Ben Fenton
@benfenton.bsky.social
Media/politics(Covered 2 US presidential elections); Fairness - Author of TO BE FAIR https://menschpublishing.com/books/to-be-fair/ Formerly: Chair, Orwell Journalism Prize; FT chief media corr; Telegraph Senior Reporter & Washington Correspondent
Pinned
Ben Fenton
@benfenton.bsky.social
· Dec 16
Luigi Mangione, folk hero
The man suspected of murdering the CEO of America’s largest healthcare company has been lionised because of a yearning for fairness
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
I wrote a thing about how the folk-hero-worship of Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of a health-insurance CEO, is a result of our profound instincts of fairness and unfairness.
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/united...
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/united...
I do wih I had put that bet on when Zuckerberg announced that the metaverse was the future of his company, but unfortunately the only way you could have placed it would have been to short his share price and that is not open to logical forces.
Meta to slash spending on metaverse as it shifts focus to AI on.ft.com/3Mj7yPh
Meta to slash spending on metaverse as it shifts focus to AI
Mark Zuckerberg’s social media company considers cutting unit’s budget by as much as 30%
on.ft.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:14 PM
I do wih I had put that bet on when Zuckerberg announced that the metaverse was the future of his company, but unfortunately the only way you could have placed it would have been to short his share price and that is not open to logical forces.
Reposted by Ben Fenton
Meta to slash spending on metaverse as it shifts focus to AI on.ft.com/3Mj7yPh
Meta to slash spending on metaverse as it shifts focus to AI
Mark Zuckerberg’s social media company considers cutting unit’s budget by as much as 30%
on.ft.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Meta to slash spending on metaverse as it shifts focus to AI on.ft.com/3Mj7yPh
Well, maybe 2026 is the year we all shout: "OK, I've had enough. I'm coming out. I surrender."
Pantone has named a shade of white called Cloud Dancer as the defining color of the next year. Have they gotten it right? Reporters for our Styles desk sat down to debate. trib.al/Vf9rhmC
December 4, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Well, maybe 2026 is the year we all shout: "OK, I've had enough. I'm coming out. I surrender."
Reposted by Ben Fenton
Pantone has named a shade of white called Cloud Dancer as the defining color of the next year. Have they gotten it right? Reporters for our Styles desk sat down to debate. trib.al/Vf9rhmC
December 4, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Pantone has named a shade of white called Cloud Dancer as the defining color of the next year. Have they gotten it right? Reporters for our Styles desk sat down to debate. trib.al/Vf9rhmC
Dunno about you, but I have never empathised with an animal as much as I am empathising with the raccoon in this photograph.
"The Hanover county animal protection and shelter confirmed the raccoon was drunk and said it had since become sober."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Drunk raccoon found passed out in Virginia liquor store
Store employee found masked bandit sleeping off a bender after invading booze store and tippling a tad too much
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Dunno about you, but I have never empathised with an animal as much as I am empathising with the raccoon in this photograph.
Reposted by Ben Fenton
"The Hanover county animal protection and shelter confirmed the raccoon was drunk and said it had since become sober."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Drunk raccoon found passed out in Virginia liquor store
Store employee found masked bandit sleeping off a bender after invading booze store and tippling a tad too much
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:55 PM
"The Hanover county animal protection and shelter confirmed the raccoon was drunk and said it had since become sober."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
This is being reported as if the alternative was to say that he went via the bank to deposit his pay-off.
WITKOFF GOES TO THE U.S. EMBASSY IN MOSCOW AFTER MEETING WITH PUTIN IN RUSSIA 🇷🇺🤝
December 2, 2025 at 9:41 PM
This is being reported as if the alternative was to say that he went via the bank to deposit his pay-off.
"How many flotillas has the Pope?" Trump asks Hegseth.
POPE LEO URGES US PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION NOT TO ATTEMPT MILITARY OUSTER OF VENEZUELA'S MADURO
December 2, 2025 at 4:36 PM
"How many flotillas has the Pope?" Trump asks Hegseth.
Reposted by Ben Fenton
POPE LEO URGES US PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION NOT TO ATTEMPT MILITARY OUSTER OF VENEZUELA'S MADURO
December 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM
POPE LEO URGES US PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION NOT TO ATTEMPT MILITARY OUSTER OF VENEZUELA'S MADURO
'Did she/didn't she' about forecasts versus £350m on the side of a bus, misleading the Queen and dozens of other deceits and dissembling.
There has definitely been a balanced, unbiased and impartial approach to reporting on the relative honesty of our political leaders, hasn't there?
There has definitely been a balanced, unbiased and impartial approach to reporting on the relative honesty of our political leaders, hasn't there?
December 1, 2025 at 12:22 PM
'Did she/didn't she' about forecasts versus £350m on the side of a bus, misleading the Queen and dozens of other deceits and dissembling.
There has definitely been a balanced, unbiased and impartial approach to reporting on the relative honesty of our political leaders, hasn't there?
There has definitely been a balanced, unbiased and impartial approach to reporting on the relative honesty of our political leaders, hasn't there?
Reposted by Ben Fenton
This weeks joint BBC Naked Week and Observer investigation with @catneilan.bsky.social and @freyashaw.bsky.social. Read/Listen below.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Pro-Kremlin posts attacked BBC after Panorama scandal | The Observer
observer.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 10:29 AM
This weeks joint BBC Naked Week and Observer investigation with @catneilan.bsky.social and @freyashaw.bsky.social. Read/Listen below.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
@roberthutton.co.uk Any chance of an imaginary reprise of your outstanding sketch of the Gibbgate hearing, this time with the conceit that this post had been published six hours before the DCMS select committee sat down to grill the BBC on anti-Trump bias?
bsky.app/profile/rutg...
bsky.app/profile/rutg...
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 10:39 AM
@roberthutton.co.uk Any chance of an imaginary reprise of your outstanding sketch of the Gibbgate hearing, this time with the conceit that this post had been published six hours before the DCMS select committee sat down to grill the BBC on anti-Trump bias?
bsky.app/profile/rutg...
bsky.app/profile/rutg...
Can I just point out, to no surprise to anyone who knows about my obsessions, that the meme of 6-7 is yet another example of the significance of the number 42 in matters of popular culture and fairness?
Fairly reliable rule of thumb that a meme is either over or soon to be over when big brands get involved, so let's hope this is the case here
November 25, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Can I just point out, to no surprise to anyone who knows about my obsessions, that the meme of 6-7 is yet another example of the significance of the number 42 in matters of popular culture and fairness?
Reposted by Ben Fenton
Fairly reliable rule of thumb that a meme is either over or soon to be over when big brands get involved, so let's hope this is the case here
November 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Fairly reliable rule of thumb that a meme is either over or soon to be over when big brands get involved, so let's hope this is the case here
Would have been interesting if this had been posted 24 hours ago.
(Thread)
(Thread)
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Would have been interesting if this had been posted 24 hours ago.
(Thread)
(Thread)
Reposted by Ben Fenton
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Ben Fenton
I guess it’s a compliment that the top story on BBC London’s TV/online output today is a direct lift of a month-old London Centric story? But once again the BBC is consistently the worst news outlet for actually remembering to credit others.
November 25, 2025 at 7:52 AM
I guess it’s a compliment that the top story on BBC London’s TV/online output today is a direct lift of a month-old London Centric story? But once again the BBC is consistently the worst news outlet for actually remembering to credit others.
Beeb-a-licious Sketch from Rob Hutton today:
thecritic.co.uk/auntie-in-th...
A great gag in every line.
thecritic.co.uk/auntie-in-th...
A great gag in every line.
Auntie in the dock | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine
“I have been defined by these two years at Number 10,” Robbie Gibb complained, sounding for all the world like the chap in the joke who only shagged one sheep. How dare anyone suggest that this…
thecritic.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Beeb-a-licious Sketch from Rob Hutton today:
thecritic.co.uk/auntie-in-th...
A great gag in every line.
thecritic.co.uk/auntie-in-th...
A great gag in every line.
Select committee chair Caroline Dinenage is not showing due impartiality in presenting the issues of bias, IMO.
November 24, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Select committee chair Caroline Dinenage is not showing due impartiality in presenting the issues of bias, IMO.
Robbie Gibb says he is the victim of weaponisation.
Ah, poor lamb. I'm sure everyone at the BBC feels deeply sorry for him.
Ah, poor lamb. I'm sure everyone at the BBC feels deeply sorry for him.
November 24, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Robbie Gibb says he is the victim of weaponisation.
Ah, poor lamb. I'm sure everyone at the BBC feels deeply sorry for him.
Ah, poor lamb. I'm sure everyone at the BBC feels deeply sorry for him.
If there were one of those "mood lines", which the BBC used to run during election debates, the current state of BBC staff morale would be heading to the floor.
November 24, 2025 at 5:59 PM
If there were one of those "mood lines", which the BBC used to run during election debates, the current state of BBC staff morale would be heading to the floor.
Televised select committees are always good for democracy, not least because it reminds the electorate that you don't have to be particularly brilliant to be an MP. Anyone can do it, so why not have a go yourself?
November 24, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Televised select committees are always good for democracy, not least because it reminds the electorate that you don't have to be particularly brilliant to be an MP. Anyone can do it, so why not have a go yourself?
Chair of BBC says he wishes Tim Davie hadn't resigned. The more we hear, the more questions it raises about why he did.
If there was a 'coup', I suspect it was "only supposed to blow the bloody doors off", i.e. would stop at the newsroom doors. (Which insiders say are currently "off" for repair!)
If there was a 'coup', I suspect it was "only supposed to blow the bloody doors off", i.e. would stop at the newsroom doors. (Which insiders say are currently "off" for repair!)
November 24, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Chair of BBC says he wishes Tim Davie hadn't resigned. The more we hear, the more questions it raises about why he did.
If there was a 'coup', I suspect it was "only supposed to blow the bloody doors off", i.e. would stop at the newsroom doors. (Which insiders say are currently "off" for repair!)
If there was a 'coup', I suspect it was "only supposed to blow the bloody doors off", i.e. would stop at the newsroom doors. (Which insiders say are currently "off" for repair!)
Reposted by Ben Fenton
Michael Prescott's report makes vital points about the importance of being accurate, and also how difficult that is. For instance, he describes himself as having been Political Editor of the Sunday Times for 10 years, which is not what the Guardian reported when he left the job.
November 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
When a Sunday newspaper politics editor starts lecturing the BBC about journalistic integrity, accuracy and impartiality, about systemic faults, it is tempting to feel a little cynical.
November 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM
When a Sunday newspaper politics editor starts lecturing the BBC about journalistic integrity, accuracy and impartiality, about systemic faults, it is tempting to feel a little cynical.