Ooops. BBC Retracts Misleading Report

It seems some people DO have success when it comes to having their complaints upheld by the BBC. As long as they belong to the anti-Israel brigade.

Should a report that shows anti Israel campaigners in a poor light accidentally slip through the net, the BBC Editorial department will leap into action.

Nobody can interrupt a meeting or performance and come out smelling of roses.
Certainly Tony Greenstein and Deborah Fink’s display of exhibitionism that ruined the Jerusalem Quartet’s performance at the Wigmore Hall was counterproductive in the extreme. I hope their ‘cause’ suffered a setback of disproportionately greater magnitude than the distress their disruptive outbursts caused to the musicians and the audience that had hoped to enjoy the performance.

On the other hand, a meeting that took place at the School of Oriental and African Studies last year in which the guest speaker was Bongani Masuku, “a man condemned as an inciter of hatred against Jews by the South African Human Rights Commission,” was ‘disrupted’ by a question from Jonathan Hoffman about the morality of hosting such an event and inviting such a speaker, a hullaballoo ensued, which, unlike the one at the Wigmore Hall, was reported on the BBC website.

In the confusion it is alleged that racist taunts were hurled at Mr. Hoffman. “Jew-ish” and some such. Whatever they were, the threatening atmosphere that was engendered simply because of a question that went against the grain, was undeniable. If you can bear to look at the video, you’ll see that when Mr Hoffman asks “Why do you interrupt me?” The woman behind him can clearly be seen wagging a finger and saying “Because you’re a Jew!”

Some furious lobbying by organisations such as “JustPeaceUK” were instigated, in order to get the BBC report amended to what they considered was a TRUE representation of what had taken place, and to omit the bit about the racist taunts.

They succeeded; not only was the web report amended, but the original reporter was reprimanded, and the editor wrote:

“After publication it quickly became clear that there was more to what had happened in the meeting than was apparent from the video and Mr Hoffman’s allegations. As soon as that became clear the story was amended to reflect the differing views of those who had been at the meeting.
It is regrettable that the original story did not reflect a wider range of views and the journalist concerned has been made well aware of the requirement to do so in the future.
Yours Sincerely
Hugh Berlyn
Editor
News and Sport Interactive
BBC England “

Concert disrupter and anti-Zionist campaigner Tony Greenstein proudly declares the success of their lobbying on his website under the heading
“ BBC – Hoffman Lied When Claiming He was a Victim of anti-Semitism.”

Not only that, but the Head of editorial complaints, Fraser Steel has written apologising profusely and promising to take further action. We must wait with bated breath to see what that will be..

TARGET THE TORIES!

With the likelihood that Gordon Brown will FINALLY call the General Election tomorrow, the BBC are lumbering up for the final round of “Save Gordon.” Last evening, I listened to the BBC Radio 4 between 10-11pm and there was the concerted witch-hunt against Chris Grayling and also an attack on George Osborne. It’s going to be a tumultuous four weeks as the BBC seeks to damage the Conservatives as much as possible which I would hope David Cameron will remember when he gets in power. The malignancy of the State Broadcaster needs excised once and for all.

Grayling


Radio Five Live whipped itself into quite a frenzy over the Chris Grayling rumpus. Stephen Nolan could hardly contain himself when the story broke during his show last night, admitting to the senior programme editor of Channel 4 News today that he was “ready to burst” waiting for the boxing to finish (not a pleasant image – can’t get Mr Creosote out of my mind for some reason).

Five Live’s political reporter Chris Mason shared Nolan’s enthusiasm:

Anna Adams (“Interactive Reporter, BBC News”) was so excited she posted her first tweets in over a week. The story remained Five Live’s top headline until midday today (even the breaking news of three car bombs and dozens dead in Baghdad was deemed a lesser item on the 11am and 11.30 am bulletins). Unsurprisingly, the Tory Party’s widening lead in the opinion polls was not considered very newsworthy.

The fervour shown for this story by the Beeb (and particularly Five Live) suggests that there are a number of BBC journalists simply itching to give the Tories a good kicking. Unfortunately for them I don’t think most people are particularly bothered one way or the other by Grayling’s views on gays and B&Bs. Still, no doubt there will be other opportunities to stick the boot in between now and election day.

Sunday night update. Keeping it going:


Update 2. And as of 10.30pm Sunday night it’s the number one headline on Radio Five Live again.

Stomach turning

From today’s Telegraph

The editors and presenters on Radio 4’s Today programme have been told they must interview representatives of the BNP, Ukip, the Green party, SNP and Plaid Cymru on the same show, the morning after the debates.

Sources said this will leave almost no room for serious discussion of how the mainstream leaders performed.

One source said: “We’re all spitting feathers here. This is further proof that the BBC’s obsession with ‘compliance’ is destroying its news coverage and journalism.

“The only result of this directive from Mark Byford and the rest of the overpaid detached senior management is that listeners will simply switch off in droves.

“The idea of having to interview the Ukip leader Nigel Farage – let alone Nick Griffin – is turning people’s stomachs.

No Alka Seltzer needed for the leaders of the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru, just the BNP and UKIP. So even the party that came second in the European elections is beyond the pale as far as sophisticated metropolitan BBC journalists are concerned. Too stupid to know that UKIP’s leader is Lord Pearson, not Nigel Farage, though. (H-t John Anderson in the comments).

Happy Easter, Papa

I hold no brief for the Pope; I am a Protestant if anything. However, I do recognise when the forces of Progressivism see an opp for agitation, and that time is now. As a Briton, I don’t really give a damn about the proclivities of papists. If guilty of a crime, let ’em go to jail. If not, let them be like every other oddity up with which we put. I cannot think of any justification for the BBC’s intense interest in the Catholic church and child sex. Can it be that there are limits to tolerance? How borgeois! Or is it just al Beeb seeking to stick it into another institution of western civilisation? As a reader/viewer/citizen, I just find their scrutiny bizarre, three days running by my count. Why are the Beebies so obsessed with Catholic child sex?

Classic BBC Cringe

The BBC’s Wendy Urquhart enters the realms of “beyond parody” in this butt-clenchingly PC report about the anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands (or “the Falkland Islands or Las Malvinas” as they are apparently known when they’re not simply “Las Malvinas”) :

A solemn day in Argentina. Thousands gather to pay their respects, but the issue of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, or Las Malvinas, is clearly one that’s far from settled. President Cristina Kirchner told the crowds that it was a time to remember those they’d lost but it was most definitely not a time to forget about Las Malvinas and vowed to keep pushing for ownership of the islands…

Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, or Las Malvinas, on April 2nd 1982…

The Falklands, or Las Malvinas, lie just 300 miles form the coast of Argentina and have been claimed at one time or another by Britain, France, Spain and Argentina…

The two nations appear to agree that war is not the answer, but Argentina wants Las Malvinas back and President Kirchner is determined to make that happen.

This week’s From Our Own Correspondent also included an Argentinian perspective on the Falklands War. Nothing from our brethren islanders with their unpleasantly positive views about Margaret Thatcher, though. Funny, that.

Keep Trying

Instead of blogging the emotive language used in the BBC’s report of the Israeli retaliation to heightened attacks from Gaza, I’m going to discuss the embarrassing exposure of Jeremy “I’ll have to take your first answer” Paxman’s pissmronouncing stumbling incompetence as per the Telegraph. Well, not discuss, just mention. Hats off to Alexander Guttenplan.

The many fascinating ways the news about Gaza has been phrased this morning shows how difficult it is to get it right. Keep trying.

BLACKWASH….

Richard Black has filed his take on the Parliamentary “investigation” into the Climategate emails. Naturally, he thinks it’s a wonderful outcome showing the integrity of the climate change community. As a sop, he mentions a couple of important sceptics and that they are not happy with the “whitewash” conclusion. But there’s no doubt who’s side he’s on:

in parts of the opinion spectrum, anything that did not result in mass resignations and a conclusion that man-made climate change is a myth and a fraud would be so regarded.

This can only be construed as a contemptuous dismissal of those whom he sees are against him. The men he quotes, Steve McIntyre and Benny Peiser, actually want something very different from what Mr Black claims. They are simply seeking an honest and open debate about the science involved and a proper re-appraisal of the data that has been twisted by those at East Anglia and elsewhere to support political theories. And that is what MPs are so disgracefully busting a gut to block.

If you question me, take a look at this astonishing story of how important research doubting the UEA temperature record, by Steve McIntyre’s colleague Ross McKitrick, was kept out of peer-reviewed journals by the academic climate change community. Those will be the so-called scientists that the House of Commons committee so cravenly backed.

Question Time 1st April 2010

Question Time this week comes from Stevenage, which is twinned with Shymkent in Kazakhstan, and location of The Pied Piper which is the only pub in the world to be opened by Her Majesty the Queen. Stevenage is represented for Labour by Daphne Barbara Follett, who is standing down at this election after overclaiming the highest amount of expenses of any MP in the country.

On the panel is ex-postman and soon to be ex-Home Secretary Alan Johnson, shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke, broadcaster Richard Littlejohn and poker-playing Grauniad columnist Victoria Coren.

For those who wish to take part in the Biased-BBC Buzzword Bingo, we will be playing by the “April Fool Rules” meaning that anyone with enthusiastic references to “Capitalism“, “Thatcher” and “Ashcroft” on a diagonal line will be disqualified for watching a spoof show.

Once again TheEye and David Mosque will be scanning the small text for dodgy Labour statistics, and we look forward to the pleasure of your company at 10:30pm UK time.