A review of the ABC has exonerated it of bias over Iraq after attacks from Federal communications minister Senator Richard Alston. Of Alston’s 68 complaints, 2 were found to have substance. The SMH has followed up with a poll to gauge public opinion on the allegations, with 70% saying Aunty was rarely or never biased in its war coverage.
However, if reports on SBS about the activities of ABC stringer Paul Moran (the cameraman blown up by a car bomb early in the war) are correct, the ABC could well find it has unwittingly been broadcasting US propaganda. Moran , according to SBS here last night, was the favourite footsoldier of international covert PR company Rendon Group. These guys, whose motto is "Information as an element of power", do little jobs for the CIA, you know.
Moran brought us exclusives with at least one of those dodgy defectors associated with Chalabi's crew.
It's not the CIA connection that worries me, of course. It's moonlighting as a PR. Tacky.
Meanwhile Uday and Qusay are no more. While some may celebrate I can’t help but wonder what a bit of rehabilitation and counseling may have achieved. Let’s not forget they were born into a dysfunctional family. They were victims too. If only they had been allowed to get in touch with their feelings, who knows?
Yeah, right. Good riddance.
Russell Brown’s recent post is a revelation to me and should be to anyone who hits that link and reads what journo Gilligan actually said: no mention of Campbell, his source accurately described, and also complete clarity that on the “sexed up” claim Kelly was describing the views of others in intelligence.
What a great idea! Let’s read what he actually said!
The blame for this whole regrettable affair lies with Campbell and Blair who, having been protected by one of the most powerful spin machines ever created, have suddenly had to face real journalists asking real questions. They couldn’t take it. They cracked.
Now some might think Gilligan implied Campbell in his mention of “Downing St”, but of course this is rubbish. Since when did PR-guys get to write intelligence dossiers? Nobody in their right mind would assume he was allowed to do that.
Would they?
MacPundit after gloating for days over the BBC’s discomfiture is now readying its about-face. Generous as always they offer: “It may turn out Gilligan was not a lying filthy scumbag who sexed up his conversation with Dr. Kelly.”
That's a relief. So what sort of lying filthy scumbag is he?
Kelly may have lied rather than being misquoted, they say. But hey, right-e-ous dudes, it looks to me as if what he said was damn-on accurate and what Gilligan reported was too. I repeat: no mention of Campbell, correctly attributed, with Kelly clearly a man reporting the views of others - as he is entitled to do.
Deal with it. It ain’t bias, it’s good journalism.
Everything that has happened since Gilligan’s report is the product of government pressure to have the source disclosed. The BBC deserves praise for steadfastly refusing to do so. If the Beeb and Gilligan have made a mistake it was in saying too much under pressure from the pollies. Its response should have been “We stand by the story.” No more than that. But of course that was all but impossible given the heat brought to bear.