: under the headline ‘Britons confused about mid-east’, BBC Ceefax informs us that “A new survey has shown that many people in Britain think the Palestinians are occupying Israeli territory and not the other way around.” Lest the ridiculousness of any such thought not strike you sufficiently, it immediately adds, “Despite extensive media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some Britons think Palestinians are refugees from Afghanistan.” Clearly, the two ideas … Continue reading →

There is much discussion on Instapundit of a three-year old but still interesting story originally from the Jerusalem Post. A BBC correspondent, Faid Abu Shimalla, was described on the Hamas website as having said at a function attended by no less a dignitary than the late Sheikh Ahmed Yassin that journalists and media organisations were “waging the campaign shoulder-to-shoulder together with the Palestinian people.” (Via Free Will Blog.) A quick … Continue reading →

unless you are, like the Beeb, willfully ignorant. Why else would Jonathan Marcus or Jon Leyne consider that the 9/ll Commission has weakened Bush’s case for going to war? Reporting on this story has been very selective. The 9/11 Commission has found circumstantial links to Saddam and al Qaida. What they have not been able to discover is a hand-in-glove linkage. To say “Probe Rules Out 9/11 Links“ is to … Continue reading →

Jeff Jarvis catches the Nanny State defending the BBC against Fox News even though what Fox reported about the Beeb was true! Well, someone’s got to defend the little guy. (Via Andrew Sullivan) UPDATE: John Gibson of Fox News replies to the ‘censure’. He notes that a BBC intern was one of the 24 complainants to OffCom. (Hat Tip: B-BBC commenter, StinKerr) Click through to read and contribute comments on … Continue reading →

The Beeb’s tribute sours (further). Tom Carver, familiar to viewers of NewsNight, has a supercillious air about him. There’s a sneer never far from his upper lip. Check out this combination of suggestion and anti-Bush sarcasm in an article which manages to insult former president Reagan as ‘illusory or insubstantial’, while dismissing Bush as nowhere near his equal (what, less even than ‘illusory’?): ‘The president’s biggest problem is that he … Continue reading →

But I am not the largest broacast news organisation in the world, famed for depth of knowledge and providing a global picture. The BBC reports that Sheikh Abdur-Rahman al-Sudais has been invited as a guest preacher to the opening of the East London mosque. Some unexceptional remarks of his are quoted in the story. However David T of Harry’s Place made the connection with the the preacher called Sheikh Abdur-Rahman … Continue reading →

Fair play to Sarah Brown and the Beeb for this story on Iraqi blogs, especially since their coverage is a prime example of why ordinary Iraqis had to find alternative means of publishing news. While reconstruction in Iraq remains fraught with violence and political infighting, the country is experiencing a surge in popularity of online diaries, or weblogs.Written by ordinary Iraqis keen to tell the world about life in the … Continue reading →

It’s been a long hard road, brothers and sisters. Years of patiently explaining that we’re aren’t necessarily particular fans of Liberace. Now at long last we have reached a level of public recognition where we get smeared by the BBC. In an article about the Bilderberg conference I read: And while hardline right-wingers and libertarians accuse Bilderberg of being a liberal Zionist plot, leftists such as activist Tony Gosling are … Continue reading →

On Today’s BBC One O’Clock News bulletin Anna Ford reported the following: “The three Italian hostages kidnapped in Iraq have returned home to a hero’s welcome. They were met by their families and friends at Rome Airport and will now be questioned by government and military officials about their two month ordeal”. And that was it – cue jaw dropping in our household. What about the fourth hostage who was … Continue reading →

I said earlier the BBC’s coverage of Reagan’s death was OK. The same cannot be said for Greg Palast, who describes himself as a “BBC investigative reporter”. As USS Neverdock reports Mr Palast exults in Reagan’s death. I think this guy is a freelance rather than a regular employee. He obviously writes to shock, and is probably rather looked down upon by the urbane types at Broadcasting House. But ask … Continue reading →