Tues. 24 May 2011 @ 13.06 - BBC comments on report demonstrating disproportionate BBC News website focus on Israel. In response to Just Journalism's major report released last week, 'Preoccupation with Israel in the British media: Reporting of Israel, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia prior to the Arab Spring', a BBC spokeswoman declined to engage with any specific findings but did submit a formal reply from the Corporation: 'BBC News endeavours to report on all matters in the Middle East - as elsewhere - impartially, objectively and accurately. We have extensive editorial guidelines which all reporters and producers are required to observe. In a highly charged political atmosphere any impartial and accountable broadcaster will rightly find itself under scrutiny by all shades of opinion. In the Middle East debate there are organised, motivated and effective lobby groups on both sides of the argument. We listen to their concerns and act on them where we think they are justified, but in doing so we bear in mind that our audiences expect us to remain independent of political pressure.' Analysis by Wyre Davies in advance of Obama Aipac speech trivialises threat posed by Hamas to Israel. On Friday, the BBC News website published, 'Pressure heaped on Netanyahu for Washington visit', analysing the Israeli prime minister's Washington visit, shortly before Obama's Sunday address at the Aipac annual conference and ahead of Netanyahu's speeches at the same forum as well as before US Congress. In the 1,000 word article, the BBC Jerusalem correspondent undermines Israel's legitimate concerns, casting Israel instead as a manipulator of public perception on key issues. His analysis of Israel's negative response to the Fatah-Hamas unity deal declines to engage directly with the reasons why Israel might be perturbed by Hamas being brought into the process, alternatively choosing to portray a gleeful Netanyahu with a new 'message' to 'take to the wider world': 'When the largely secular and moderate Palestinian Fatah movement, which runs the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, announced last month that it was burying the hatchet with the Islamist Hamas organisation to form a government of national unity, Mr Netanyahu must have thought a windfall had come his way - all of this on the eve of his visit to Paris and London. 'How could Israel trust and negotiate with Palestinian "terrorists" (Hamas) who vow to fight for the destruction of the Jewish state? 'Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had a clear choice between Hamas or peace and he had chosen wrongly, came the message from the Netanyahu government. 'That was a message Israel would take to the wider world.' The cover story of yesterday's MediaGuardian supplement was an extensive critique of the BBC's reporting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that it is 'replete in imbalance and distortion' - in favour of Israel. Written by a former BBC journalist who is well known for his animosity towards Israel, 'BBC 'confusing cause and effect'' is a vehemently partisan account of the organisation's coverage. Published the week after Just Journalism's new report, 'Preoccupation with Israel in the British media', documented over-concentration on Israel by the BBC, with its Middle East editor and three of its four permanent correspondents in the region devoting most of their coverage to Israel, Tim Llewellyn used his article to promote 'More Bad News from Israel', which purports to reveal pro-Israel bias in the media. The article sets out show how the BBC consistently favours Israeli perspectives over Palestinian ones, and self-censors due to fears of being labelled anti-Semitic. Tues. 24 May 2011 @ 12.34 - British regulatory body rules against Iranian state media channel over interview with journalist allegedly threatened with death penalty. The Times and The Guardian have both reported on Ofcom's ruling against Press TV, the London-based news channel that is regarded as having strong ties to the Iranian regime. Ofcom, which regulates the UK media, upheld a complaint on behalf of Maziar Bahari, a London-based journalist, who complained of 'unfair treatment and unwarranted infringement of privacy' by the news channel. Press TV was one of three broadcasters to air a staged interview with Bahari from an Iranian prison, following his arrest by the regime. The Guardian's 'Iran's Press TV censured for interview with arrested journalist', by Mark Sweney, describes how: 'In July 2009 Press TV, which has a bureau in west London, aired what it said was an interview with Bahari following his arrest in the previous month, days after he had filed a report to Channel 4 News and Newsweek about an attack in Tehran during a post-election demonstration.' Tues. 24 May 2011 @ 15.56 - Guardian gives platform to another Hamas leader, in print, to celebrate reconciliation deal and demand that 'every' Palestinian refugee be granted right of return. Today The Guardian's 'Comment is free' section features a comment article by Musa Abumarzuq, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau. 'Welcome Hamas's conciliation with Fatah', which also appeared in print today, places the entirety of the blame for the stalled peace process on the Israelis, denounces Obama's criticism of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement and calls on Europe to support the deal. Abumarzuq is explicitly critical of the Israeli position: 'Today, the reconciliation exposes the Israeli occupation as the real spoiler of peace. The Israelis have reneged on every agreement signed with the Palestinian Authority. Now we have forged this historic agreement and buried the hatchet, they are threatening our people with dire consequences.'
May 24, 2011 The Wire BBC responds to Just Journalism report
BBC Focus BBC correspondent portrays Israeli fears as PR ploys
Media Analysis MediaGuardian alleges pro-Israel bias at BBC
The Wire Ofcom rules against Press TV
The Wire Guardian gives further platform to Hamas leaders
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
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