By Anil Netto,
Many Malaysians have expressed disappointment over the BBC’s backing down from a ‘HARDtalk’ interview with RPK.
Much of this sentiment, I believe, stems from a perception that the BBC is a bastion of impartial, independent reporting.
Far from it. The BBC reflects the establishment viewpoint in the UK. Its positions on the illegal invasion of Iraq, the US-UK role in Afghanistan and the Israeli occupation of Palestine are well documented.
Just check out the dissatisfaction over the Beeb’s coverage of various issues on the excellent Media Lens website here.
Have a look at the analysis of BBC coverage of Israel-Palestine by Prof Greg Philo of Glasgow University in The Guardian here. Glasgow Media Group publishes excerpts of the major findings from Greg’s book here.
You won’t see much BBC analysis of workers’ issues and civil society’s reaction against corporate greed and corporate destruction of the environment either. Neither will there be much analysis of the US or the UK’s behind-the-scenes role in backing Third World dictators like Suharto, Marcos, Saddam and Pinochet or in undermining popular, democratically elected governments of the South.
Stations like the BBC and CNN are instead the flag-bearers of corporate-led globalisation. They promote the corporate agenda and the political interests that protect that agenda – whether local or foreign.
So are you still surprised by the BBC’s climbdown on HARDtalk?
Many Malaysians have expressed disappointment over the BBC’s backing down from a ‘HARDtalk’ interview with RPK.
Much of this sentiment, I believe, stems from a perception that the BBC is a bastion of impartial, independent reporting.
Far from it. The BBC reflects the establishment viewpoint in the UK. Its positions on the illegal invasion of Iraq, the US-UK role in Afghanistan and the Israeli occupation of Palestine are well documented.
Just check out the dissatisfaction over the Beeb’s coverage of various issues on the excellent Media Lens website here.
Have a look at the analysis of BBC coverage of Israel-Palestine by Prof Greg Philo of Glasgow University in The Guardian here. Glasgow Media Group publishes excerpts of the major findings from Greg’s book here.
You won’t see much BBC analysis of workers’ issues and civil society’s reaction against corporate greed and corporate destruction of the environment either. Neither will there be much analysis of the US or the UK’s behind-the-scenes role in backing Third World dictators like Suharto, Marcos, Saddam and Pinochet or in undermining popular, democratically elected governments of the South.
Stations like the BBC and CNN are instead the flag-bearers of corporate-led globalisation. They promote the corporate agenda and the political interests that protect that agenda – whether local or foreign.
So are you still surprised by the BBC’s climbdown on HARDtalk?
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