BBC
From MediaMythBusters
Questions surrounding various BBC reports
In 2003 Paul Adams, the BBC's Iraq defence correspondent, complained to his editors that the BBC was reporting the exact opposite of what was being reported to the BBC.
"I was gobsmacked to hear, in a set of headlines today, that the coalition was suffering 'significant casualties'. This is simply not true," Adams said in the memo.
"Nor is it true to say - as the same intro stated - that coalition forces are fighting 'guerrillas'. It may be guerrilla warfare, but they are not guerrillas," he stormed.
"Who dreamed up the line that the coalition are achieving 'small victories at a very high price?' The truth is exactly the opposite. The gains are huge and costs still relatively low. This is real warfare, however one-sided, and losses are to be expected," Adams continued. The Guardian One month prior to Adam's revelations, BBC executives warned their top journalists and presenters not to participate in an anti-war march. "Senior BBC news presenters such as Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce and journalists including Andrew Marr have been ordered by bosses to stay away from Saturday's anti-war march in London." The Guardian
Adam's isn't alone in expressing concerns at the accuracy of the BBC's reporting. Hugh Berlyn, an assistant editor of BBC News Online, complained to BBC executives that "... dozens of "unvetted" stories appear on the internet every day. The result is a string of stories that are, at best, littered with errors and, at worst, inaccurate and potentially libellous."
"Another e-mail, sent in February, said that the number of "justified complaints" about the lack of accuracy in spelling, names, grammar or simple detail was growing. Mr Berlyn told staff that he received dozens of complaints a day. "I really think the level of complaints is such that our credibility is on the line and that cannot be allowed to continue." The Telegraph
Some BBC reporters, such as Justin Webb, BBC Washington correspondent, openly brag that they paint a false picture of America.
"America is often portrayed as an ignorant, unsophisticated sort of place, full of bible bashers and ruled to a dangerous extent by trashy television, superstition and religious bigotry, a place lacking in respect for evidence based knowledge.
I know that is how it is portrayed because I have done my bit to paint that picture, and that picture is in many respects a true one. " The BBC
The BBC used well known anti-war journalist and activist, Jo Wilding to allege war crimes by US troops in Iraq. Despite complaints and an apology from the BBC, that report remains on the BBC website. Wilding is well known to British news media having written anti-war articles for the Guardian (UK). See here and here.
After the 7/7 Muslim terror attacks on London, the BBC held an on air panel discussion to assess the public's reaction. The BBC stacked the audience with 5 times more Muslims than non-Muslims provoking an outcry from the public. Biased BBC
In 2005, the BBC broadcast a Panarama program and ran a story on their website alleging "...coalition and Iraqi security forces were responsible for most civilian conflict deaths...". After a public outcry and a flood of complaints, The BBC apologized.
In 2004 the BBC ran a story headlined "Iraq health care 'in deep crisis'" and reported "Iraq's health system is in a far worse condition than before the war, a British medical charity says. " The British medical charity the BBC used for the source of their report was Medcat; an openly anti-war organization. Medcat's website states: "Medact was formed by a merger of two older organisations in 1992. The first, the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, was founded by Sir Richard Doll, Horace Joules, Lionel Penrose and others in 1951 during the Korean War as a medical lobby for peace. The second, the Medical Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons..." Medcat has been under fire beforefor its reports.
At the British opening of one of the largest Muslim community centres in Europe, the BBC ran a storyand quoted Sheikh Abdur-Rahman al-Sudais, who came to open the centre. "Muslims should exemplify the true image of Islam in their interaction withother communities and dispel any misconceptions portrayed in some parts of the media," he said. "Muslims should remember that throughout this long history Islam has carried the message of building communities, not isolating themselves." However, the BBC failed to mentional Sudais' attack on Jews. "In the name of Allah, the Jews must be "annihilated." They are "the scum of the human race, the rats of the world... the murderers of the prophets, and the offspring of apes and pigs."
