Posted on 06/14/2004 7:13:45 AM PDT by Pikamax
Fox News censured over 'lying BBC' story
Claire Cozens Monday June 14, 2004
Fox News has been strongly criticised by the media watchdog over a programme about the Hutton report in which it accused the BBC of lying and of adopting a "frothing-at-the-mouth anti-Americanism".
Ofcom today upheld more than 20 complaints about the programme, in which Fox news anchor John Gibson said the BBC had "felt entitled to lie and, when caught lying, felt entitled to defend its lying reporters and executives".
The programme, broadcast on January 28 - the day the Hutton report was published - sparked 24 complaints to Ofcom with viewers claiming it was "misleading", "went far beyond reasoned criticism" and "misrepresented the truth".
In it Gibson claimed BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan had "insisted on air that the Iraqi army was heroically repulsing an incompetent American military" and said the BBC had responded to complaints by Downing Street by insisting "its reporter had a right to lie - exaggerate - because, well, the BBC knew the war was wrong".
He finished his report by saying: "So the next time you hear the BBC bragging about how much superior the Brits are delivering the news rather than Americans who wear flags in their lapels, remember it was the Beeb caught lying."
The strength of Gibson's comments, made in a regular Fox News slot entitled My Word in which a presenter offers a personal take on the events of the day, shocked many in the UK.
But Fox News defended its programme, insisting the BBC had "continually bashed" US policy and ridiculed the president, and saying this justified the use of the phrase "frothing-at-the-mouth anti-Americanism".
The network also stood by Gibson's claim that the BBC had lied, saying this was an accurate summation of the corporation's response to the complaint against Gilligan's report.
Although Fox accepted that Gilligan had not actually used the phrase attributed to him in the programme, it said Gibson had paraphrased the BBC reporter's words of April 5 last year, when he said: "I'm at the centre of Baghdad... and I don't see anything, but the Americans have a history of making these premature announcements."
The network admitted it had not offered the BBC the opportunity to comment on Gibson's accusations, saying this was because the programme in question was "reserved for his opinion only".
However, Ofcom rejected Fox's defence and ruled that it had breached the programme code on three separate counts by failing to pay due respect for the truth; failing to offer the BBC the opportunity to take part, and by broadcasting opinions based on false evidence.
"We recognise how important freedom of expression is within the media. This item was part of a well-established spot, in which the presenter put forwards his own opinion in an uncompromising manner. However, such items should not make false statements by undermining facts," the regulator said.
"Fox News was unable to provide any substantial evidence to support the overall allegation that the BBC management had lied and the BBC had an anti-American obsession. It had also incorrectly attributed quotes to the reporter Andrew Gilligan.
"Even taking into account that this was a 'personal view' item, the strength and number of allegations that John Gibson made against the BBC meant that Fox News should have offered the BBC an opportunity to respond."
Fox News was widely criticised for its cheerleading during last year's war in Iraq.
Star interviewer Bill O'Reilly told viewers the US should go in and "splatter" the Iraqis, while US soldiers were referred to as "heroes" and "liberators".
Ofcom's predecessor, the Independent Television Commission, last year launched an inquiry into the channel amid allegations of bias.
But it concluded that the channel did not contravene its regulations on impartiality.
Separately, Ofcom today upheld 11 complaints about excessive violence in an episode of the ITV crime drama series Wire in the Blood in which a man was killed by a metal tool being rammed down his throat.
ITV pointed out that the violent scenes had been shown after the 9pm watershed, and that a warning had been broadcast before the programme to alert viewers.
It said there was a place in the schedule for "edgy challenging drama", even if this did not appeal to the entire audience.
But Ofcom upheld the complaints, saying there was an expectation that programmes broadcast immediately after the watershed would not contain levels of violence more suited to later in the schedule.
And it said the warning "did not clearly indicate the strength of the images from the outset, in particular the brutal murder".
"Although this scene was brief, we believe that the depiction of such a gruesome murder, so soon after the 9pm watershed, would have gone beyond viewers' expectations, even for this genre," Ofcom concluded.
Gibson was 100% correct. I saw this specific segment of "My Word" and it was right on target.
I would get the weather from the BBC, let alone "hard news".
Censured? Haha.
Ofcom received "over 20 complaints" and then censured Fox? Over 20? Oh, the humanity!!
Who the hell is Ofcom, anyway?
I believe John Gibson.
Wow BBC is entitled to their opinion but Fox News is not. The bias that states: the "Iraq military is heroically repulsing an incompetent American military," is frothing at the mouth anti-Americanism.
LOLOL.....oh how the left hates the truth!
I really like John Gibson, and his program.
I have no idea who Ofcom is and I don't care. Has Ofcom ever censured CNN?
And, good morning! ;-D
Auntie sure has changed since dubya-dubya-two.
"The strength of Gibson's comments, made in a regular Fox News slot entitled My Word in which a presenter offers a personal take on the events..."
"remember it was the Beeb caught lying."
And CNN, the boston globe, the NY and LA times, etc, etc, etc.........
This from the Guardian, the beacon of journalistic integrity.
Fascism at work.
Gee...I wonder if they censured their own Navy for similar views.
From Richard Hargreaves, of The News, Portsmouth - on board HMS Ark Royal
MILITARY leaders have axed the BBC from the nation's flagship amid claims of pro-Iraqi bias. The Navy has taken rolling news show News 24 off the air on the HMS Ark Royal after weeks of grumbling from crew.
Sailors on the Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier have become increasingly disenchanted with the BBC's slant on the war. They claim the news organisation places more faith in Iraqi reports than information coming from British or Allied sources.
"The BBC always takes the Iraqis' side," one senior rating complained.
"It reports what they say as gospel but when it comes to us it questions and doubts everything the British and Americans are reporting.
"A lot of people on board are very unhappy." Ark is one of a handful of task force ships which receives live TV direct from Britain with rolling news and two entertainment channels beamed into the warship as part of efforts to improve creature comforts.
But officers and ratings alike are angry at the Beeb's coverage of the war so far. A BBC correspondent has been on board the flagship - and the crew have no gripe with his reports - but they were particularly incensed by comments made by presenters and commentators about the carrier's Sea King tragedy a fortnight ago.
Then the BBC suggested poor levels of maintenance played a hand in the deaths of seven fliers...."
The day FoxNews gets "CENSURED" will be the first day of a new Revoultion of Independence.
Pray for W and The Truth
A good morning it is, dear Lady....(grin)
Of course they don't say anything about CNN. If they did, they'd be raising hell over CNN's admission last year they turned a blind eye to what Saddam and Son's was perpetrating on the Iraqi people.....the mass graves, the ongoing torture, rape rooms, feeding living humans into plastic shredders, etc etc etc.
More humans have died because of this kind of mentality than of anything nature could conceive.
"Even taking into account that this was a 'personal view' item, the strength and number of allegations that John Gibson made against the BBC meant that Fox News should have offered the BBC an opportunity to respond."
After all the lies that were told about the U.S military or the british military did the bbc ever allow either of them time on the air to defend themselves?
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