UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Sunday, 5 September 2010

Nothing new about BBC bias and capitulation to powerful interests‏

Good coverage on the TUC’s Touchstone blog of the controversy surrounding the attendance of BBC Director General Mark Thompson at a Downing street briefing on how to spin the Con Dem Government’s austerity measures: http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/2010/09/bbc-cuts-coverage/

Of those Labour MP’s such as Ben Bradshaw and Ed Miliband who are rightly criticising Thompson, Bradshaw is speaking with greater moral authority given his principled stance over the DEC’s Gaza appeal in January 2009 when other Labour Ministers hid behind ministerial convention to remain silent :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4329701/BBC-attacked-by-Ben-Bradshaw-for-refusal-to-broadcast-emergency-fund-appeal-for-Gaza.html

It is interesting to recap which MP’s backed Richard Burden’s Commons early day motion criticising the BBC’s shameful capitulation to the Israel lobby – when along with Sky it failed to broadcast the DEC humanitarian appeal for Gaza following the murder of over 1300 Palestinians and wanton destruction of Gazans basic means to life by Israel military forces:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37619