The quality of writing on the BBC News website

[idunnosomename]

Italian
Hearty Italian
Italian herbs & cheese
Grain wheat
Honey oat

whatever

[Pseudopath]

Italian
Hearty Italian
Italian herbs & cheese
Grain wheat
Honey oat

Subway-tier breads, mate.

[Sebastian Cobb]

My Italian friends are bemused that we've elevated pizza so much. To them, a pizza is more of a light lunchtime thing than the stodgy, greasy dinner item that we've made it. The best analogy was that it was like ordering a cheese and pickle sandwich with too much butter for your main and paying £15 for it.

Yeah it's basically a more advanced version of cheese on toast, which unless you're Welsh shouldn't be considered an actual meal.

[BlodwynPig]

OOOPS - first front page apology from BBC I've ever seen

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52333540

Why would you call the BBC to get the numbers of Burberry or Barbour?

Also, "not the boss" seems like poor writing?

Earlier on Friday we reported that a boss of an NHS trust had contacted the BBC with concerns about the provision of gowns for staff during the coronavirus crisis.
He had asked the BBC for the phone numbers of Burberry and Barbour - two companies which have become involved in making gowns - because he was concerned about supply shortages.
We should clarify that the person concerned is not the boss of an NHS trust but is part of a network of organisations helping to source personal protective equipment for some NHS trusts.
The mistake was caused by a misunderstanding of the person's role in the fight against the pandemic.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Some how this is one of the worst things I've ever read:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200415-how-to-make-pizza-like-a-neapolitan-master

No obvious clangers, but it's just...shit. "Top five, if not top three". Christ.

That sounds like something from the pizza at mcds podcast (or IJP)

[touchingcloth]

That sounds like something from the pizza at mcds podcast (or IJP)

When you think of memorable podcasts, pizza at mcdonalds is probably in your top two, if not top three.

[Cerys]

Corkscrews, tubes, Action Man bowties...

#All kinds of everything remind me of pies#

[touchingcloth]

Corkscrews, tubes, Action Man bowties...

Bunga and roofies and ball gags on women
...brown paper packages filled up with bling
These are a few a of my a favourite a things.

[BlodwynPig]

he internet's take on BBC News theme tune
We should be hearing from the UK government in the next few minutes.

But that gives you time to watch this array of viral videos having fun with the BBC News theme tune.

GAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Annie Labuntur]

OOOPS - first front page apology from BBC I've ever seen

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52333540

There's actually no apology in there. Surprised it didn't end "It wasn't actually our fault".

[idunnosomename]

URGH BLURGH GOO GOO GAH



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53069650

[Spudgun]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53087933

In 1998, he was convicted of the rape of an 18-year-old, a case that hurt his reputation.

Not sure if it's the understatement or just how superfluous it is, but I actually laughed at that sentence.

[Buelligan]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53138300

Revellers ignored social distancing rules and danced in the streets for the Fête de la Musique, known as Music Day in English.

Dear god.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

URGH BLURGH GOO GOO GAH



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53069650

so what I took away from that patronising mess was that the government shouldn't have decided to give free lunches to schoolkids because they initially said they wouldn't and reversing that made them look weak

[BlodwynPig]

Now for the Six O'Clock News with Rylan

Gooooo gooooo gahhhh gahhhh weeee weeee

(Its what the public WANT)

[buttgammon]

Now for the Six O'Clock News with Rylan

Gooooo gooooo gahhhh gahhhh weeee weeee

(Its what the public WANT)

Way too highbrow for BBC One. Maybe on BBC Four?

[idunnosomename]

Four is getting axed lol

[Twonty Gostelow]

Currently on the front page of https://www.bbc.co.uk/news


Not sure if the agencies have picked up on it yet.

[BlodwynPig]

such a narcissistic landscape.

[touchingcloth]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53313741

The writing isn't bad per se, but the article is titled " Lando Norris makes British Formula 1 history", and is about him making history due to being the youngest ever British driver to reach the podium in an F1 Grand Prix, but the article never once mentions his age, or the age of the previous youngest.

[Paul Calf]

Yeah it's basically a more advanced version of cheese on toast, which unless you're Welsh shouldn't be considered an actual meal.

Italians think they know everything about food and they can't handle the fact that the US has perfected the pizza.

[BlodwynPig]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53313741

The writing isn't bad per se, but the article is titled " Lando Norris makes British Formula 1 history", and is about him making history due to being the youngest ever British driver to reach the podium in an F1 Grand Prix, but the article never once mentions his age, or the age of the previous youngest.

standard now. Information? That's for losers, here's the emotional tugs and vanity mirror for you, readers.

[NoSleep]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53313741

The writing isn't bad per se, but the article is titled " Lando Norris makes British Formula 1 history", and is about him making history due to being the youngest ever British driver to reach the podium in an F1 Grand Prix, but the article never once mentions his age, or the age of the previous youngest.

Their sad assumption that people don't go to the BBC first for their news. For them a journalist is somebody who reads the other newspapers and researcher is somebody who reads Wiki.

[BlodwynPig]

Their sad assumption that people don't go to the BBC first for their news. For them a journalist is somebody who reads the other newspapers and researcher is somebody who reads Wiki.

throwing resources at garbage like this article

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53277532

the earlier edition of BBC Sport had several glaring typos in the Son-Lloris article too (obviously editing is a rolling thing, rather than pre-publishing one).

[momatt]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53313741

The writing isn't bad per se, but the article is titled " Lando Norris makes British Formula 1 history", and is about him making history due to being the youngest ever British driver to reach the podium in an F1 Grand Prix, but the article never once mentions his age, or the age of the previous youngest.

Yes it does.
But maybe it was updated.
"20-year-old Lando, starting just his second F1 season, secured third place by after a sensational final lap - the fastest of the race."

[NoSleep]

That doesn't mention he's the youngest ever; just states his age.

[BlodwynPig]

"boy whizzes car round bends really good"

The BBC, 2020

[touchingcloth]

Yes it does.
But maybe it was updated.
"20-year-old Lando, starting just his second F1 season, secured third place by after a sensational final lap - the fastest of the race."

That's an update. I was convinced no one would write an article like that and not mention the age, so I searched for "age", "old", "year", "birth" and anything else I could think of where they might have jammed it in with clumsy phrasing like "Lando - who celebrated his 20th birthday in March", and it definitely wasn't there. It wasn't even in there as "Lando (20)" or anything.

That doesn't mention he's the youngest ever; just states his age.

It does a good enough job following the update, I think:

In fact it's Lewis's record that's been broken. Lando Norris is now the youngest ever Brit to stand on a Formula 1 podium.
...
20-year-old Lando, starting just his second F1 season, secured third place by after a sensational final lap - the fastest of the race.

It's not brilliant, though. If I was writing that article I'd put it all in a single sentence near the top saying what the new record is, how old the current and previous holders were when they broke it, and how long it had stood for. Bah.

They're definitely getting sloppier with these things which just need a proof reader, so omissions and nonsequiturs are more common.

[momatt]

That doesn't mention he's the youngest ever; just states his age.

No but this bit does.
"In fact it's Lewis's record that's been broken. Lando Norris is now the youngest ever Brit to stand on a Formula 1 podium."

There's still no mention of the second-youngest though.

That's an update. I was convinced no one would write an article like that and not mention the age, so I searched for "age", "old", "year", "birth" and anything else I could think of where they might have jammed it in with clumsy phrasing like "Lando - who celebrated his 20th birthday in March", and it definitely wasn't there. It wasn't even in there as "Lando (20)" or anything.

That makes sense.
Its still written badly though, no disagreement from me there.

"boy whizzes car round bends really good"
The BBC, 2020

Woah, steady on there professor!

[Bence Fekete]

Just watched the BBC one o'clock news leading with Boris' idiotic care-homes comments then clicked on the BBC news website and not a peep.

Is the website behind tv, or has there been a 'phonecall'?