Gaby Hinsliff
@gabyhinsliff.bsky.social
Guardian columnist & writer, author of Half a Wife, sometimes on telly/Guardian Politics Weekly podcast. No, I didn't write the headline. Event host & speaker https://www.specialistspeakers.com/?p=2705
as a working journalist who would happily go to the wall to defend the BBC, I still wouldn't splice together two sections of a speech that far apart without flagging it - not necessary, it's striking enough anyway. It was a mistake but everyone makes them & an apology should be the end of it.
November 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
as a working journalist who would happily go to the wall to defend the BBC, I still wouldn't splice together two sections of a speech that far apart without flagging it - not necessary, it's striking enough anyway. It was a mistake but everyone makes them & an apology should be the end of it.
The BBC's legal correspondent has a useful explainer, funnily enough. The issue isn't just whether Trump would win (who knows but wouldn't be $1bn even if he did) but the (public) money & time the BBC would have to spend dealing with it +the chilling effect on news coverage more widely.
November 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
The BBC's legal correspondent has a useful explainer, funnily enough. The issue isn't just whether Trump would win (who knows but wouldn't be $1bn even if he did) but the (public) money & time the BBC would have to spend dealing with it +the chilling effect on news coverage more widely.
the case is lodged in Florida
November 10, 2025 at 4:54 PM
the case is lodged in Florida
NB if you would like to understand why the edit is a big deal, this is the Panorama clip vs the original www.theguardian.com/media/video/...
Side-by-side comparison of BBC-edited Trump speech from day of Capitol attack with original – video
A selectively edited clip by Panorama has resulted in the BBC being accused of making it appear clearer that the US president encouraged the Capitol attack
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:49 PM
NB if you would like to understand why the edit is a big deal, this is the Panorama clip vs the original www.theguardian.com/media/video/...
I mean it would be a heck of a case to cover but I don’t think i would wish that on the BBC’s poor in-house lawyers
November 10, 2025 at 4:44 PM
I mean it would be a heck of a case to cover but I don’t think i would wish that on the BBC’s poor in-house lawyers
but more srsly, big moment both for the UK govt (which needs to broker a face-saving solution fast: the BBC's money is our taxpayer money, the BBC is our national institution) & UK media. Knowing that Trump will sue or at least threaten to sue UK outlets potentially has a chilling effect on coverage
November 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
but more srsly, big moment both for the UK govt (which needs to broker a face-saving solution fast: the BBC's money is our taxpayer money, the BBC is our national institution) & UK media. Knowing that Trump will sue or at least threaten to sue UK outlets potentially has a chilling effect on coverage
at a PMQs where the nailed on obvious attack line was something else entirely
November 9, 2025 at 7:41 PM
at a PMQs where the nailed on obvious attack line was something else entirely
so we just end up with depts having to use AI to filter AI-generated requests, like spam emails on steroids?
November 9, 2025 at 7:36 PM
so we just end up with depts having to use AI to filter AI-generated requests, like spam emails on steroids?
death by paperwork except it's not even paper
November 9, 2025 at 6:09 PM
death by paperwork except it's not even paper
a friend who worked in AI said to me a few years ago there were multiple ways it could completely paralyse central/local govt & i thought he meant some kind of hacking but his two egs were: AI-generated planning submissions and AI-generated FOI, produced in such quantities the system just gums up
November 9, 2025 at 6:08 PM
a friend who worked in AI said to me a few years ago there were multiple ways it could completely paralyse central/local govt & i thought he meant some kind of hacking but his two egs were: AI-generated planning submissions and AI-generated FOI, produced in such quantities the system just gums up
yes i get that, but it's the concept of doing an unfair share of all that stuff which is useful - like why are you always the one making the effort while they don't. What I mind is people seemingly taking it to mean 'why do i have to make any effort'
November 7, 2025 at 7:54 PM
yes i get that, but it's the concept of doing an unfair share of all that stuff which is useful - like why are you always the one making the effort while they don't. What I mind is people seemingly taking it to mean 'why do i have to make any effort'
thanks. i really wish there was somewhere better to point people to for advice about how to deal with radicalisation in a family/friend group etc (if anyone's got suggestions would like to hear...)
November 7, 2025 at 7:49 PM
thanks. i really wish there was somewhere better to point people to for advice about how to deal with radicalisation in a family/friend group etc (if anyone's got suggestions would like to hear...)
oh well thankyou for reading! it's good to know this is resonating with a lot of people.
November 7, 2025 at 7:48 PM
oh well thankyou for reading! it's good to know this is resonating with a lot of people.
I'm not sure. There's always been a thing about happiness dipping at midlife (highest in childhood and retirement, lowest in the middle) so possibly there's a correlation there. This can be a bit of a 'taking stock' stage of life too - ie i'm 50, what have i got to show for it?
November 7, 2025 at 7:46 PM
I'm not sure. There's always been a thing about happiness dipping at midlife (highest in childhood and retirement, lowest in the middle) so possibly there's a correlation there. This can be a bit of a 'taking stock' stage of life too - ie i'm 50, what have i got to show for it?
we are the miserable git generation, so proud of us
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
we are the miserable git generation, so proud of us
The centre isn’t helping itself right now tbh. But arguably we all need to keep an eye on our social media diet - right or left
November 7, 2025 at 7:52 AM
The centre isn’t helping itself right now tbh. But arguably we all need to keep an eye on our social media diet - right or left
Wasting time on the mince pies, we started on them in September
November 7, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Wasting time on the mince pies, we started on them in September
Definitely polarising - what’s disappearing is the middle
November 7, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Definitely polarising - what’s disappearing is the middle
It has been unhelpful twisted (see also ‘mental load’) but the point was that doing an unfair share of the emotional labour is bad/exhausting, not that emotional labour itself is something you should opt out of
November 7, 2025 at 7:40 AM
It has been unhelpful twisted (see also ‘mental load’) but the point was that doing an unfair share of the emotional labour is bad/exhausting, not that emotional labour itself is something you should opt out of
I cordially hate the phrase emotional labour. Having friends is emotional labour. Being in a relationship, having kids, holding down a job, calling your mum, thinking about anything other than yourself is emotional labour. Yes sometimes it’s annoying but consider the alternatives
November 7, 2025 at 7:16 AM
I cordially hate the phrase emotional labour. Having friends is emotional labour. Being in a relationship, having kids, holding down a job, calling your mum, thinking about anything other than yourself is emotional labour. Yes sometimes it’s annoying but consider the alternatives