BBC apologises to Blair!

Guardian ^ | 01/29/04 | John Plunkett

[cyncooper]

So what? Words mean nothing. By keeping Gilligan they are speaking volumes.

I just posted a reminder on another thread of exactly who Andrew Gilligan is. For those who don't know:

The Disgrace of the BBC

EXCERPT:

"While Damazer graciously admitted that the BBC "make[s] mistakes," most of those mistakes were distinctly unfriendly towards the coalition. For example, on April 3, after U.S. troops had taken control of the Baghdad airport, Andrew Gilligan (remember that name) reported on the BBC World Service and on the BBC website, "Within the last 90 minutes I've been at the airport. There is simply no truth in the claims that American troops are surrounding it. We could drive up to it quite easily. The airport is under full Iraqi control." That was Gilligan's story, and the BBC was sticking to it--until another correspondent pointed out that Gilligan was not, in fact, at the airport, but U.S. troops quite clearly were.

Two days later, on April 5, Gilligan reported, "I'm in the center of Baghdad, and I don't see anything. But then the Americans have a history of making these premature announcements." At roughly the same time, CNN was broadcasting pictures of the 3rd Infantry driving through the center of Baghdad. By April 11, even the intrepid Gilligan could no longer maintain that the coalition was not in control of Baghdad. So instead he argued that Baghdadis were experiencing their "first days of freedom in more fear than they have ever known before"--that is, that they felt less safe than they had under Saddam. The prime minister's office shot back, "Try telling that to people put in shredders or getting their tongues cut out."

~SNIP~

I will await the firing of Andrew Gilligan, and then I will acknowledge that perhaps they are interested in becoming a fact-based news organization.

[BlueLancer]

"Creativity is the heart of the organisation ..."

That's the BBC ... being creative with the news.

[cyncooper]

Except Kelly talked to their disgrace of a reporter to get the ball rolling.

Perhaps we can take his suicide as an apology of sorts.

[over3Owithabrain]

Ouch! You're tough!

[Heatseeker]

I agree. And it's not just Gilligan. I've been watching the BBC news all day via the net and it's nonstop defiance.

The whole institutional culture must be changed if the BBC is to return to its glory days.

[cyncooper]

I admit...I said on the other thread I am quite harsh on this issue. I am willing to reconsider that Kelly was ill used, but I've stated my current hard line.

[martin_fierro]

Marty on the visual assist!

[ambrose]

This is all Gilligan's fault!

[hershey]

How come they haven't apologized to Bush, too?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I'm with cyncooper . They need to terminate Gilligan with much fanfare and change the attitude of the whole place!

[gunnedah]

The BBC like the so called "Mainstream Media" in America and their apologies are hollow. They will be back to the same thing before this week is out. Liberals do not know the meaning of honesty and values. They change daily to them according to who it affects.