I am hopeful the public outcry caused by the BBC’s refusal to broadcast the joint appeal for Gaza, will open more eyes to the immense bias in the BBC’s News coverage.
As it has slipped off the front page, I think it is worth reproducing this from my blog for 6 January:
What is Really Happening
I watched BBC World News for a timed hour yesterday. In that time I saw:
Pro-Israeli (including US government) speakers – 17
Pro-Palestinian speakers – 2
Mentions of Hamas Rockets as reason for war – 37
Mentions of illegal Israeli settlements – 0
Mentions of Palestinians killed by Israel during “ceasefire” – 2
Mentions of Sderot – 12
Mentions Sderot used to be Palestinian – 0
If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.
The BBC took being banned from Gaza by the Israelis as the excuse to focus a wildly disproportionate attention on the Hamas threat to Israel. Their choice of Sderot as their base of operations was in itself a factor of bias – and their failure to say, even once, that Sderot was once Palestinian was inexcusable.
Now journalists can get into Gaza there has been nothing by the BBC that comes close to matching the searing explorations by Channel 4, ITN and yes, Sky News, on the atrocities that happened there.
I am particularly outraged by the pusillanimity of my Dundee University and Tashkent colleague Alan Johnston, on whose behalf in his kidnapping I had been attempting to exert what little influence I have to its utmost limit (to no avail, I fear). He appears to have exhausted all his compassion on himself.
But what is truly extraordinary is the way that New Labour careerists like Alexander and Bradshaw, who have come out to ask for the appeal to be broadcast, now that Bush has gone are so instantly re-orienting themselves slavishly to follow a slightly different direction.
Do not be fooled by New Labour; they have no core beliefs but in their own careers. Stand by for them to explain they were against extraordinary rendition all along. Do not believe an of our Ministers on anything. And should you get close to any of them, I believe personal violence may be justified in this instance.
Note added 26.01.09
If you have not complained to the BBC yet, you can do so at:
PHONE: 03700 100 222
TEXT: 03700 100 212
ONLINE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml
You can donate to the appeal that the BBC is denying a
broadcast here: https://www.donate.bt.com/bt_form_gaza.html
Two pro-Palestinian speaker? 2!!!!
Clearly the Beeb has been taken over by Hamas.
Thanks for your work and sharing the results with the rest of us.
From across the pond.
“BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, undermined by his own staff.”
“A big story in the UK at the moment is that the BBC has refused to broadcast an appeal in response to the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza. The BBC argues that if they broadcast the appeal it will lead to accusations of bias.”
“What’s been really interesting is the way that journalists in the BBC have subtly showed their distaste for managements decision which has left the Director General of the BBC, Mark Thompson, isolated.”
“When Mark Thompson appeared on BBC breakfast this morning, a cut out of the appeal was cheekily beamed onto a screen at the same time that he was arguing why the BBC wouldn’t show the appeal! It was a beautiful moment.”…
http://tinyurl.com/cslmhk
“Britain’s Gordon Brown becomes patron of Zionist agency”…
http://tinyurl.com/2avawh
For some time now, perhaps since Kelly, it hasn’t been the BBC.
Mostly, it’s Gov’t. Radio.
I think it’s swings and roundabouts.
In regards to News coverage, Sky News are infintely more biased than the BBCs.
There Rupert Murdoch backed political leanings are pathetic. As right wing as it gets.
Even if you go on their message boards, on their web site, they refuse to post anything remotely “anti cameron” through their “moderation”