I won’t be doing my annual Aprils Fool day post on here due to my recent cancer diagnosis. My heart is not in it and it’s probably inappropriate given the circumstances. So I will look out for the good ones 👍
94% of journalists are white, 86% university educated, 82% did unpaid internships, and 11% identify from working class backgrounds.
‘We need a media class that looks and sounds like the people it talks & writes about.’
In the battle of the World Cup TV coverage
@ITV
won it hands down for me.
Quality of pundits far better - getting
@GNev2
in a stroke of genius , Keane brilliantly dour as ever, & Bilic superb. I think
@BBCSport
played it a little bit safe...& lacked personality.
Excited to announce my NATIONAL radio debut! 📻🙌
Put on BBC Radio 4 at 8:30pm on Monday night. Programme is called Analysis.
It’s on race, whiteness and class.
I will be in the presenters chair:) 👍
Ok…well am now back…kind of. Tho gotta take it easy.
Having COvid hit my lungs really bad & that was some scary shit. Struggled to breathe, panicky, had to have ambulance out, & at one point wasn’t sure if I would make it.
Time to get fitter & healthy, & start living 🙏x
I have lived in Bristol all my life & believe me this is a seismic shift
A great campaign & change of appetite from the electorate, but some serious lessons for Labour & how it does politics in the city.
And a warning in all 3 other elections too
Represent us not yourself
I contemplated killing myself regularly in 1996/97. Long story, which I will share publicly one day.
I almost did.
So I fully understand why some people do.
But am so glad I didn’t.
A bit of faith & help stopped me. It can for anyone 🙏
#worldsuicidepreventionday2020
This was one of the greatest and most realistic portrayals of an actual Bristolian and our attitude to most things you are ever likely to see. Absolute classic 😁😂
He did it! 🙌
Luca struggles a bit at school - but now he’s completed his reading recovery programme. He’s very excited about it & we are very proud of him 😍
He wanted me to ‘do a tweet.’ 😃
#ProudDad
#Neurodivergent
#GingaNinja
🧑🏻🦰
Someone please explain the whole ‘8 men had a dream’ thing at Bristol City.
I have never got it. They went bust, didn’t pay creditors, players forced to rip up contracts & club treated them badly. Why is this being celebrated and lauded by the club itself? It’s very odd imo
PERSONAL NEWS : Excited to announce I will be replacing
@johndarvall
as the new mid morning phone in presenter on
@bbcrb
📻
I would like to thank John for his brilliant stint & hope I can carry it forward with the same energy, precision & poise for the people of Bristol 👌
Lots of people who barely spoke about the Colston statue or did anything about it until it came down will be splattered all over the local & national media next week....all pivoting, spinning & owning the story
Few will talk about role of Merchant Venturers then & now
🤫💰
The Greens now have the majority in the council in Bristol. Congratulations.
But I can’t help but feel some of this is self inflicted by Labour & their stubborn refusal to compromise & work with others. Tin eared politics. They won’t accept that tho.
To this day there are very few Bristolian accents in local and national broadcast media.
It’s this type of film that has contributed to this - sneery and mocking. Not much has changed since 1977.
A documentary on this issue & why this is will be coming v soon...💣
Forget about Rovers we are what we are…but this is exactly why City will never be a proper big club. Small minded mentality - celebrating a cup win, all very cringe. Rival fans will be laughing their heads off 🙈
ℹ️ We encourage supporters to arrive to their seats early tomorrow as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our famous 1994 Anfield win ahead of kick-off this weekend.
Bristol bars as media outlets:
BBC Points West - The Albion
Bristol Live - Wetherspoons (any)
Bristol 247 - The Spotted Cow
Radio Bristol - Browns
ITV West - Drawbridge
Bristol Cable - The Canteen
The Bristolian - The Chelsea, Easton
BCFM - The Plough
UJima - Star & Garter
Journalists aren’t supposed to take a position…but I went into this game to raise the voices of the voiceless, to empower the underdog, & pursue the truth… not passively sit on false equivalence. Sometimes things are too important.
So today I stand with the nurses!✊🏼🏥
Sorry but this whole Bristol Beacon thing has been an utter shambles from the word go. Plenty of venues in the city yet this one always gets supported and bailed out. Tax payers deserve an enquiry.
News!🚨
Pleased to announce I will be standing as an MP for the new Bristol North East constituency as an independent candidate.
Wanted to get this out early. Feel free to DM if want to be involved in my campaign.
Let battle commence 💪
#Vote4Real
Fair play to City - gave a decent account of themselves. Good to see decent young lads coming through academy. Tinnion clearly doing a great job there. Would like to see Rovers do that a bit more - far too much reliance on loan market. Not sustainable imo
Ok tonight at 8:30pm on
@BBCRadio4
am presenting Analysis again.
This one is called ‘Cancelling Colston.’
Tune in! It’s probably not what you think...a deep dive...📻👌
So I did an opinion piece for
@bristol247
on the latest shenanigans at both Bristol football clubs ⚽️
Why it’s happening, what needs to change, & whether criticism & scrutiny is being pointed in the right direction?🔥
Don’t kill me all at once 👀
When COvid almost done me in before Xmas I couldn’t walk up the stairs…totally breathless…
I promised myself on recovery I would get fit & go ‘climb that mountain’ as they say. Have done two since then…Pen-y-fan & Snowdon…& now the big one.
Booked & ready 🏔🏴👌
#BenNevis
On Question Time tomorrow, Fiona will be joined by Andrew Murrison, Emily Thornberry, Helen Morgan, Fraser Nelson and Danny Sriskandarajah
Join us and an audience from Bristol on
@BBCiPlayer
from 8pm or on
@BBCOne
after the 10 o'clock news
#bbcqt
Big shout to the unseen people that campaigned to get the name changed for a long long time.
We know who you are.
Colston Hall is now Bristol Beacon.
Long overdue imo, and not sure why it ever took so long.
What’s clear atm is BBC and ITV etc need a huge overhaul and refresh on their social and political pundits. It’s jaded, out of touch and off key. These voices are largely all in a bubble. Sorry.
I became a Dad and lost a Dad in six months. This is one of the only photos I took of them together.
Am blessed to have two more now & it’s bloody ace. And I sense he’s watching 🙏
Happy Fathers Day all ❤️ xxx
So I made a docu film about Hartcliffe with people from Hartcliffe 🎬
It’s been show in the area a few times & now it’s being screened on 19th October
@wshed
as a part of the Future of Cities Festival with a panel chat.
Grab a ticket. Important stuff.
“When it comes to social inequality in Britain, what if poor people aren’t the problem?”
For me
@lokiscottishrap
is a lone voice of experience & understanding who calls out middle class poverty industry think tanks for their misguided failures.
There is no obligation for him to do so of course, but for clarity the job of any media outlet or journalist is not to ‘support’ anyone or anything, we aren’t cheerleaders. It’s to critically report & analyse.
As
@Joey7Barton
knows perfectly well from his time
@talkSPORT
🤷🏻♂️
New🚨
First in-depth interview with new
@TheGreenParty
co-leader
@carla_denyer
🟢🎙
-Why so few members voted for her
-Taking on Labour
-Greens being taken seriously electorally
-Impact on Bristol
-If certain hearts are sinking
#BristolUnpacked
This radio station changed my life - and does so much for Bristol.
The amount of free coverage and promotion individuals, projects, and communties have had is beyond the pale.
Now it’s time to repay the favour...please support
@BCfmRadio
LISTEN to chat with Dr Patrick Hart a qualified GP in Bedminster by day &
@JustStop_Oil
campaigner by night!
He’s been arrested several times for blockading trucks & smashing up petrol pumps⛽️
Why’s he doing it & should he be?
#BristolUnpacked
Sad to see Tins go. He’s done more to bring through local lads in Bristol than anyone in 30 years. I suggest some* City fans start to understand and appreciate that a bit more 🤷🏻♂️
At the beeb to go on The Media Show on
@BBCRadio4
to talk to
@BBCRosAtkins
📻
All about my new docu ‘A Spokesperson says…’ about the relationship between community gatekeepers, politicians and the media.
Tune in at 4:30pm 👍
Great appointment of
@BenGarner_
by
@Official_BRFC
- I truly believe he’s what the club is looking for.
Young, bright, ambitious, tactically astute, worked at a higher level, & understands the potential there. Top work! 👏
I have said for a long time that our media focuses on both Bristol football clubs too much.
There are loads of examples of brilliance in other sports. The fact only two footballers made this list shows this!
Shine the light on all! 🔦🙌
This is a very poor statement. To talk of victimless crime is a failure to understand DV cases.
I hope the club, & there are progressive & smart people at Rovers these days, come to their senses & withdraw it.
Thread:🎙️New podcast coming soon:
#Bristol
Unpacked with
@NeilMaggs2
Bringing you in-depth and challenging conversations from characters of all stripes on big topics facing the city and beyond.
It’s this lack of awareness, emotional detachment from reality, position of economic & social privilege in relation to the object & sense of divine right to ‘the story’ above all else, that is all too prevalent in large swathes of the media class.
The industry needs a shake up.
On a Friday night I turned up to coach football in a court. One kid turned up. I coached him for an hour.
The next week three came, then ten, then 15, then we had 40. Each week it grew. Then we had to do another session. Then all across the city - Streetgames Bristol was born.
Of all the endless articles about the Royal visit to
#Bristol
yesterday this in
@BristolBugle
is the best by a country mile! 🤣👏
‘This kebab stand is a real lifeline for the people of Bristol who want to eat a kebab,” said Prince Harry.’
Ruby was on her last legs a few weeks back. But thanks to strong heart medicine she lives to see another election! 😍
Sadly probably her last...😢
She voted Labour btw as she believes in community, being smoothed, & free tennis balls 🌹
#DogsInPollingStations
Elitist bullshit.
We all have ‘power’ whether you are on a list or not.
Everyone can ‘shape’ Bristol not just CEOs & leaders.
I stand with the little people! The teachers, the youth workers, the nurses, the bin men, the mechanics, the shop assistants! ✊🏼😉
#WeAreBristol
Snowdon ⛰✅
I first did it aged 11 at school, and it’s my first time back with Oscar who is now aged 10. He beat me.
#BoyToMan
#BoysTour
#MountainTrips
👌
Amazing!
We have an NHS nurse over the road...
Tears were shed! 😭🙏🏻
Though the bloke running by didn’t get the memo - and looked totally freaked out by it - maybe thinking we had found a vaccine! 😂😂😂
#Community
#OneLove
#Easton
I feel like I am living in a weird personality cult and am too scared to give an opinion in case am jumped on by the blind believers. So am just gonna leave the country for a bit…👋