Please use this thread for off-topic, but preferably BBC related, comments. Please keep comments on other threads to the topic at hand. N.B. this is not an invitation for general off-topic comments – our aim is to maintain order and clarity on the topic-specific threads. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog. Please scroll down to find new topic-specific posts.
Open thread – for comments of general Biased BBC interest
Bookmark the permalink.
The arrogance of the bbc and those employed by it (or in their pay) never ceases to amaze me.
Now they know better than the legal establishment.
The BBC has been criticised by media lawyers for broadcasting an interview with a man arrested in connection with the Suffolk murders.
But the deputy director of BBC News, Adrian Van Klaveren, said he considered it to be “in the public interest”.
Defence lawyer Julian Young said such reporting “can be prejudicial” as the court may decide “there can’t be a fair trial”.
“The ultimate public interest must be a fair trial,” he said.
However, Mr Van Klaveren said the BBC did consider whether it “could be prejudicing any potential legal action” and decided that this “was not the case”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6191983.stm
Anyone else and the article would have been liberally sprinkled with ‘defended’, ‘admits’, ‘lambasted’, ‘fury at’. What do the bbc give us, why its their old standby ‘however’ (used to introduce a statement that contrasts or contradicts)
They are NEVER wrong are they.
The BBC and half the story;
The BBC takes great care in not informing the great unwashed what is really happening between the Palestinians in the Levant;
Schools shut amid Gaza ‘anarchy’
Schools have been closed in Gaza amid what officials say is a state of anarchy caused by fighting between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6193193.stm
So what does the BBC have to say on the matter?
1) In Tuesday’s violence: An attempt to take an injured Fatah militant to a Gaza hospital sparked a battle between Fatah intelligence officers and Hamas militiamen. One Hamas fighter was killed and several injured
And how does the rest of the world read the above;
A gunbattle erupted between Palestinian police loyal to Hamas and Fatah forces at the main hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, killing one person and wounding 11, witnesses and members of the rival factions said.The witnesses and rival factions said a Hamas policeman was killed in the gunbattle at the entrance and inside the compound of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/19122006/325/hamas-fatah-gunbattle-erupts-gaza-hospital.html
2) In an apparent revenge attack, the headquarters of the pro-Fatah intelligence service near Gaza City came under mortar fire
And again how do the rest of the world see the above story;
Dozens of armed Hamas members have surrounded a headquarters of the rival Fatah faction in northern Gaza Strip, where intense battles had raged between the two groups.”Dozens of members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades and the executive force are trying to mount an assault on the headquarters of the security services in Jabaliya and there is a lot of gunfire,” said an officer inside.Witnesses told AFP the Hamas forces were trying to free two of their members who were detained earlier in the day and were reportedly being held there.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/19122006/323/hamas-forces-surround-fatah-hq-gaza.html
In fact in the above BBC story about how schools have been closed in Gaza they go to great lengths in which to diffuse the real story.
Here is how the other major news networks report on the current situation in Gaza;
AFP
Five killed as Gaza gunbattles shatter truce
http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/061219134322.i9azck0j.html
Reuters
Five killed in tense Gaza
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-12-19T151057Z_01_L16462674_RTRUKOC_0_UK-PALESTINIANS.xml&src=rss
ABC
Gunbattles Rage in Tense Gaza, Five dead
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2736908
Islamic republic of Iran News Agency
Five killed as Gaza gun battles shatter truce
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0612190288200715.htm
Meanwhile while the rest of the world are actually told just why these thugs are fighting. (all about being top dog) the BBC plays the “It’s all Israels fault” yet again;
Hamas refuses to renounce violence or recognise Israel – a crucial demand of the international community. Fatah believes that ending anti-Israel attacks is the key to forcing Israel into negotiations on an independent Palestinian statehood.
Increased poverty and months of Israeli operations have polarised Palestinian factional rivalry further, correspondents say.
There you have it folks, the BBC doesn’t want you to know that the religion of peace is nothing more than a victim. Even when they are killing their own they are still victims.
The BBC and half a story..
OK here goes…
Clearly I have to be very careful in what I say for security reasons.
I am working in the Al Mansur area of western Baghdad, running security teams for an Iraqi national company.
Not my first visit here, I ran the referendum and Iraqi elections last year in northern Iraq for the UN.
I know the Iraqi people and country pretty well and I’m always amazed at the Beebs totally negative spin on the place (Which only fuels the terrorists)
Today was a sunny day in Baghdad, after a few days of rain. Commerce and daily life on the streets is suprisingly normal. Red double dekker busses look strange but arefairly common. School girls go to school wearing very fashional boots along with their uniform and head scarfs.
OK terrorism is always not far away, but life is going on.
More later, I’m off to smoke the arabic hubbly bubbly pipe (Just fruit flavoured tobacco) sorry no drugs!
Ref my last look what the BBC have just this minute published;
Palestinian PM urges calm in Gaza
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has urged an end to in-fighting after days of clashes between his Hamas faction and the rival Fatah group.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6194539.stm
“In a televised address in Gaza City, Mr Haniya said the Palestinian cause would “not be derailed by internal struggles” in the face of the Israeli occupation.
Yup the Religion of peace are killing themselves and the BBC blames the Jew.
Steve E’s link to the Canadian report of 26 murdered by the Taliban is refuted by the BBC’s embedded reporter who wrote recently and admiringly about how the locals welcome the Taliban ‘fighters’ into their houses and willingly share their food with said Taliban, who are tired after whipping the British Army etc etc.
Don’t the Canadians realise that they’re being duped. (I’m being sarcastic). Has anyone got a link to that BBC ‘report’?
“Yup the Religion of peace are killing themselves and the BBC blames the Jew.”
pounce, you are still struggling with the distinction between reporting what someone has said and endorsing it.
The clue is in what you quote – “Mr Haniya said”. It’s fairly absurd that you devote so much time and effort to parsing BBC content for bias when you can’t get this one basic point right time and time again.
DA: So, you admit that BBC uses the very same biased quotations that Pounce cites here “time and time again”, as you put it?
“In a televised address in Gaza City, Mr Haniya said the Palestinian cause would “not be derailed by internal struggles” in the face of the Israeli occupation.”
Err….,..DA…..are you retarded?
I assume his direct quote is “”not be derailed by internal struggles”…..
The BBC added their own “in the face of the Israeli occupation.”
As the man says…Mussies are killing mussies…and the BBC blames the Jews…….like the Nazis and Hitler did…the BBC are full of hate and bigotry..thank god the Government is going to give the BBC a shity deal, in order to slowly kill this out of control lying devil……
The BBC is dead, and getting ever more desperate during it;s death twictches…must say I’m enjoying watching it die……lets look forward to more strikes and evidence of the BBCs obsoletation over the next few months….
RIP the BBC…..long live the interenet and the ability to catch out Broadcasting liars……
The BBC is scum…filth….hated…..the British People do not want the BBC…….
this is what he really said:
“This people will remain united in the face of occupation and aggression and will not be derailed by internal struggles,” he said during a televised address in Gaza City.
source – al jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/905606C2-2A7F-458B-B43C-994103BEF0EA.htm
the bbc helpfully added the “israel” bit, just to make sure.
they really are a bunch of utter scumbags arent they?
Different Anon wrote;
“pounce, you are still struggling with the distinction between reporting what someone has said and endorsing it.The clue is in what you quote – “Mr Haniya said”. It’s fairly absurd that you devote so much time and effort to parsing BBC content for bias when you can’t get this one basic point right time and time again.
Here we go, the BBC clones try to pick me up with their superior English skills.
If I quoted the BBC could you please explain the latter part of the sentence tacked onto the quote.;
” in the face of the Israeli occupation.” which was outside the speech marks.
Tell you what lets look at how other news agencies have reported what Mr Haniya actually stated;
MSNBC
“This nation, this people, will be united in front of the occupation and aggression and will not be engaged, despite the wounds of the past few days, in internal fighting,”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16235716/from/RSS/
AP news;
“”This nation, this people will be united in front of the occupation and aggression and will not be engaged, despite the wounds of the past few days, in internal fighting,”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-mideast1219,0,6418055.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines
But hey I’m talking about the un-biased BBC which instead of reporting this;
“During the speech, which lasted for more than an hour, Haniyeh laid out a case for his government and blamed President Mahmoud Abbas for the violence and political deadlock in the Palestinian areas.”
Reported this;
“The Palestinian prime minister blamed Mr Abbas for contributing to the economic and political isolation of the Hamas government – and accused the US of being behind efforts to topple it.”
It seems if the people who play the victim card have an ‘H’ in their title the BBC is really keen in defending them;
Hezbollah
Hamas
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Harakat ul-Mujahidin
Hizbul Mujahideen
Haniya
Hitler
Hirohito
And I get a BBC clone who tries to trip me up on my English when I expose the BBC for destroying the English (Read that as British) image of good sportsmanship and fairplay. (In otherwords telling it as it is and not how you think it should be)
Tell you what DA, you try being smarter and I’ll try and be more grammatical correct.
D Burbage | 19.12.06 – 10:22 am:
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/patrickcrozier/116595993263478419/#322761
You begin with an extract from a previous post of mine and then add your comment (which I’ve put in bold text):
(It is precisely because the BBC’s political staff know that Bond, Bozek and Bromfield were coerced that they’ve never sought to interview them.)
– is a particularly strong one (if true) of BBC bias; JBH maybe you can support this somehow or is it just a supposition based on the circumstantial evidence that they haven’t been interviewed?
If you’re interested follow me into the wilderness for a briefing (and bring some warm clothing with you.)
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/patrickcrozier/116402201700130784/?a=17411#322805
JBH
You might consider that JR going off in all directions…could have been designed precisely to put me in the position whereby I either refused to engage…or did so and risk the “hijack” charge.
…quite right. It’s a crude tactic, but works unless you identify nonsense early and often, and then ignore it. FWIW, I’d say you did more than OK. Merry Christmas!
Reith
…oh deary me! Cheap rhetorical tricks don’t add up to an argument. A question: Just how many people comprise or contribute to the recent ‘Reith’– over, say, the last three months? Will one of you tell us?
Bishop scorns drunkenness claims.
“He remembers nothing after leaving the Irish embassy and arriving home, but still believes he was mugged.”
Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt as we say in the States.
Look, Rev., nobody’s saying you habitually reel about London drunk as a lord just that you had one to many Irish coffees on this particular occasion and are darn lucky to have gotten home intact.
Next time you go to an Irish bash take a date or at least a designated driver!
Knacker:
Thanks knacker. That really hit the spot.
off topic , but good news
EU Ref won the weblogs award – best UK blog.
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006/12/we-did-win.html
Tim
Good luck over there. I for one would like to hear how life really is in Baghdad, without the usual BBC spin.
Note to Archduke, intended also to be read by other potential offenders:
This post was deleted. You are free to discuss what subjects should be discussed, but in order to deter that level of swearing, I have deleted the whole thing.
This time, not much of a deterrent, since many had already seen it. So let me add that if you carry on like that I’ll ban you, much though I would miss your comments.
Hey Tim, I’m sure we’d appreciate some pictures – suitably distant from your location as security, I guess. Those buses sound like a wonderful anachronism. Perhaps Transport for London could make a few bob selling thie rold Routemasters in Iraq.
I have a suggestion for JBH, which has already been sugNo, seriously, whenever you have a substantive point to make you could simply summarise it here and link to a fuller post there. That way those that want to get the current info could visit you, others could skip over it and all the new information could be handily stored in one place. You can archive it to your other site as and when you want or need. Since it seems to be the length of your posts more than anything else this seems to be the best solution.
>> this is what he really said:
“This people will remain united in the face of occupation and aggression and will not be derailed by internal struggles,” he said during a televised address in Gaza City.
>> source – al jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/ …94103BEF0EA.htm
>> the bbc helpfully added the “israel” bit, just to make sure.
>> they really are a bunch of utter scumbags arent they?
This is the bit where I obviously get confused, but can you explain to me what the bit “in the face of occupation and aggression” means, without mentioning the ‘I’ word that would signify bias? What was Haniya referring to then?
DiffAnon is taking a leaf from John Reith’s book – ignore the various points raised, often serious and important ones about BBC bias and aid to the enemy and try to gain Brownie points by slagging off someone’s grammar etc. Good thing pounce is a sweet natured and kindly soul or DiffAnon might be accused of being a patronising twit by many of us.
Anyone here expect DiffAnon to explain how or why the BBC added the additional words regarding Israel to Mr H’s speech then?
*crickets chirping…*
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6194539.stm
At 2121hrs the article pounce referred to was changed to:
“In a televised address in Gaza City on Tuesday, Mr Haniya said Palestinians would “remain united” in the face of the Israeli occupation.”
Er no he didn’t use the word Israeli….nor did he only use two words…
Natalie Solent 19.12.06 – 9:37 pm:
Natalie:
I know Archduke kinda lost it last night but I know where he’s coming from and I take no offence – and who’s to say he didn’t actually communicate a difficult point succinctly.
I’ve reached the end of my tether more than once on this blog and let rip with the F word too, if I remember last month, in a particularly tetchy exchange with JR, and I’ve noticed a couple other B-BBCers have used the F word very occasionaly in contexts of extreme provocation or frustration over the months and years.
None of us does it often. But we are all passionate people (otherwise we wouldn’t be here) and sometimes, just sometimes, one just has to let rip.
Archduke has been one of the stalwarts of this blog ever since I can remember my first tentative post. Maybe he’s more thick skinned than me, and to use the vernacular of last night, doesn’t give a “F” anyway, but if I had been on the end of your drubbing I’d be smarting terribly, given that it had been administered by a friend, as it were.
Along with Dumbisco, who I see little of these days, Archduke is surely one of the grandfathers of this blog.
I guess what I’m trying to say Natalie is I think you could have given Archduke a ticking off that sent the right signal but which didn’t hurt. And I suspect that the one you delivered might have.
Jonathan x
dave t
Very interesting to see what’s being added and what’s being removed from that coverage:
http://newssniffer.newworldodour.co.uk/articles/17904/diff/3/4
Version 3
Palestinian PM urges calm in Gaza
Tue Dec 19 18:30:17 GMT 2006
Version 4
Palestinian chiefs urge Gaza calm
Tue Dec 19 21:00:30 GMT 2006