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| Caroline Hawley on Lesbos |
This evening's BBC One Weekend News led with Pope Francis on Lesbos and his 'shaming' pleas for more 'humanity' (from people like us) and for much more to be done (by countries like ours) in order to help the 'refugees'.
Watch it for yourselves (while you can) and you'll see that this BBC bulletin gave the Pope's view, supporters of the Pope's view (including someone from Save the Children and Cardinal Nichols), and 'desperate' refugees' views which were wholly in line with the Pope's views (for obvious reasons) a completely free run.
There were no opposing views. It was one message, one plea, throughout.
And the newsreader (Kate Silverton) and the reporter (Caroline Hawley) adopted facial expressions and tones of voice that merely reinforced the Pope's message too. (Watch and see for yourselves if you doubt that).
And the BBC's language? Well, here's a representative sample:
Thousands of migrants are stuck on Lesbos.
He came to what's being called 'the frontline' of the migrant crisis to meet the people who've risked their lives to get here to plead for a more humane international response to them.
The Pope is used to provoking emotions. They're usually drawn from religious fervour not desperation.
...a growing chorus of concern....
He'll hope at least to have managed to stir Europe's conscience.
The Pope flew back to Rome taking with him three Syrian families whose homes have been destroyed - the chosen few, while thousand of others have been left in limbo here.
...that has come at the cost of Europe having its humanity questioned,
Impartial language? I don't think so.
Though the BBC has (perhaps because of the EU referendum) let this story slip somewhat out of focus recently, I'd say from this that the BBC is clearly as committed as ever to cajoling us (one way or the other) into thinking we ought to take these people in.
Though the BBC has (perhaps because of the EU referendum) let this story slip somewhat out of focus recently, I'd say from this that the BBC is clearly as committed as ever to cajoling us (one way or the other) into thinking we ought to take these people in.
If the BBC was being genuinely impartial about reporting this wouldn't they have featured at least some contrasting or contradictory points of view?
