Murdoch: Blair Calls BBC Coverage Of America, "Full Of Hate Of America"

Click on the title for the complete AFP article.

This article contains no new revelations in it, it has been openly apparent for a long time that most of Europe's coverage towards America, is biased and full of anti-American sentiment. But when it becomes the topic of conversation in a panel discussion hosted by former President Clinton, it makes news.

NEW YORK (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has complained privately to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch that the BBC's coverage of Hurricane Katrina carried an anti-American bias, Murdoch said at a conference here.

Murdoch, chairman of the media conglomerate News Corporation, recounted a conversation with the British leader at a panel discussion late Friday hosted by former president Bill Clinton.

Tony Blair -- perhaps I shouldn't repeat this conversation -- told me yesterday that he was in Delhi last week. And he turned on the BBC world service to see what was happening in New Orleans," Murdoch was quoted as saying in a transcript posted on the Clinton Global Initiative website.

The same thing was going on here, too. But as is usually the case, the Europeans tend to present most things that cast America in a bad light, in a much harsher tone.

"And he said it was just full of hate of America and gloating about our troubles. And that was his government. Well, his government-owned thing," he said of the publicly owned broadcaster.

Murdoch went on to say that anti-American bias was prevalent throughout Europe.

"I think we've got to do a better job at answering it. And there's a big job to do. But you're not going to ever turn it around totally," said Murdoch, one of three media magnates who spoke at Clinton's "Global Initiative" forum on peace and development.

As unfair as it is, as slanted, biased, and inaccurate as it can be, it is the price we pay to have a free press. It is up to free-thinking individuals to educate themselves enough, that they can objectively analyze the news and cut through the bias. Old media sources are declining as a result of this, now. As more people get informed from a wide variety of sources, they that think for themselves will reject the sources that display this kind of approach in news reporting. This is the only way that the press will ever be held accountable.

Newspaper circulations are down all over the country, here in America. The rise in FOX News has displaced CNN as the top cable news channel. And, the trend will continue if the editors don't heed the signs and discontinue this practice. In short, the media must police themselves or the consumers will do it for them, by choosing to buy elsewhere.

The former US president, who held his conference to coincide with the United Nations summit in New York, agreed that the BBC's coverage was lacking.

While the BBC's reports on the hurricane were factually accurate, its presentation was "stacked up" to criticize President George W Bush's handling of the disaster, Clinton said.

"There is nothing factually inaccurate. But ... it was designed to be almost exclusively a hit on the federal response, without showing what anybody at any level was doing that was also miraculous, going on simultaneously in a positive way," Clinton said.

Well liberals, there you have it. It must be true because Clinton said it, right?

The point he makes is that coverage was incomplete. It showed the mistakes, without showing the successes. What was told was not inaccurate, just not complete. Withholding truth, when it pertinent to the larger scheme of things is just as bad as outright lying, at least in this instance.

Bias can come in all forms and shapes. Telling just one side of the story is one form that the MSM (in both America and Europe) uses to steer public opinion. And since they hate Bush, guess which gets the attention on an average day?

One example is this past week's issue of US News and World Report. I get it delivered at home, and on it, is a rather large caption that reads, "Who Screwed Up" with a picture of the President standing with a group of men at a site visit, pointing at at something off camera. Those of us that have studied applied psychology in college can plainly see the attempt of the editors to portray the President as a finger-pointer, in the entire affair. It is very subtle, but yet very effective, on the untrained mind.

A better cover would have included Mayor Nagin, Gov. Blanco, and Sen. Landrieu doing the same thing. Because they have collectively (and individually) pointed their fingers, too.

Murdoch is right, Europe is not likely to change anytime too soon. But when sales and ratings start to decrease, the bean-counters that have little to do with the editings and writings of their subordinates, will need to put more pressure on those that create. It's happened in this country, and Murdoch was there to facilitate it by starting FOX News. Their ratings are up, while the MSM news outlets are down. That says a lot..