys.  Surely if we keep writing, calling them they must answer more clearly?  After all aren't they the ones who are supposed to bring us the whole truth and nothing but it - as supplied by their totally honest reporters ----walks off into the distance laughing hysterically.  Should not the gevernment hold them to account on behalf of us - the taxpayers who contribute to the millions they spend spreading this drivel? or should I book myself into the nearest lunatic asylum?

Pushkin's Dad in the far background c'mon lad, your Mum and me brought you up better than that, stop believing fairytales - your nearly 70 years old now!

You also taught me about truth and honesty

Ah weel Pushkin

🤣 Even their corrections have annoyed me this time! Dr Goodacre grew up in my home town, she went to my sister's school and was taught by my friend's mum. But she's basically described as 'just some expert,' rather than one of the UK's foremost arachnologist and someone who has even got a patent for a synthetic spider's web that's used in medical procedures. The BBC is usually tripping over itself to extol the virtues of women and show how feminist they are. They get presented with a gilt-edged opportunity to sell the profile of a ground-breaking female scientist and the choke it up. Bunch of spanners. 

Edited November 28, 2023 by chrisjpainter

[shaun4860]

11 hours ago, Penelope said:

It's the BBC; if that can't say that Hamas are terrorists, you can't expect them to get something right about a spider?

This still gets my 🐐 

Every report by the beeb starts with 

“Hamas who have been recognised/determined as a terrorist organisation by the UK government”

Never mentions any other government that say the same 🤬