Andrew McCann has written of his attempts to put his views across to the Beeb over Sweenygate. I am referring, of course, to the bullying, hectoring behaviour (caution, highly entertaining stuff) of the BBC’s fearless sleuth, John Sweeney, as he ventured into the deep hidden danger facing us all from Tom Cruise’s religion, Scientology. McCann’s words are well worth reading. Summary account of the incident here.
He points out the BBC’s complacent reliance on the freedoms accorded them in the US and UK. He demonstrates what true objectivity might mean- the fearlessly equal treatment of all on an equal basis. His analogy was the most obvious one going- between the BBC’s treatment of Scientology and its treatment of Islam- but the point is a deep one.
Talking of his approach to the BBC’s phone-in minders he says:
“I posed a rhetorical question as to whether Sweeney would have lost his temper if treated in the same way by Muslims outside the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. In other words, would Sweeney have behaved that way had it not been for his own prejudices and the environment in which he found himself?”
Indeed. PS. I notice that Sweeney has done investigations in Saudi Arabia, but one does indeed wonder if he treated the Saudis as imbeciles as he did so, or whether it was their religion he was interested in targeting.
John Reith | 21.05.07 – 6:04 pm
The Israeli government says, “Sderot has come under attack since Tuesday night (May 15), with a barrage of over 100 Kassam rockets landing in the town and surrounding area. Two women were seriously wounded by direct hits on their homes, and many were treated for injuries and shock. Other rockets hit a high school near Sapir College and a synagogue (May 17). Hamas has openly claimed responsibility for the ongoing attack.”
John Reith has said that unless two “reputable news agencies” or the BBC’s own Jerusalem “bureau” can confirm this report the BBC will consider it to be a load of old bollocks and will continue to publish whatever Hamas says, which as we all know is the gospel truth, gord ‘elp me guv’nor.
John Reith
No, I believe you are wrong.
Let’s make something clear.
There is a big difference between single word quotation in headlines, (they can be clarified in the body of the article that follows) and those in the actual body of the article, as in the original article being discussed (where they make no sense).
You could use single quotes in the instance you give in your last comment, but not double quotes unless you intended to use this bizarre example as a headline.
If you use double quotes it must have more context otherwise it could be open to many mischevious interpretations, then again perhaps that is why you advocate it.
This type of reporting may be frequent in certain tabloids but I thought you considered the BBC standards to be above that sort of ‘bollocks’.
Clearly not.
I have been reading recent comments with some incredulity.We need to get a few facts straight.The BBC is in the entertainment business and runs a news organisation on the side.WE HAVE to pay for it,if we want a TV,or go to prison.How the hell is that justifed? Abolish it tomorrow and life in this country would go on and nearly everyone would be 130 odd quid better off.Of course it is biased.Biased in favour of sucking up to those in power who will keep it alive.Power and influence in this country is in the hands of a statist elite who are best described as PC liberal fascists-We tell you what to think-.For some reason I can’t fathom they are dead set against the state of Israel.The BBC justs reflects the prevailing view.Israel will never get a fair hearing.
I said, John Reith | 21.05.07 – 12:10 pm
You proved my point that the BBC will only report Israeli casualties and attacks on Israel when it has no alternative, ie: when there are dead Jews.
Israeli dies in Gaza rocket raid
An Israeli woman has died of her wounds shortly after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit her car in the border town of Sderot, medics say.
And the BBC’s idea of balance and context in this case?
The attack came after Israel carried out an air strike on a refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Islamic Jihad militant group said four members died.
At least 13 rockets were reportedly fired into Israel on Monday.
Israeli air strikes have killed more than 30 people in the past week, several of them civilians.
Still nothing on the now more than 150 rockets fired indiscriminately at Israel. Instead we get more of this:
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli army said it had carried out the air strike on the Jabaliya refugee camp that killed the militants.
What “militants” are those BBC?
Israel had threatened to step up raids on militants accused of firing rockets into Israel.
They’re only “accused” – innocent until proven guilty eh BBC?
On Sunday, at least eight people died in an Israeli air strike said to be on the home of Khalil al-Hayya, a lawmaker from the Palestinian militant group Hamas. He was not there at the time.
The Israeli military confirmed there had been an air strike in northern Gaza on Sunday evening, but said it was aimed at a group of armed militants gathered outside a house.
However, reports from Gaza City suggested the attack did strike Mr al-Hayya’s home, and that several members of his family were among those killed.
If the BBC rely on AP and Reuters to ensure their reports are fair and impartial rather than accredited news agencies in Israel and elsewhere no wonder they have a problem!
JBH and Ultraviolet
If you want to distribute the photos, why not put them in a big zip file and use bit torrent? I presume you have them on your PC already JBH?
If so, just place them in a folder and use ‘make torrent 2’ to create a torrent file. Upload it to a tracker site and then distribute the torrent file to whoever you want.
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=86654&package_id=93225
Use the ‘piratebay’ tracker:
http://tpb.tracker.thepiratebay.org/announce
and then post it on http://www.mininova.org
You can password protect the zip file before you create the torrent, if you don’t want unauthorised people to view the contents.
This would also be a great way to distribute the finished video. If all the contributors to B-BBC agreed to ‘seed’ the torrent, people would get lightning fast downloads.
Block 813,
You can download it here:
http://www.torrentspy.com/torrent/1171952/BBC_Panorama_Scientology_And_Me_14_05_07
Sorry meant to say that you can download the Panorama here ^^^^^^^
If you need to edit it, use Nandub and set the video and audio to ‘direct stream copy’
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ndub/
Grimer | 21.05.07 – 11:13 pm
Ooer, that was far too high-tech for me. It was bad enough learning how to build a website using cranky MS Publisher ’97. But I know someone who can probably help me. So thanks very much for the advice. I’ll get weaving in a week or so when I next see him.
One day there will be a rockin’ BBC-bias video – and then the word will get around and then there will be more and more of them. And then ordinary people might scratch their heads and ask themselves how there could be so many articles on BBC bias, if the BBC was impartial as it claims. It could lead to an awakening among the currently unenlightened….
P.S., Grimer, did you read any of the articles? There’s some fabulous stuff up there, including this one from The Weekly Standard which I had flown out from the States. Its cover is worth framing and hanging on the wall.
The Wreck of the BBC by Gerard Baker
Check it out.
“If the BBC rely on AP and Reuters to ensure their reports are fair and impartial rather than accredited news agencies in Israel and elsewhere no wonder they have a problem!”
Why would an accredited news agency in Israel be necessarily impartial?
Robbiekeane | 22.05.07 – 1:55 pm
What makes you think Reuters is impartial?
http://www.google.com/custom?cof=AH%3Acenter%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.honestreporting.com%3BAWFID%3A21a4c883229cc039%3B&domains=www.honestreporting.com&sitesearch=www.honestreporting.com&q=Reuters
Or AP?
http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&cof=S%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.honestreporting.com%3B&domains=www.honestreporting.com&q=AP&btnG=Search&sitesearch=www.honestreporting.com
And which AP are we talking about?
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25583_AP_Spins_in_Both_Directions&only
Robbiekeane:
“If the BBC rely on AP and Reuters to ensure their reports are fair and impartial rather than accredited news agencies in Israel and elsewhere no wonder they have a problem!”
Why would an accredited news agency in Israel be necessarily impartial?
I’ve never been particularly pro Isreal but I must admit that a good deal of their media appears to be more balanced than AP, AFP, Reuters and especially the Beeb.
Cheers….I’ll crack open “Sony Vegas” this weekend, and have a play…..
I imagine the BBC doesn’t report terrorists killing civilians in the same way it doesn’t report bears shitting in the woods.