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Why BBC doesn't call Hamas militants 'terrorists' - John Simpson (www.bbc.co.uk)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Nighed@sffa.community to c/world@lemmy.world

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I guess not strictly news - but with all of the vitriol I have seen in discussions on the Israel situation, that have boiled down to arguments over wording, I feel that this take from the BBC is worthy of some discussion.

Mods, feel free to remove if this is not newsy enough.

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[-] alquicksilver@lemmy.world 177 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's simply not the BBC's job to tell people who to support and who to condemn - who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.

I miss when this was the standard for news. Now most (e: major) outlets don't even try to pretend they have no bias and instead push a subjective point. Even when I agree with the point, I don't like it when my "news" pushes it instead of just, you know, reporting.

Give me the info and let me form my own opinions.

[-] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 46 points 1 year ago

The news in Australia literally adds dramatic music to their edits. They're disgraceful, and manipulative.

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[-] Nighed@sffa.community 38 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

While us Brits love to complain about the BBC being biased (probably an actual issue for internal UK politics) its good to remember that it's still a world leading media outlet, and one of very few that can be considered not to be push an agenda. (I imagine I can find a lot of people that can probably disagree with that too....)

Even Routers has started editorialising, and I thought they were just meant to be raw facts!

[-] drekly@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Regardless of their wording, BBC news has a super Israel bias, and they even got called out on live TV during the news for it. They are not the place for unbiased reporting of this specific issue. The UK will always pretend Israel can do no wrong because they created them.

[-] Hyperreality@kbin.social 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

BBC news has a super Israel bias, .... The UK will always pretend Israel can do no wrong because they created them.

I went on the BBC's news site just now and looked at the top stories from the middle-east.

Here's a BBC article which suggests that Egypt warned Israel days before Hamas struck, despite Netenyahu denying it:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67082047

Here's an article which features the video diary of a (crying) Palestinian girl. "Gaza: Children screamed in the street"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67077224

Here's another video. Title: "Gaza: 'I wish I could be a normal child living with no war'"

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-67058592

Does the BBC have a 'super Israel bias'?

Or are you biased which makes you mistakenly think the BBC is 'super' biased in favour of Israel and claim the UK 'will always pretend Israel can do no wrong'?

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[-] Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 94 points 1 year ago

The same thing's happening in Canada with the CBC; bunch of people calling them out for not saying "terrorist" implying it means they're in favour of the attacks, when CBC simply has a policy of not saying that about anyone, because it's not their job.

[-] can@sh.itjust.works 43 points 1 year ago

This is why we need CBC and can't let the Conservative Party of Canada destroy them.

[-] Wilibus@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

I generally don't like the CBC, but I personally find their international political reporting top tier due to this kind of approach.

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[-] plz1@lemmy.world 56 points 1 year ago

It’s so refreshing to see real journalistic integrity once in a while. Thanks for sharing.

[-] xantoxis@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year ago

This is hardcore and I respect the shit out of it

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[-] TheBlue22 28 points 1 year ago

I don't think you need to call hamas what they are, a far right fundamentalist extremist terrorist organisation. Their actions speak for themselves.

[-] LemmyRefugee@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

What they mean as that they could also say Israel is a terrorist state. That’s what some people think. And some people, specially those who have friends or family who have been killed in Palestina, might say that Hamas are defending their people and are not terrorists.
But you and me, citizens without voice, can call them terrorists (that’s what they are) but doing so we are somehow chosing a band in a conflict.

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[-] Steve@startrek.website 24 points 1 year ago

Based

[-] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 year ago

John Simpson is a legend. His book, A Mad World, My Masters, is exceptional reading.

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[-] redhydride@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 year ago

Commendable to resist such pressure and remain as objective as possible

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this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2023

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