NewsMine — propoganda — state-control — Viewing Item

Blair attacks bbc for not supporting bush { September 18 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://politics.guardian.co.uk/media/story/0,12123,1572747,00.html http://politics.guardian.co.uk/media/story/0,12123,1572747,00.html Blair attacks BBC for 'anti-US bias' James Robinson, David Smith and Ned Temko Sunday September 18, 2005 The Observer Tony Blair has denounced the BBC's coverage of Hurricane Katrina as 'full of hatred of America' and 'gloating' at the country's plight, it was reported yesterday. Blair allegedly made the remarks privately to Rupert Murdoch, chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, which owns the rival Sky News. The comments threatened a new rift between the government and the BBC following the Andrew Gilligan affair over events leading to the Iraq war and recent criticisms of ministers Today presenter John Humphrys, which were controversially leaked to the press. Downing Street said last night it had no comment on the report in the Financial Times. The BBC said that its coverage had been 'committed solely to relaying the events fully, accurately and impartially'. Murdoch, a long-standing critic of the BBC, was addressing the Clinton Global Initiative conference in New York. Chuckling, he said: 'I probably shouldn't be telling you this' before recounting a recent conversation with Blair. He said the Prime Minister was in New Delhi when he criticised BBC coverage of the catastrophe in New Orleans: 'He said it was just full of hatred of America and gloating at our troubles.' Bill Clinton, the former US President who was hosting the conference, also attacked the tone of the BBC coverage at a seminar on the media. He said it had been 'stacked up' to criticise the federal government's slow response. Sir Howard Stringer, chief executive of Sony Corporation and a former head of CBS News, said he had been 'nervous about the slight level of gloating' by the corporation. The disapproval will come as a blow to BBC executives, who had declared themselves delighted with the hurricane coverage, led by Matt Frei. They believed they had learnt the lessons from the Boxing Day tsunami in Asia, when the BBC was regarded as being slow off the mark. Blair's reported comments were strongly criticised last night by Martin Bell, the former BBC war correspondent and former MP. Bell said: 'Assuming it's accurate - it may of course be that Tony Blair was simply telling Rupert Murdoch what he thought he wanted to hear. If he really does have a gripe with the BBC coverage, there is no shortage of forums in which he can say so publicly. But the last time he picked a fight with the BBC, as I recall, the government came off rather badly.' He added: 'I think Matt Frei's reporting was absolutely immaculate and reflected the fact that one of the things the BBC is there for is to report events as they happened rather than as politicians may want them perceived to have happened. If Tony Blair does want to confront the BBC over this, I'd be surprised - because he would find absolutely zero support, except perhaps among his usual henchmen.' Charles Wheeler, the veteran former US correspondent for the BBC, said: 'I don't believe Murdoch actually said that. It doesn't sound like Blair to me. The coverage I saw was extremely good and got better and better. Matt Frei was very good. He got quite angry, which is what might have annoyed people. 'I don't see why people should be unemotional; I never was. You have to tell people what you feel and what you hate - that's part of legitimate reporting.' A spokesman for the BBC said last night: 'We have received no complaint from Downing Street, so it would be remiss of us to comment on what is reported as a private conversation.'

Administration paid commentator to promote nclb { January 8 2005 } All the presidents newsmen { January 16 2005 } Arnold press videos aired as news { March 14 2005 } Baltimore sun lawsuit against gov ehrlich { February 14 2005 } Blair attacks bbc for not supporting bush { September 18 2005 } Bush audiences screened hand picked { March 31 2005 } Bush conversation with troops staged Bush orders end to hiring columnists Bush paid columnist gets radio show { March 3 2005 } Bushs loyal reporters team { February 18 2005 } Colbert said press tool of whitehouse Ehrlich allowed to deny press access { February 14 2005 } Fed education violated propaganda ban { September 30 2005 } House passes steeper indecency fines { February 16 2005 } Judith was government stooge journalist { October 17 2005 } More quran abuse despite newsweek retraction { May 26 2005 } New cbs boss is bush supporter { October 27 2005 } No media coverage for return coffins { October 21 2003 } Packaged bush videos used as news { March 13 2005 } Pbs takes bush officials for pro republican change { May 2 2005 } Republican chairman of pbs pushes conservative programs { May 12 2005 } Republican used political tests for pbs hires Senate may ban releases that imitate news Stop government propoganda act { January 27 2005 } US agency gives fake news conference Washington post withholds news at request of pentagon { November 2 2005 } White house criticizes newsweek report causing afghan incident { May 16 2005 } White house told journalists how to response to 911 { October 9 2006 } Writer backing bush plan had federal contract { January 26 2005 } Files Listed: 29

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.