I was more wondering if, in general, people had some other definition in their head where "reform" just meant "change".
Because from the definition, the BBC are entirely correct. They should be non-partisan, and thus refer to it as "Proposed voting change" or something equally neutral in nature. Otherwise they risk looking like they're in favour of something. And much though I want the AV referendum to come out "Yes", I don't think the BBC should be partisan.
I think it has positive connotations, but it's *ALSO* a word that is used by the BBC a *LOT*. A quick google for site:bbc.co.uk reform gives results like "Currency reform may unsettle North Korean leadership", "lobby group urges reform on transmission charges", "David Cameron: Public sector reform cannot be delayed", "NHS Confederation says health reform 'could shut hospitals'"
So while it may have positive connotations in general, when used by the BBC in other circumstances it's used as if it's a neutral term. I don't think one can say that 'banking reform' or 'NHS reform' are less partisan subjects than electoral reform, and I don't think the AV referendum should be made a special case.
I agree with that too. It seems very suspicious that AV would be singled out for this. Possibly people should be complaining about _other_ uses of the word "reform" too.
Quite so. In a non-political context I would consider reform to be generally a positive thing, but these days you have to look at the context pretty closely to know one way or the other - it's just another weasel word to be bandied about, like 'efficiency'. What the BBC is quite frankly borderline suspicious though and very odd indeed.
In terms of the government, it does feel more like just, "change" or even "change for change's sake".
Everything's labelled as a reform these days and there have been so many reforms over the last few years, some good, some bad, some utterly pointless, that the dictionary definition and its positive meaning has been lost in the noise. As one I. Montoya put it, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
"Government Reform" to me just means wasting huge amounts of cash for no noticeable change other than to appear different from the last lot, even if the net result to the man in the street is exactly the same as it ever was.
Maybe that's why they're picking on "Electoral Reform", it's a change that might actually do something!
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andrewducker) wrote2011-02-09 03:54 pm
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I was more wondering if, in general, people had some other definition in their head where "reform" just meant "change".
Because from the definition, the BBC are entirely correct. They should be non-partisan, and thus refer to it as "Proposed voting change" or something equally neutral in nature. Otherwise they risk looking like they're in favour of something. And much though I want the AV referendum to come out "Yes", I don't think the BBC should be partisan.
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So while it may have positive connotations in general, when used by the BBC in other circumstances it's used as if it's a neutral term. I don't think one can say that 'banking reform' or 'NHS reform' are less partisan subjects than electoral reform, and I don't think the AV referendum should be made a special case.
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Everything's labelled as a reform these days and there have been so many reforms over the last few years, some good, some bad, some utterly pointless, that the dictionary definition and its positive meaning has been lost in the noise. As one I. Montoya put it, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
"Government Reform" to me just means wasting huge amounts of cash for no noticeable change other than to appear different from the last lot, even if the net result to the man in the street is exactly the same as it ever was.
Maybe that's why they're picking on "Electoral Reform", it's a change that might actually do something!
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Hah. A blessing in disguise, perhaps, not being tarred with a word that no longer means what it says on the tin?
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