Flagrant bias from the BBC
Media workers against war | 21.03.2003 13:36
1. Mass anger is not "news" for the BBC
On its 45 minute flagship news bulletin at 10pm last night (March 20), the BBC ignored the powerful protests that took place across Britain.
The bulletin showed the protests at parliament only as a background for a report from Westminster. And it only mentioned protests abroad, saying that they were "mainly in Muslim countries".
Please phone and email your disgust to BBC complaints on 08700 100 222,
info@bbc.co.uk
FACT: The protests at Parliament last night entirely occupied Parliament Square and forced police to close Whitehall, blocking off Downing Street.
The police initially barricaded off Parliament Square, but the barricades were breached by thousands of school students in the afternoon.
FACT: There were huge protests across the world yesterday, including the USA, Belgium, Egypt, Spain, India and Switzerland. Channel 4 called it "one of the largest days of world demonstrations".
FACT: Police in San Francisco arrested 1,025 people at an anti-war demonstration. Anti-war demonstrators in New York completely blocked New York's Broadway for two blocks below 42nd Street
FACT: London will be brought to a halt tomorrow by another massive, angry national demonstration against the war. Millions have been inspired by the school students, who don't want a future of war and terror.
The BBC is still treating the anti-war movement as "just another demo". It has not understood the chasm that has opened up between parliament and public opinion.
It is a gross distortion to devote bulletins to uninformative and repetitive reports from behind UK/US lines in Iraq, while ignoring the battle to stop
this war.
The BBC is manifestly failing in its duty as a public service broadcaster to reflect truthfully the course of events and allow democratic expression of
majority views.
Please phone and email your disgust to BBC complaints on 08700 100 222, info@bbc.co.uk
2. BBC news chief to debate anti-war leader on coverage of Iraq "Reporting War on Iraq: The Challenge for Public Service Broadcasting"
Join this debate!
With speakers:
Mark Damazer, Deputy Director, BBC News
Andrew Murray, Chair, Stop the War Coalition
Thursday, March 27
7pm
Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research
Stanhope Place, London W2
(200 yards from Marble Arch tube)
Tel. 0207 479 5900
On its 45 minute flagship news bulletin at 10pm last night (March 20), the BBC ignored the powerful protests that took place across Britain.
The bulletin showed the protests at parliament only as a background for a report from Westminster. And it only mentioned protests abroad, saying that they were "mainly in Muslim countries".
Please phone and email your disgust to BBC complaints on 08700 100 222,
info@bbc.co.uk FACT: The protests at Parliament last night entirely occupied Parliament Square and forced police to close Whitehall, blocking off Downing Street.
The police initially barricaded off Parliament Square, but the barricades were breached by thousands of school students in the afternoon.
FACT: There were huge protests across the world yesterday, including the USA, Belgium, Egypt, Spain, India and Switzerland. Channel 4 called it "one of the largest days of world demonstrations".
FACT: Police in San Francisco arrested 1,025 people at an anti-war demonstration. Anti-war demonstrators in New York completely blocked New York's Broadway for two blocks below 42nd Street
FACT: London will be brought to a halt tomorrow by another massive, angry national demonstration against the war. Millions have been inspired by the school students, who don't want a future of war and terror.
The BBC is still treating the anti-war movement as "just another demo". It has not understood the chasm that has opened up between parliament and public opinion.
It is a gross distortion to devote bulletins to uninformative and repetitive reports from behind UK/US lines in Iraq, while ignoring the battle to stop
this war.
The BBC is manifestly failing in its duty as a public service broadcaster to reflect truthfully the course of events and allow democratic expression of
majority views.
Please phone and email your disgust to BBC complaints on 08700 100 222,
info@bbc.co.uk 2. BBC news chief to debate anti-war leader on coverage of Iraq "Reporting War on Iraq: The Challenge for Public Service Broadcasting"
Join this debate!
With speakers:
Mark Damazer, Deputy Director, BBC News
Andrew Murray, Chair, Stop the War Coalition
Thursday, March 27
7pm
Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research
Stanhope Place, London W2
(200 yards from Marble Arch tube)
Tel. 0207 479 5900
Media workers against war
Comments
Hide the following 9 comments
I used to think the BBC was OK
21.03.2003 14:00
Oh where oh where can I find an unbiased news source, not just on the Iraq 'war' ('impending genocide and dominitaion' is probably closer), but other issues, including those that may not directly affect the activist communtiy? Apart from Indymedia of course...
Thomas J
disgusted with the media!!
21.03.2003 14:07
The duck!!
Flagrant bias from the BBC
21.03.2003 14:10
I object to these health warnings, because the BBC fail to give similar warnings before reports from journalists with the British/US troops. These journalists are also subject to restrictions. The BBC is not being balanced.
The BBC has obviously made this decision at the highest level. All radio and television programmes that I have observed have only issued health warnings for reports from Iraq. They are a propaganda organisation, not a public service broadcaster.
David
BBC
21.03.2003 14:10
Rageh Omar - when asked whether there were signs in Baghdad that the residents knew they were going to war, he replied no, there weren't many people about and there were sandbags everywhere. So there wasn't any indication the people of Baghdad were preparing for war then?!
Mutiny
e-mail:
mutinymail@btopenworld.com
Homepage:
http://angelfire.com/rebellion/insubordination
Balenced News
21.03.2003 14:24
Not only can you read Richard Perle's lunatic/frightening observations on the future of the UN but also those of leading anti-war protesters.
Just to prove that I am not in the employ of this paper I have also found good coverage of the protests on www.independent.co.uk & perhaps surprisingly www.washingtonpost.com
For light entertainment goto www.ScaryDuck.com
Tony Webb
e-mail:
Tony.Webb.ext@Siemens.com
A lost story...
21.03.2003 14:34
Maz
Here's mine - feel free to comment
21.03.2003 14:37
OK MWAW, done and copied below. Thanks for the prompt.
Dear BBC News,
I, together with many colleagues and friends, are increasingly concerned with what we consider to be non-balanced news reporting from what's traditionaly been perceived as a 'fair' BBC News.
I sense growing alarm concerning the rather obvious lack
of reporting of the initial public protest against the so-called war.
Particularly affected was the BBC News at Ten of the 20th March '03.
Many of us are turning to independent internet news, such as Indymedia to get a more balanced picture of the world both at home and abroad.
I feel that the BBC has a good history of balanced reporting and has worked very hard over many years to earn its' international reputation as a non-biased global news organisation.
It would be a great shame for the BBC to loose this foothold of integrity in a world where independent news media is growing fast and earning increasing public respect.
Joe P.
Like this article.....
21.03.2003 15:52
PhillC
The Beeb
21.03.2003 18:17
Steve