Tears for ears
November 27, 2005 13:57 by BackSpin Editor
The BBC Board of Governors upheld a complaint against Barbara Plett (pictured) for coverage of Yasser Arafat leaving Ramallah. On October 30, 2004, Plett told listeners of “From Our Own Correspondent“:
“Yet when the helicopter carrying the frail old man rose from his ruined compound, I started to cry … without warning.”
The Board of Governors ruled that Plett’s description of her own tears “did breach the requirements of due impartiality as the complainant had suggested,” overruling a previous BBC ruling on the complaint.
Interestingly, Chairman of the Governor’s Programme Complaints Committee Richard Tait noted in a cover letter that the majority of overall complaints dealt with Mideast coverage, reminding readers that the governors established a special inquiry to investigate this very area of reporting.
Paco
8:44 pm
Nov 27, 2005
So, the BBC have admitted that their Arafat report ‘broke BBC rules’, and that Her comments “breached the requirements of due impartiality”, but its still online and the audio of her original radio transmission is also available.
So much for “upholding” a complaint!
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Arik Yacobi
11:34 pm
Jan 18, 2006
So far no tears from Babs about Ariel Sharon?!
Perhaps she has hardened up?
I think we should be told!
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Alec Kitroeff
5:11 pm
May 30, 2007
I had no love for Yasser Arafat but I have infinite respect for Barbara Plett’s display of human feeling which should have been shared by the BBC’s board of governors instead of upbraiding her.
By the way, isn’t it time you brought her site up to date and used a more appealing photo of her?
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Stan Penner
9:09 pm
Dec 12, 2009
I agree with Alec K. and make her photo more appealing.
By the way, she’s an excellent reporter in my opinion.
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