HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
Hate to correct you, David, but I believe the initials BBC stand for Bwana Blair's Colonial news service. Faithfully reporting on the crimes, foibles and childlike inanities of assorted natives, locals and colonials from Africa to South Asia, and from Oceania to the Darkest Balkans. Holding high the beacon of Anglo-American civilisation and warding off the hordes of primitive non-anglophone savages. Inspirational, eh? --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK > --------------------------- > > > [Straight from the Horse's mouth...a rare slip of > the tongue, I presume] > > > > From: "Jim Yarker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Zim election coverage: Staff > dissension at the Bwana > Broadcasting Corporation > Date sent: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 04:49:38 -0500 > > BBC Zimbabwe line colonial, say staff > Concern in World Service at risk to impartiality > Matt Wells, media correspondent > Guardian > Tuesday March 12, 2002 > Senior figures at the BBC World Service have > expressed concern to the > domestic news division that coverage of the Zimbabwe > elections has been > driven by a "colonial" agenda, potentially causing > damage to the > corporation's reputation for impartiality. > Particular anxieties have been expressed about the > tone of coverage on > Radio > 4's Today programme and about a Correspondent > documentary in which the > former Observer journalist John Sweeney smuggled > himself into Zimbabwe > in > the boot of a car. > There has also been concern about the frequent BBC > claim that it is > banned > from Zimbabwe. While it is true to say that BBC > correspondents have been > refused entry, a number of African World Service > reporters are working > legitimately there. > After one of the reporters appeared on Radio 5 Live > yesterday, the BBC > changed its policy. Radio news will now use terms > such as "severely > restricted", while TV bulletins will say either that > "BBC television is > banned from Zimbabwe" or "BBC correspondents are > banned". > Sources at the World Service, who did not wish to be > named, told the > Guardian that concerns had been expressed by senior > executives at Bush > House > in London to Adrian van Klaveren, the head of BBC > newsgathering, and to > Steve Mitchell, the head of radio news. > There were worries about the tone of coverage on the > Today programme, > which, > according to some at the World Service, has made a > conscious attempt to > "illegitimise" the Robert Mugabe administration with > the use of > pejorative > terms such as "regime" and adjectives such as tough, > fierce and brutal. > While these were acceptable when used by > correspondents on the scene, > they > were being used by Today presenters in the > introduction to reports, and > during news bulletins. > The sources did not attempt to suggest that Mr > Mugabe was without fault, > but > they pointed to worse abuses committed by > governments in Liberia and > Congo. > Elections in Congo were held last weekend amid > allegations of huge > electoral > fraud, yet did not feature prominently on the > domestic news agenda. > It is suggested that the interest in the Zimbabwe > elections is being > driven > by the "residual British interest and the presence > of white farmers", > according to one Bush House source. Another said the > agenda was > characterised by "latent and unwitting colonialism". > There has also been concern about the prominence > being given to the > Zimbabwe > elections on the World Service's main news > programmes, the World Today, > World Update and Newshour, which are broadcast to > tens of millions of > listeners around the world. > Several sources suggested the agenda was more > "foreign" than > "international": that the story was being seen from > a London-based > rather > than a global perspective. > The Correspondent documentary, broadcast on the > World Service as well as > BBC2, caused upset because Sweeney appeared to > suggest it was necessary > to > hide in a car to interview the opposition leader, > Morgan Tsvangirai. In > fact, Mr Tsvangirai has been interviewed many times > by different BBC > outlets, even appearing in person at Bush House. > The BBC said it was committed to reporting > extensively from Zimbabwe. A > spokesman said: "Clearly the Zimbabwe elections are > one of the biggest > international stories at the moment, and of course > we are going to cover > it > extensively. In terms of the tone, we are wedded to > being impartial and > careful, but clearly when there is such huge > worldwide concern about > allegations of intimidation and violence, that will > be reflected in > coverage. > "The BBC has three bureaux and many correspondents > in Africa and we > probably > cover more on African affairs than anyone else. We > have done Congo, > Malawi, > Liberia and Nigeria, all on mainstream BBC1 > bulletins." > > --------------------------- > ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
