The only items missing from Paul Martin’s BBC dispatch are the bits that would reveal that this report was originally filed in November — around the time of the Annapolis summit. See the same reporter’s dispatch published in the Washington Times.
The primary difference between the two versions: the BBC tacks onto the end a few comments from an Israeli police official and an unidentified mother whose son was killed in a rocket attack.
The fact that the Times’ article was syndicated by World News & Features is irrelevant. The BBC’s January 26 date suggests that Martin’s encounter with Palestinian rocketeer Abu Haroun was recent. Its pure laziness on the BBC’s part.
• Why is the BBC regurgitating old stories with a new date? Could they not be bothered to update their coverage?
• Why is the Beeb seemingly ready with fresh content when it comes to negative coverage of Israel?
• What other so-called “original” stories are the Beeb rehashing?
• Is this the kind of journalism that deserves to be supported by public license fee money?
