BBC Watch has released its fourth comprehensive report on BBC coverage of the Mideast conflict. This time, Trevor Asserson and Cassie Williams analyzed all documentary programs broadcast by BBC from late 2000 to June 2004.
Their principal findings: the BBC is running a ‘campaign to vilify Israel,’ broadcasting a documentary critical of Israel every 2-3 months; 88% of documentaries on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict paint a negative impression of Israel; of 17 programs, only 1 was positive towards Israel. Conclusion:
Consistent with our previous reports, we find that the BBC is in persistent breach of its duties of fairness, accuracy and impartiality when it covers the Middle East. The overwhelming concentration on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict amounts to discrimination against all the other humanitarian and political causes around the world which also merit attention.
Within the programmes made on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict there is an overwhelming bias against Israel. This is particularly worrying because it has been such a long running bias. The BBC cannot argue that it is a temporary discrepancy, which will be remedied over time. What has occurred amounts to a campaign of vilification of Israel, which has persisted for some three and half years.
View the complete report here.
