Charlie Brookers Newswipe
Season 2

s02e01 / fear mongering, underwear bomber, snow

19th Jan '10 - 10:30pm
fear mongering, underwear bomber, snow Summary

Charlie discusses how the news media always needs to develop a narrative of fear in any topic, from the Nuclear threat, Salmonella in eggs, to Acid house music and the Millennium Bug, by emphasising worst-case scenarios frequently in the face of more reasonable, scientific evidence. Canadian journalist Dan Gardner and US stand-up comedian Doug Stanhope contributed pieces on a similar theme, from the perspective of their respective countries. The central segment focused on the Christmas pants bomb attempt, as did a poem from Tim Key. The final segment examined the media's overblown reaction to Britain's unexpected "Big Freeze".

100 have watched this episode

s02e02 / Episode Two

26th Jan '10 - 10:30pm
Episode Two Summary

Charlie discusses how Islam4UK orchestrated their publicity stunt of a march through Wooton Bassett and how filler reports are structured and padded out. How news airtime is filled with hand bags, social disruption (the truth about ASBOs), health reports, animals and analysing the brains response to various scenes from Britain. With guest stars such as Tim Key and Heather Brooke who discussed how Britain's journalism is based on anonymous sources. Doug Stanhope examines how America's newscasts portray the news in a different light as the day progresses.

100 have watched this episode

s02e03 / Haiti, celebrity spokesmen, iPad

2nd Feb '10 - 10:30pm
Haiti, celebrity spokesmen, iPad Summary

Charlie Brooker squeezes more fun out of the news with the usual mix of comedians, reports and gags, this time looking at celebrities in the news. Will simply mentioning the likes of Russell Brand, Jedward and Megan Fox in this billing make people more likely to tune in?

100 have watched this episode

s02e04 / former prime ministers, political interviews, Richard Nixon

9th Feb '10 - 10:30pm
former prime ministers, political interviews, Richard Nixon Summary

Brooker examines Tony Blair's role in the Iraq Inquiry and how the relationship between politicians and the media has gradually become less deferential over the decades. Adam Curtis explores how journalists' discovery of corruption amongst elites everywhere beginning with Watergate, as well as the rise of a class of experts, fosters a pervasive, almost Nixonion sense of paranoia amongst the public at large towards politicians, elites, and even their own bodies. Doug Stanhope argues that the media willfully ignores the role of overpopulation in the environmental crisis. Kay Burley's interview with Peter Andre on Sky News is presented as an example of both the media's insensitivity and its frivolity.

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s02e05 / live reports, John Terry

16th Feb '10 - 10:30pm
live reports, John Terry Summary

Brooker explores the often tedious nature of live coverage. Doug Stanhope wonders why the media aggressively solicits the frequently idiotic opinions of the public. "The Week in Bullshit" looks at coverage of the newfound popularity of leeches, ITV's acceptance of responsibility in the I'm a Celebrity rat-eating incident, and an ITN report about the decline of the practice of eatings dogs in China. Tim Key presents a poem about disgraced MPs. Other segments examine the media's hysterical coverage of the John Terry affair scandal, the response to the news that four MPs will face criminal charges in the MPs' Expenses scandal, and a BBC News series following journalist Nick Robinson's efforts to solicit voters' opinions.

100 have watched this episode

s02e06 / Episode Six

23rd Feb '10 - 10:30pm
Episode Six Summary

Compilation of the best bits from this and the previous series of caustic commentary, satirical observations and laughs from Charlie Brooker.

100 have watched this episode
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