Let’s clear the air before the UK press muddies the waters even more.
A few days ago, in a blog post titled Armchair Barbarism, Melanie Phillips describes the terrorists responsible for the Itamar massacre as “savages.”
Although The Guardian reports that the UK Press Complaints Commission is “investigating” her post, The Spectator’s Fraser Nelson confirms otherwise:
This is untrue. The PCC tell me that a complaint has been lodged, but that’s as far as it has gone. They investigate only if they believe there is a serious prospect that their code has been breached, and it hasn’t.
The complaint was filed by Inayat Bunglawala, chair of Muslims4UK. In the range of nouns available to describe the killers — somewhere between “hero” and “beast” — I wonder what word Bunglawala would use.
So how did The Guardian (and The Independent’s follow up) come to blow the story? Here’s Fraser’s theory:
1) Inayat Bunglawala, chair of Muslims4UK, gets angry about what he reads on Melanie’s blog.
2) Complains to the PCC.
4) Phones up The Guardian and says “The PCC are investigating The Spectator!! Story!! Police too!!
5) The Guardian duly writes it all up, on its website.
6) The Independent follows up The Guardian.
7) An inverted pyramid of piffle is thus constructed.
(Via Robin Shepherd)
