Top of the BBC Ten O'Clock News tonight: The man in a dinner jacket, the Iranian President, delivers a speech to the United Nations in which he calls Israel a racist state, causing several delegates, including many European, American and British to walk out of the chamber.
Trouble is, this was reported on by none other than Jeremy Bowen who has been condemned recently for a serious breach in partiality. Bowen is anti-Israel, like a raft of BBC Middle East Correspondents, but unlike the others has been officially censured by The BBC Trust Editorial Standards Committee.
This is the sickest of the sickest jokes, a deliberate two-fingered salute to the people who pay Bowen's wages, extracted by force, on pain of imprisonment.
Whoever was editor on the Ten o'Clock News clearly knew what he or she was doing. Accordingly they have behaved disgracefully.
Fresh from official condemnation of Bowen, the BBC rewarded him with top of the news and possibly the most sensitive story to come out of the region in months.
I am truly horrified. I don't know what else to say.
12 comments:
Relax and let go. Its all an illusion anyway. Sit back and have some fun, God is in ultimate control.
Na, Bowen is probably just anti-the indiscriminate killing and maiming of one and a half thousand Palestinian men, women and children by a supposedly civilised country. Much like the rest of us, excluding the BBC trust of course. Don't worry yourself about it.
I see you have a problem here with the brain-dead left wingers like "Anonymous". Yes he/she forget the 8000 missiles fired into Israel during a so called ceasefire. Yes he/she forgets how the Muslims broke yet another ceasefire and throws all the blame on the Israelis for shock horror, defending themselves.
Leave the ruddy Jews alone and they'll leave your Muslim friends alone!
If the borders of Israel were to be breached by an Arab army we would see more than a thousand Jews murdered.
Israel fights still for its survival. It cannot afford to lose even once.
In the 1920's my father was very happy to let Romanies camp on our land in the summer. We all got along splendidly; though I heard elsewhere that there was no end of trouble! Same gypsies! What can i say...?
I am no great fan of Jeremy Bowen or his general tone in reporting Israel. But I don't think it does any good to exaggerate. He was not found guilty of any "serious" offence by the BBC Trust. If you read their judgment it is really a couple of very minor technicalities. His wording could have been "more precise" etc.
I know you aren't paid by the taxpayer to be impartial, but it's nevertheless the case that your own mischaracterization of Bowen's offence was a damn sight more inaccurate/partial/lacking in precision that the offence he was mildly censured for.
Toby Hall
Let's not forget what the BBC Trust is - a group of political appointees who are, by their very presence on the Board, pro-BBC and pro Labour. I do not trust committees which depend upon the co-operation of the very organisations they purport to regulate.
They also said,
"Readers might come away from the article thinking that the interpretation offered was the only sensible view of the war" That is as much a clear case of bias as you are going to get from them.
They recently reported that they were "dismayed" over the Ross/Brand affair, so they are hardly likely to use more colourful language.
Bowen was caught bang to rights, after a litany of his and others misdemeanors in Middle East reporting. Please do not insult the intelligence of my readers by suggesting this was "minor".
You sir, are a dickhead, plain and simple.
Now fuck off.
I'd like to shit on your head you Zionist prick.
I have heard about these strange sexual practices involving No2's, but not everyone will see it as a compliment dude. Try starting out with simple statements like "I would like to share my photo album with you" or something. Don't go straight in with sexual gratification - it gives the wrong impression.
I'd consider myself pro-Israel and am as ready as the next guy to criticise the BBC, however I think that you're being unfair on Bowen. I've seen his reports and read his book on the Six Day War and I think that he strives to be balanced and fair.
Let's all agree that the Arab-Israeli conflict is complex and difficult and that there are several versions of the 'truth' at any one time. In reporting on it Bowen steps into a minefield; I, for one, think that most of the time he does a great job.
It's easy to go off on one, but let's also give the guy trying to do an honest job a break, eh?
Silly old weasel says:
Let's not forget what the BBC Trust is - a group of political appointees who are, by their very presence on the Board, pro-BBC and pro Labour.Anthony Fry is a Conservative of long standing. Patricia Hodgson was a Conservative Parliamentary candidate.
They are the only BBC Trustees I've met. Hardly a scientific sample - but 2 out of 2 Tories. I dare say there are some Labour folk too - but your description is absurdly OTT.
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