NYT: BBC Falls Prey to Hoax on Anniversary of Bhopal Disaster

New York Times ^ | December 4, 2004 | ALAN COWELL

[OESY]

LONDON, Dec. 3 - The BBC, Britain's public service broadcaster, acknowledged Friday that it had been tricked into broadcasting an interview with a man pretending to be a spokesman for Dow Chemical, who claimed that the company had taken the blame for the disaster in Bhopal, India, in 1984.

The hoax, contradicting Dow Chemical's rejection of any responsibility, came on the 20th anniversary of the catastrophe, when waves of lethal gas escaped from a chemical plant in Bhopal, in central India, killing more than 3,500 people and injuring thousands more. At the time, the plant was owned by the Union Carbide Corporation, which was taken over by Dow Chemical Company three years ago. Survivors have long complained that they have received inadequate compensation.

The interview with the fake spokesman was broadcast less than a year after an official inquiry criticized the BBC for inaccurate reporting and "defective" editorial supervision in asserting that Prime Minister Tony Blair and his aides had exaggerated the case for war in Iraq. Two of the broadcaster's top managers quit as a result of that inquiry.

The BBC is also midway through a government review of its operations, carried out once every 10 years in preparation for the renewal of the Royal Charter under which it operates. The interview was broadcast on BBC World, a 24-hour television news channel broadcast globally. Twice on Friday, the channel broadcast the interview with a man identifying himself as Jude Finisterra, who said Dow Chemical had agreed to set up a $12 billion compensation fund, apparently reversing its previous insistence that such liabilities had been settled by Union Carbide before Dow took over the company.

Later in the day, the BBC said in a statement that the interview was "part of an elaborate deception." "The person did not represent the company," it said, "and we want to make it clear that the information he gave was entirely inaccurate."

"We apologize to Dow and to anyone who watched the interview who may have been misled by it," the statement said. "Of course, the BBC is investigating how the deception happened."

Dow Chemical also said that Mr. Finisterra was not a company employee.

Friday evening, BBC World reported that reporters preparing for the anniversary of the Bhopal disaster had gotten contact information for Mr. Finisterra on what appeared to be Dow Chemical's Web site.

The person who identified himself as Mr. Finisterra had told the reporters there would be a significant announcement and offered to travel from Paris to London for an interview. Instead, the BBC set up a two-way interview, with the interviewer in London and the interviewee in a BBC studio in Paris.

"He was incredibly plausible," a BBC executive said on condition of anonymity.

In a separate BBC interview on a lunchtime radio news show after the hoax was uncovered, the same man said he represented an organization called "The Yes Men," whose Web site (www.theyesmen.org) says it engages in "identity correction."

"Honest people impersonate big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them," the Web site says. "Targets are leaders and big corporations who put profits ahead of everything else."

The man identified as Mr. Finisterra told BBC Radio that he was speaking "in a certain way" for Dow Chemical by setting out "the only reasonable thing for Dow Chemical to do."

[OESY]

A survivor of the Bhopal gas tragedy walks past a victim's picture during an exhibition to mark the 20th anniversary of the world's worst industrial accident in which thousands were killed.(AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)

One would have thought that the Times, to meet an arguably unattainable goal (for the Newspaper of Record) to be fair and balanced, might have presented the other side -- but one would be wrong. Dow Chemical has asserted that Union Carbide, a company Dow acquired, settled 15 years ago all the claims arising out of the tragic gas leak. The settlement was affirmed by the Supreme Court of India, which described it as “just, equitable and reasonable.” Ten days after the decision, Union Carbide made full payment of the $470 million to the Indian government.

The Incident, Response and Settlement

This story is also another black eye for the BBC's accuracy and reliability. The BBC were duped by The Yes Men because BBC editors wanted to believe the hoax was true.

[mewzilla]

I just find it amusing that the paper that's shilling for Kofi Annan and the UN is sticking it to the Beeb. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

[jalisco555]

Another great example of MSM's multiple layers of fact-checking. My understanding is that the guy called the BBC and told the reporter he was Dow's spokesman and the reporter just believed him and went with the story. They made no attempt to contact Dow to check his bona fides or even to google the guy. They just took his word for it- the story was too good to check.

[Savage Beast]

Remember when the BBC was respected throughout the world? When the world looked to it for accurate and truthful information? When the world relied upon it and could believe in it?

Remember when the New York Times was respected as a reliable sourse of information?

It seems like ancient history now. They have both become ruthless and disreputable propaganda organs, and no one knows whether to believe anything that they report or not.

Thank God for the internet--which, of course, is the "newspaper of record"!

[KateatRFM]

My first reaction to the hoax was "I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often!" and then I began to wonder if it actually DOES happen more often and we just don't find out about it.

[mtbopfuyn]

So, that's where Blather's been lately.

[Strategerist]

Guy who lived across the hall from me freshman year of college was an actor and he faked his way on to the Morton Downey Jr. show by pretending to be a member of NAMBLA....

They basically didn't bother to attempt to check if he was real at all.

[Nathan Zachary]

I would say that it's probably rare that they print a story
that DOES have some FACTS to back it up.

[onedoug]

God rest their souls.

[randog]

Why should the BBC apologize? Liberals have long asserted that facts don't matter as long as the message is correct. In this case "Corporations-R-Evil" came across loud and clear, therefore no apology needed.

[MKM1960]

As long as it meets the BBC's agenda, why fact check? Don't you know that the MSM and "right" thinking folks everywhere always speak the truth to power. /sarcasm off

[weegee]

Media Schadenfreude and Media Shenanigans PING

"We apologize to Dow and to anyone who watched the interview who may have been misled by it,"

Sounds like a Clinton NON-APOLOGY apology.

(Clinton's Speech)I know that my public comments , and my silence about this matter gave a false impression . I misled people , including even my wife . I deeply regret that.

"I'm sorry I got caught".

They flat out fabricated a quote. It should be "We apologize to Dow and our listeners for this fraudulent report. Those responsible have been sacked."

[weegee]

"Talk shows" had fake guests ALL THE TIME. I think that there is a registry of guests now (which is why some of them appear on a number of different shows).

Some people used to consent to being on the shows (claiming to be practicing necrophiliacs, etc.) because it got them free roundtrip airfare to NYC.