There's been a development overnight in the story of the murder of the imam from Rochdale. The BBC's first report on the story (19/2) left the impression that there could have been a racist motive for the murder - an impression encouraged by Greater Manchester Police.
A week and a half later, however, it looks as if it wasn't racially-motivated after all, following the arrest of one Mohammed Hussain Syeedy.
This breaking story, oddly, wasn't on either the BBC home page or its UK page when I got up first thing this morning. It was only to be found on the BBC's England page.
I remember, however, reading a much more prominently-placed story (on 21/2) on the BBC website headlined GMP chief constable demands apology over Times headline reporting that the GMP chief was "appalled" at the Times headline "Imam beaten to death in sex grooming town".
Why did that aspect of the story get more prominent coverage on the BBC website than this latest development?
Well all such attacks are to be condemned but I had my doubts about this from the beginning. I was even more suspicious when they said "a man" had been arrested!
ReplyDeleteThis is parallel to the numerous cases of Mosques being attacked, where it ends up that there is intra-communal violence or a dodgy insurance claim involved. The BBC never publicises the conclusion to those stories in teh same way as the original reporting.
Narrative? What narrative?
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