Even I didn’t think they could stoop quite this low, but the BBC appear to have outdone themselves. The Corporation has just refused to air a humanitarian appeal for the people of Gaza by the Disasters Emergency Committee – the kind of appeal that the BBC has in the past aired routinely – on the grounds that this would compromise the public’s belief in their “impartiality”. Once again, the BBC is defending the interests of the powerful, hypocritically covering its tracks with professions of adherence to high-minded journalistic principle.
Below is my complaint. Please send one yourself, here.
“The BBC has refused to broadcast an appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee relating to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, on the grounds that this would “risk ... compromising public confidence in the BBC’s impartiality in the context of an ongoing news story”.
“Why does it constitute “impartiality” to freely transmit broadcasts about serious +natural+ disasters, but not those caused by military action on the part of Governments? Is this not in fact a major breach of the BBC’s impartiality requirements, since it applies a double-standard in deciding which humanitarian disasters deserve airtime and which do not, on a transparently political basis?
“Please stop this ridiculous farce, and help the DEC get emergency assistance to suffering people, as you have in the past. It is an utterly shameful, disgraceful decision you have taken on this issue, and it can only further confirm the impression that the BBC’s coverage has been cowed by the Israeli PR machine, and by the UK lobby that supports it. That is to say, it will “compromis[e] public confidence in the BBC’s impartiality in the context of an ongoing news story”.”
You can also join the national protest taking place tomorrow at Broadcasting House in London, calling for an end to British arms sales to Israel, the lifting of Israel’s siege of Gaza, an end to the occupation; and protesting the BBC’s persistent pro-Israeli line in covering the assault on Gaza.
UPDATE: My note to the BBC, it turns out, is significantly misleading. As it happens, the BBC do give airtime to Disasters Emergency Committee appeals in the case of disasters “caused by military action on the part of Governments” and other armed groups, including where such cases are connected to issues of major political controversy. There’s an archive of Disasters Emergency Committee appeals screened on the BBC and other channels available here. It includes appeals, broadcast by the BBC, for the civilian populations of conflict-ridden countries such as the Congo, Liberia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Kosovo. Yes, Kosovo - the subject of a DEC appeal shown by the BBC in 1999. So while appeals for Kosovan refugees can be shown without any problem (and rightly so) in the same year that this country was debating whether or not to go to war with Serbia - surely as serious a political controversy as one can imagine - appeals for the population of Gaza are refused permission to air. This, reader, is known as “upholding impartiality”.
You can donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Gaza appeal here.
Anybody protesting over the arms smuggling into Gaza and the firing of the rockets into Israel and the fact that Hamas are intent on the destruction of Israel? Don't think they will ever achieve it but the fact is that is what they say? If the protesters wanted these actions from both sides in this extremely sad affair they would be worth listening to and perhaps joining.
Just a thought.
As for the BBC. I certainly don't think that their coverage of the conflict has been Israeli biaised, if anything more the other way as is right and proper when people are suffering. I don't know why they dont wish to broadcast the DEC piece or why that decision has been taken. Perhaps you could have found that out before maligning them in this way. You never know there may be a perfectly good reason.
I hope you will let me know if you find out.