BBC Bias

Recently, I've been following the international news on Germany’s DW-TV and have noticed a big difference between their reporting and that of the BBC.

In the BBC’s television coverage of the conflict in Lebanon there is an overwhelming focus on emotion over fact. There are continuous images of injured civilians and the odd Israeli tank, yet you almost never see a Hezbollah fighter. Similarly, each bulletin leaves you none the wiser over what is actually going on, and who is actually winning or losing the conflict itself (what’s happened to the British stiff upper lip these days).

Watching DW-TVs coverage is like taking a nostalgia trip back to the 1970s- and in this case, I mean that in a good way. The emphasis on victims is toned down, facts are discussed, maps are shown, and there are actually pictures of Hezbollah fighters, complete with the rockets they are using to bomb Israel.

The DW-TV coverage also tries to address the links between Hezbollah, Syria and Iran. From what I can ascertain, Hezbollah is getting some funding from Iran and acquired quite a lot of Weaponry from Syria before the Syrian withdrawal in 2000. Admittedly, the link between Hezbollah and its Arab neighbours is complex, and DW-TV struggles to address it in its brief news broadcasts and documentaries. However, it does a lot better than the BBC, whose reporters completely avoid the topic. The BBC simply takes Syria’s word for it when it says it has no connection with Hezbollah.

In the BBC coverage of the war in Lebanon it is pretty clear who is in the wrong- Israel, they are the ones in tanks gunning down civilians. If only they would just chill out and negotiate. In contrast, DW-TV acknowledges that the Israelis are in a very difficult situation. Whenever the Israelis withdrew from Lebanon or Palestine it is perceived as weakness in the Arab world and hot-heated groups like Hezbollah treat it as a signal to resume attacks.

The relatively fair and accurate coverage of the war in Lebanon by DW-TV seems quite surprising given the supposedly strong anti-US sentiment in Continental Europe. I wonder if many US neoconservative pundits actually watch DW-TV?

In contrast, Great Britain is supposed to be an ally of the US and Israel, but you wouldn’t guess that from BBC television coverage of the fighting in Lebanon. Sure, Israeli policy in Palestine may be questionable, but surely Hezbollah is the main culprit in the present conflict.

The BBC is really letting itself down in its current coverage of affairs in the Middle East, and judging by its botched broadcasts on the Lebanese conflict, doesn’t really deserve its status as a premier international news provider.