BBC PRIDE is sinking to new lows as the BBC, which is occasionally running Gates columns, is now also accepting money from him. This may help explain why the BBC is defending Microsoft whilst also accepting staff from Microsoft UK to run the BBC. It is supposedly for taxpayers in the UK, who will pay to be brainwashed by Gates under the disguise of "unbiased" news not tainted by influence of money and instead sponsored largely by taxpayers. The channel/site will probably be doing more whitewash for Gates and for Microsoft, the company which broke the law, especially now that the "Gates Foundation has given BBC $20 million to “shape” stories on maternal, child health," to quote one journalist who used to do PR-disguised-as-press for the Gates Foundation and has since then defected, perhaps realising that he was part of the problem, not the solution.

The Puget Sound Business Journal’s Clay Holtzman reports that the Gates Foundation made its largest ever donation to a media organization, the BBC, in December but didn’t publicize the $19.9 million grant.

"...the foundation serves as a lobbying slush fund to remove criticism of Microsoft, portray the abuser Gates as a hero, and also helps companies he invests in..."This is distorting and lobbying. It's characterised as goodwill, but it actually helps Gates and his buddies sell patents, glorify themselves, and gag some more publications which will have to be nice to Gates and to Microsoft (this is where money comes from, why bite the hand that feeds?). As one reader put it the other day, the foundation serves as a lobbying slush fund to remove criticism of Microsoft, portray the abuser Gates as a hero, and also helps companies he invests in (by "shaping" coverage and pressuring politicians). Techrights takes this issue very seriously as it is no longer just about software; it is about ethics and it is about the death of the watchdog press. Kristi Heim, for example, usually boosted Gates agenda, but after pieces like this she got laid off. Nowadays, Gates can gladly eliminate voices he does not approve. Having paid many large publications to police their coverage, the editors are under pressure to secure those funding sources.

We will probably revisit the subject at a later date. Thankfully, as we have not had much time to keep track of the Gates Foundation (several site interviews coming and we are also uploading hundreds of TechBytes videos, which will become WebM), it seems like one of our editors might be able to help. So keep an eye on this site for good things to come. ⬆