It seems like less than a week ago I listened to The Art of Now, narrated by the quavery-voiced Errollyn Wallen. I didn’t think much of it. Well, it was less than a week ago, and BBC Watch has come up with a forensic take-down of the programme. Do read it. We heard
“A completely context-free account of the second Lebanon war in 2006.”
“How that war began and what was happening on the other side of the border have no place in this story – and neither does the all-important context of the Hizballah HQ in a specific neighbourhood of Beirut.”
followed by more decontextualised accounts of Jenin, riddled with omissions and pure anti-Israel rhetoric.
“The second story’s location is Jenin and Ahmed Tobasi sets the scene by telling listeners that “when Israel was created” his grandparents left their village and “came here to Jenin refugee camp”. No context – such as the invasion of Israel by surrounding Arab states – is provided at all.”
Here the bias is blatant, unchallenged and relentless. The BBC cannot now claim to be impartial.
