Hardly surprising news: A Whitehall counter-terrorism unit is targeting media organisations as part of a global propaganda push designed to “taint the al-Qaida brand”. (Although they seem to do a good enough job on their own.)
This has prompted concern about interference in the BBC’s editorial independence, which the organisation strongly denies.
Ill-advised words and how the media works: Lyse Doucet is one of the BBC’s most experienced correspondents. Recently, she appeared at the Edinburgh International Television Conference to discuss the reporting of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. In the midst of trying to explain the complexity of the conflict and the difficulties in reporting in the region, she said the media needs to report on the “the humanity of the Taliban”.
I can understand what she was saying — put simply not everyone with a big beard and gun who is unhappy with foreign troops on their soil is ‘Taliban’. There was a need to inform readers, viewers and listeners of the complexities of the situation on the ground, which I suppose is difficult due to the nature of the conflict and the commercial, corporate and political pressures contemporary news media find themselves under.
Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone will bother to understand her point. All people will become fixated on are her poor choice of words: “the humanity of the Taliban”. It matters not she said what we call “Taliban” maybe “diverse” and not all are interested in fighting British troops. It matters not that there were early warning signs about the possibility of a full scale eruption in the country due to a badly managed reconstruction programme. It doesn’t matter that she mentioned the countless civilians who are dying due to Coalition actions (’fairly’ or not), or that this was swept under the carpet when Prince Harry’s time in Afghanistan was being covered by the media. All that matters is that a BBC correspondent mentioned something about “the humanity of the Taliban”.
Notice how the religious beliefs of the man who committed this crime are never mentioned.
Mad Mel will no doubt be fuming: Geoffry Alderman, a fellow columnist alongside Mad Mel at the Jewish Chronicle, said in a lecture to the Islamic Sharia Council that the experience of British Jewry* showed there was room for aspects of Sharia to be incorporated within English law without compromising the principal that all citizens must be treated equal under the law.
*Not going as far back as 1290, of course…
Would you like your own blog hosted at Talk Islam? Email the admin at "salaam at talk islam dot info" !
Talk Islam uses Wordpress MU and the Prologue theme by Automattic
DISCLAIMER: Please see the About Talk Islam page for fair use issues and our privacy policy.