Fixed Mindset?

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. Here is an example of how the BBC’s thought processes continue to work. What would the news pages look like if they reported every university based ‘think tank’s’ report? Could they perhaps be trying to vindicate their own well known position on the justifications for war in Iraq? No mention is made of the political affiliations of this ‘think tank’. Glancing across the BBC’s Iraq ‘In depth’ page, I am astounded at the negativism of it all. No-one approves of the US apparently. There is an ‘Iraq Security Nightmare’ apparently. Japan is not obviously deploying troops but ‘buries slain diplomats’. Shias, or even Iraqis, do not march in opposition to the Terrorist Baathists in Baghdad, as they did on Saturday, but instead ‘US plan is unpopular with Shias’.

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3 Responses to Fixed Mindset?

  1. peter says:
    December 8, 2003 at 3:42 pm

    Well they’ll continue to re-run the last really bad news – for weeks if that is what it takes – until new really bad news emerges. To fill the gap, they run stories on the spector of bad news or dislike of the US.

    During a string of deadly incidents they might have an excuse as to why these take precedent in coverage over the larger developments. But, when there’s been few big attacks or troop deaths over the past couple of weeks, this is where the BBC needs to show its supposed objectivity and dig up some new news.

    Of course they have not. The leading “key story” on their Iraq page is now “Indonesia Criticises US over Iraq.” (e.g., “Breaking News: Muslims don’t like US intervention in Iraq”. Thanks BBC, hadn’t heard this one before.)

    The third paragraph reads:

    “Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda said that the invasion of Iraq had not been justified under international law and that subsequent events had demonstrated the dangers of going it alo

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  2. peter says:
    December 8, 2003 at 3:44 pm

    To continue:

    … alone without the approval of the United Nations.”

    Haven’t heard this line before. Thanks for the investigative reporting, BBC.

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  3. Guy Herbert says:
    December 9, 2003 at 1:11 pm

    off topic-ish:

    How’s this for uncritical worship of the government’s achievements dressed up as news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3301793.stm

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