According to Tim Walker’s Mandrake column in the Sunday Telegraph, the BBC disinvited the historian William Shawcross from a debate at the behest of Tariq Ali. “The two were due to debate the rights and wrongs of the Iraq war on BBC2’s breakfast news programme Weekend 24 yesterday with the affable presenter Simon McCoy. Then Ali seemingly had a hissy fit and said that if Shawcross was taking part he’d … Continue reading →

new blog Talking Hoarsely will join the list of personal blogs by B-BBC posters just as soon as I summon up the courage to dive into the template. Ed’s most recent post is headed “Controversy over at B-BBC.” It’s about Patrick Crozier’s post of a few days ago, which was indeed very controversial. What’s our official collective position, then? Answer: there isn’t one. This blog is a functioning anarchy. Click … Continue reading →

, quoting a BBC article about Sheikh Yassin that says: “Militant groups like Hamas did initially declare a temporary truce, but that unravelled in July 2003 after Israeli forces killed two Hamas members in retaliation for the suicide bombing of a Jerusalem bus that left 21 people dead.” Walter comments: Note how the BBC has got this deliberately and completely a**-about. The suicide bomb that killed 21 people was not … Continue reading →

On the one year anniversary of the Iraq war, we are reliably informed by the BBC that “many Arab newspapers are deeply unhappy over the continued presence of foreign military forces.” This is not surprising given the sense of shame many Arabs feel over the downfall of the once proud and powerful regime led by Saddam Hussein. He seemed to be the only Arab leader willing to stand up to … Continue reading →

Blogger and B-BBC commenter, Brian smells a double standard here. Thanks, Brian. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

about the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist on the Today programme. Laban Tall heard the programme. So did Melanie Phillips. So can you if you click Laban Tall’s Real Audio link. Your BBC. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

Tonight at nine o’clock BBC2 will show a “If… things don’t get any better, a docu-drama set a decade from now in which Andrew Kirk, Britain’s first black Prime Minister (played by Colin McFarlane) confronts rising inequality and crime. As it happens I have a small but definite reason for wishing the show well. Colin McFarlane’s brother is Kevin McFarlane, who like me is a member of the Libertarian Alliance … Continue reading →

of “professional journalists” you might be interested to visit the website of one Greg Palast, producer of documentaries for the BBC. Don’t fail to notice the fair, evenhanded approach Mr Palast takes. No axes to grind here, I’m sure. Tomorrow the BBC will broadcast the latest version of its ‘Bush lied’ mantra on Newsnight, a production Greg Palast unabashedly flogs on his site. Feel free to visit PowerLine too, to … Continue reading →

. Again, an item from NormBlog about an amazing exchange between Peter Hain and John Humphreys on the Today programme (audio file). Humphreys seems more like Jorge Haider, less like a professional journalist. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

Norm Geras doesn’t want you to miss the results of this poll commissioned by several news orgs including the Beeb and America’s ABC News. Let’s hope the Beeb editors can resist the urge to bury this one. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.