From: Berhane Tseggai (berhanetseggai@yahoo.ca)
Date: Wed Jan 28 2009 - 14:10:09 EST
Selam Daniel, Seb Dehai:
Does it surprise any keen observer of the devolution
of the BBC from its reputation of relative
impartiality to its sorry state of a gagged mouthpiece
of an interest group whose excessive and exclusive
control has started to backfire resulting in the
emboldening of the agencies of JUSTICE and the
acceleration of struggles for CHANGE in the dominant
Western capitalist system. There were times when at
the height of the Cold War its "impartiality" was
acknowledged by the Vietcong fighters when they let
the BBC to be the only Western media outlet allowed
into the battle zones during the Vietnam war.
May be some of the Britons who are expressing their
outrage of the shameful decision by the BBC learn
something from Eritreans who understand that, to say
the least, the BBC Africa desk, has been for a while
under the control of a South-African émigré who goes
by the name MARTIN PLAUT and that they have been fed
for decades with distorted and manufactured news and
news analysis that serve the agenda of the NEO-CONs
who go under different names and nationalities.
And what we can say at this moment is at least Britons
of a considerable clout have started to get it and/or
boldly speak out about "a category of victims" that
have been relegated to “a second class victims" thanks
to the creepy "Martin Plauts" who are systematically
placed there to cherry pick "categories of victims"
and in the process dehumanize/demonize others while
sermonizing on their select category of victims.
And how many of us realize that the treatment Eritrea
and its aspirations get from the BBC of the Martin
Plauts is more than what we know about lobby groups
vs. corrupt journalists; it is basically based on such
ideology of “categorization of victims” when in fact
Eritrea not only refused to be a victim of the
NEOCONIC designs, but it asserted itself as a nation.
These days the best fitting slogan is: TIMES are
CHANGING.
Awet nHafash!
HawKum,
Haileab, Toronto.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
From: Daniel Abraham (abraham_d2001@yahoo.co.uk)
Date: Tue Jan 27 2009 - 14:13:29 EST
Nicholas Cecil
26.01.09
BBC bosses faced outrage today from their staff and
stars over their refusal to screen an aid appeal for
Gaza.
They were accused of losing their “heart, common
sense and humanity”. Sir John Tusa, former BBC
Worldservice chief, led the criticism.
He said: “This is a sadly wrong decision and I say
that as somebody who has worked for the BBC for 50
years.
“When you see images of the devastated landscape,
when you see images of dead children and of orphaned
families and children, you are appealing to people's
common humanity.
“Nobody surely in their right mind can say that is
being partial' towards the victims. I think the public
response shows the common humanity of looking at those
scenes and saying for God's sake, let's help them'.
“How did the BBC feel when it took this decision? I
think it thought very, very hard and it left its heart
behind. A great organisation has to have a heart.
Common sense and some humanity seem to have been left
behind.”
BBC director-general Mark Thompson was accused by
BBC Radio's Today programme presenter John Humphrys of
being “immensely patronising” for blocking the
broadcast.
There was also “fury” at the BBC News morning
meeting, sources told The Guardian which also reported
“widespread disgust” among news reporters.
Mr Thompson defended his ruling not to show the
appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee, insisting
he did so to protect BBC impartiality. He said: “This
is not some new policy or some mad one-off decision.
It's absolutely in line with our broader approach both
to impartiality and to appeals. We are passionate
about defending the BBC's impartiality.”
Mr Thompson won some breathing space from the wave
of criticism, which includes more than 10,000
complaints, after Sky also refused to show the advert.
Downing Street also toned down previous criticism from
Cabinet ministers, insisting it did not want to
interfere in the BBC's editorial decisions, and Tory
MP John Whittingdale, who chairs the all-party Commons
media committee, backed the Corporation.
But by lunchtime, nearly 100 MPs had joined a
Commons campaign condemning the BBC's decision which
has also been attacked by the Archbishops of
Canterbury and York.
Tory MP Nigel Evans, a long time critic of the BBC,
even accused it of “adding to the misery and suffering
of the people of Gaza” with its “insane obstinacy.”
Stars also turned on the Corporation.
Actress Samantha Morton led celebrities who
criticised the BBC's decision at a central London fund
raiser for the British aid agency Medical Aid for
Palestinians last night.
The 31-year-old Golden Globe winner and Oscar
nominee said she would never work for the BBC again if
the corporation failed to show the charity appeal.
Others at the event in central London included
actresses Juliet Stevenson and Julia Sawalha, as well
as Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens.
The corporation's rival terrestrial broadcasters
ITV, Channel 4 and Five all said they would show the
advert.
The DEC emergency appeal is for funds for food,
medicine and blankets following the Israeli assault.
Pro-Palestinian supporters were holding a rally
outside BBC Broadcasting House this afternoon with
hundreds expected to turn up.
A BBC spokesman played down claims of internal
conflicts over the appeal, saying he did not
“recognise the picture painted” in The Guardian.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23628056-details/Staff+anger+over+BBC\\s+refusal+to+broadcast+Gaza+appeal/article.do
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