[Wall Street Journal, 20Apr07] Editorial - The BBC's lavish state funding of more than £3 billion a year is usually justified by references to its role of serving the "public interest," which includes scrutinizing government. Now the BBC is using taxpayers' money to hide its own work from scrutiny. The issue is anti-Israel bias. The BBC refuses to publish a 2004 report by former BBC editor Malcolm Balen, which the BBC itself commissioned in 2003 after Jerusalem temporarily withdrew all official cooperation with the broadcaster over its perceived bias. Numerous examples point to a simplistic narrative that invariably portrays Israel as the aggressor and the Palestinians as mere victims. The BBC's power to influence foreign policy and shape public opinion is almost unparalleled among media organizations. Its radio shows alone attract more than 160 million listeners a week. Little wonder, then, that according to opinion polls, an increasing number of Europeans consider Israel a pariah state and anti-Jewish feelings are on the rise.
2007-04-10 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive