The massacre of the Fogel family HY”D in Yishuv Itamar took place in March 2011 but it took the BBC a bit of time to come to the realization that its lack of coverage of this horrific massacre, an Arab terror attack, required an explanation. While the BBC covered the event on its website, it was omitted from broadcast news.
Conservative MP Louise Mensch complained, demanding an explanation, and he received an apology. Amazingly, when he asked the BBC’s outgoing director, Mark Thompson to explain the decision, the latter brazenly told him that it was a “very busy” time period and therefore, the massacre was not covered. He explained they were reporting on events in Libya and the tsunami in Japan.
Thompson insists the decision was not one of bias, simply poor judgment at the time. He went as far as to say they cover events in Gaza as well as showing the effects of rocket attacks in Sderot. Thompson added in his defense that he did not air a humanitarian appeal during Operation Cast Lead that was aimed at showing the pain and suffering in Gaza.
MP Mensch accepted the apology and was comfortable with the reasoning that accompanied it, persuaded the decision was not a biased one as Thompson stated.
Settlement Council spokesman Roni Arazi was less comforted by Thompson’s explanation, citing the media coverage of events in Gaza are definitely biased against Israel, simply confirming the lack of media objectivity that exists today.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
words are cheap no editorial changes should be expected – the only way to influence media reporting is to buy advertising space and be savvy with it
” Conservative MP Louise Mensch… he received an apology… when he asked the BBC’s outgoing director ”
YWN you make me laugh! HE did not ask anything and HE did not receive any apology! Because Louise is… wait for it… a woman! MAYBE YOU YOU MADE THIS ERROR BECAUSE HER SECOND NAME IS MENSCH???
I listen to the BBC and they are SO anti Israel! It is amazing that a “non-biased” international news company could be so biased! They LOVE the Arabs!!!!
Sad.
BBC should be closed down and kicked out from ISRAEL for ever we dont need the British Jew haters
The BBC as far as I can tell did not cover the story of its own apology (no surprise there).
The BBC is balanced in its coverage: it covers the good and the bad—The Good Palestinians and the Bad Israelis.
Journalists are not taught that their goal is to report as is. They are actually taught that their job is to promote world peace. Therefore, they take whatever liberties to advance their idea of peace..
@Shlomo2 I agree!
“The BBC is balanced in its coverage: it covers the good and the bad—The Good Palestinians and the Bad Israelis.”
Perfect!!