WAPSC Campaign Group Meeting Thurs. 7/12/23
Agenda:
- Briefing on aims and strategy of PSC and WAPSC
- Complain to BBC about their biased coverage of Gaza
- How to submit a complaint to the BBC
- Group action: submission of complaints
- (See below)
- Planning for future campaigning
- Campaign targets
- Actions
- Training
- Your ideas for campaigns
- Expectations
Materials for tonight’s action
BBC complaints web page
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint
Sample complaint text
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This article (edition of 1/12/23) is representative of my complaint about biased reporting of Gaza-Israel. The bias is systematic throughout BBC News coverage. 3 examples exemplify the bias:
1) The same standard is not applied to descriptions of the intent of leaders of Israel, as to the leaders in Gaza. The article states that “The group wants to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic state.” However, there is no mention of equivalent statements made by senior Israeli leaders, eg: the PM’s “Amalek” statement; the Defence Minister’s “we are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.” This is a serious omission as 880 experts of international law/genocide have made this statement: https://www.commondreams.org/news/legal-scholars-israel-genocide
2) Stories humanise Israelis but not Palestinians. This powerful journalist tool should be used fairly. A count since Oct. 7th shows 8 times more Israelis were named, and their individual stories told, than Palestinians. Typically, only numbers of Palestinians are given. For instance, these 2 webpages were listed side-by-side in the breaking news feed on 25/11/23. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67536721
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67477240.
The first article is also biased by omission. It should explain that most of the Palestinians were held under extra-judicial “administrative” detention.
3) The website (on 28/11/23) correctly states that Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas but is misleading by omission. No explanation that 80% of the population are refugees who were displaced in order to create the Israeli state – see Ilan Pappe (2006) Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.
BBC News is failing to uphold the standards of journalistic rigour and integrity expected of a publicly funded broadcaster. As the extent of bias is so grave, I ask that you present this complaint to Deborah Turness, and I request that she personally responds.
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Biased BBC news webpages
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67039975
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67536721
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67477240
Reference webpages
https://opiniojuris.org/2023/10/18/public-statement-scholars-warn-of-potential-genocide-in-gaza/
https://www.commondreams.org/news/legal-scholars-israel-genocide