UK and Irish media line on Europe

[seabhcan]

This is interesting. The BBC and Ireland.com both reported the same economic story. note the difference in tone.

BBC: "Eurozone confidence at fresh low"



Ireland.com: "Euro zone sentiment beats expectations"



And who says there's no propaganda in democratic societies.

[fergalr]

The UK press is shamefully anti-Europe so I take any news from there about Brussels with a wagon of salt.

[forest]

I do not trust anything that comes from the UK press in relation to the EU.
For what ever reason the UK press have picked a position and it will take alot to change their view.
It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious and obviously effects governmental positions there.

They exaggerate any bad news economically or other wise. But seem to ignore that their own currency is falling

[Starkadder]

The British media (with the notable exception of the Independent) are so hysterically
anti-Europe I half expect them to start publishing stories about how EU
bureaucrats eat babies and worship the devil.

[Squire Allworthy]

The English last had meaningful involvement in Europe back with the Plantagenets. The place tends to mean pointless wars. WW2, WW1, threats from Spain, wars with France Holland etc etc.

That said I fail to understand the British tendency towards isolationism. Also perhaps the press to some extent reflect the views of their owners and whatever agenda that they may have?

On currency values ALL western currencies are grossly overvalued.

[ibis]

The British media (with the notable exception of the Independent) are so hysterically
anti-Europe I half expect them to start publishing stories about how EU
bureaucrats eat babies and worship the devil.

I've got the back-issue somewhere.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I think that there is an enormous difference. I don't want the kind of rabidly Eurosceptic media-coverage we see in the UK, but neither do I want the excessive pro-EU sycophancy that obsesses our broadsheets. I think the greater reach of the Murdoch press in Ireland may help balance the debate on Lisbon a bit this time. The Irish Sun apparently wants a no vote, but it remains to be seen how much noise they and the other Murdoch tabloids will make on this. I think a lot of the Euroscepticism in the British press and public comes from decades of frustration at being denied a referendum on the various treaties and the feeling of having no say.

[Starkadder]

The British media (with the notable exception of the Independent) are so hysterically
anti-Europe I half expect them to start publishing stories about how EU
bureaucrats eat babies and worship the devil.

I've got the back-issue somewhere.

[Ard-Taoiseach]

This is interesting. The BBC and Ireland.com both reported the same economic story. note the difference in tone.

BBC: "Eurozone confidence at fresh low"



Ireland.com: "Euro zone sentiment beats expectations"



And who says there's no propaganda in democratic societies.

The ambiguity so prevalent in economic discussion allows both of these stories to be absolutely right. €urozone confidence has indeed hit a fresh low, and the BBC is right to say that it has hit the lowest level since May 2006. This index has been declining in recent months, so that perhaps influenced the Economic News team in the Beeb to strike a bearish tone.

The Irish Times is equally correct in stating that economic sentiment in the €urozone has beaten expectations. The median of analysts' forecasts for this barometer of activity was 104. Since the actual figure is 104.7, the seontiment index can be said to beat expectations.

Two sides of a story excellently covered.

[Helium Three]

BBC:
Eurozone economic confidence has sunk to a near two-year low as orders weakened and inflation remained high.

Brussels said its Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) weakened to 104.7 in December, from 104.8 in November and the lowest point since March 2006.

Ireland.com
Euro zone economic sentiment held up better than expected in December thanks to higher optimism in the economy's services sector, European Commission data showed this morning.

The commission's economic sentiment indicator eased to 104.7 points last month from 104.8 in November. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a deeper decline to 104.3 points.

EU Press Office
In December, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) continued to weaken in both the EU and the euro area. It declined by 0.4 of a point in the EU and by 0.1 of a point in the euro area, to 107.1 and 104.7 respectively. However, despite the decline observed in the second half of 2007, the indicator remains well above its long-term average in both areas.

Take your pick. There does not seem much there to justify the anti-British reaction of some posters. The most opinion-based is the ireland.com version.