Let’s kick the BBC again. For all the rights and wrongs in the current furore over the BBC not showing the DEC appeal for humanitarian aid in Gaza, a key point appears to have been missed. I must admit the arguments over news impartiality, appropriateness of particular cases and so on has passed me by. Sure prime time, post news exposure for a humanitarian appear will raise its profile and hopefully get more people to donate. But surely so will the 1896 news items (and counting) reporting and condemning the BBC. Some might say to the extent that it has much more exposure now than it would have had. After all the BBC are reporting it as news, on the news (with a short clip of the appeal that they will not show), twenty minutes before the slot which they refuse to show the actual appeal. It has been moved up the news agenda.
The only difference as far as I can see is that the appeal would have told you how to donate, where the BBC news item, and unfortunately all the critical news items against the BBC seem to not do this. Sure complaining to the BBC will get your viewpoint across. But giving money to the DEC, well that would be one in the eye for the BBC. Or ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SITUATION. But wait, what’s that on this BBC Online news story about how the BBC will not show the appeal? Its a link to the Disasters Emergency Committee webpage. Which, in a twist of wonderful synchronicity has on its home page a BBC Appeal for Congo video. And certainly no nose cutting off from the DEC regarding that.
And if you are politically partisan, you can also take heart to the fact that in the reporting of this story of the BBC, one of the premises seems clearly that Israel have created a humanitarian crisis. Something which in plain reporting the BBC have been very careful not to do because it might be accused of – that’s right – BIAS..
Shall we just call time on the BBC News now? I know I have moaned about their self-regarding puff piece tendencies on BBC Breakfast before. But when they constantly become the news over decisions of how they broadcast the news (or other things) it sort of calls to task the very issue this was about. Impartiality.
And if you want to donate, you can do it here.