Who do you believe…

a BBC ‘world affairs correspondent’ or an ordinary Iraqi who is telling what the media seems quite hesitant to share? Do you believe the BBC’s media partner in the Arab world, al-Jazeera? Some things are just unbelievable–as Andrew Sullivan observes. “His killers shouted “Allah is great” before holding what appeared to be a head up to the camera.” What appeared to be his head? Who do they think Zarqawi is: … Continue reading

The Arabists’ view.

The headline and first paragraph of this story about the family of an Iraqi girl killed by a British bullet say: : Hanan’s parents pledge vengeance The parents of an eight-year-old Iraqi girl allegedly shot dead by British troops have vowed to avenge her death. This is 50% true. It is supported by the quote given by one parent, her mother, who said,”I hate the British. If I catch the … Continue reading

The cycle of violence isn’t always a circle.

This one is tentative. It looks to me like a possible example of the BBC ascribing moral equivalence to two sides that are not morally equivalent, at least not recently. However I do not know much about the history of the two communities involved, and I am open to correction. In Pakistan fifteen Shia Muslim worshippers were murdered at prayer almost certainly by a Sunni Muslim suicide bomber. The BBC … Continue reading

Welcome to another new media scrutiny blog.

Eric Svane has started Le Monde Watch. It’s mostly in French, but English translations of selected articles can be found at the fine multi-lingual group blog which often focusses on bias in the French media, No Pasar&aacuten! OK. Someone tell me the HTML code for one of those upside down exclamation marks. I must give another mention to another media scrutiny blog, Oh, that liberal media. Two of the contributors, … Continue reading

Selective reporting continues at your friendly Beeb.

B-BBC commenter Rob Read, and others, have noticed that BBC reporting can be selective on which stories it highlights. Why is the BBC so quick to note the endorsement of John Kerry by Warren Buffet but unable to find space for the damaging story from Kerry’s fellow Swift Boat veterans who find him unfit for office. The Beeb is happy enough to report on Air America, a liberal alternative to … Continue reading

We are all Westerners now.

While I’ve been away from blogging I caught what little news I did mostly from Ceefax. This comes from Monday’s Ceefax page 117: The Western firm targeted in the shooting that killed six in Saudi Arabian city Yanbu is evacuating its foreign staff. Two Americans, two Britons, an Australian and a Saudi national died in Saturday’s gun attack at the offices of engineering firm ABB Lummus. Note the careful delineation … Continue reading

‘The BBC is the last bastion of intelligent speech and therefore mass intelligence’

says Nick. Denis Boyles gets a few licks in at the America-hating European press. Among several examples of media bias he refers to a Harper’s magazine article penned by the BBC’s Nicholas Fraser. That leaves the rest of the magazine to annoy and pester — including, in the current issue, a piece by Nicholas Fraser. Fraser, who works for the BBC, defends the BBC. The article isn’t online — they’re … Continue reading

BBBC Reader Andrew has been scrutinising

BBBC Reader Andrew has been scrutinising some BBC coverage, and via E-mail it’s here for your interest: BBC News Online published an article on Friday 23rd headlined US concern over war dead photos about the controversy in the US over the publication of photos of flag-draped coffins on the web – the photos were obtained using the Freedom of Information Act, contrary to the wishes of the US Government. There … Continue reading