Sunday, January 25, 2009

Clegg blasts BBC Gaza appeal decision

On Sunday AM Nick Clegg has blasted the BBC decision not to broadcast the DEC Gaza appeal, saying:

My own view is that I think it is an insult to the viewing public to suggest they can't distinguish between the humanitarian needs of thousands of children and families in Gaza and the political sensitivities of the Middle East. It's a distinction which anyone can make and to suggest that the BBC should somehow not allow people to show their compassion for that human suffering because of the wider controversies in the Middle East I think, I am afraid, is a case, in this instance, of the BBC totally getting their priorities upside down...The most disquieting aspect of this was, I think, in a news report yesterday from the BBC itself it was said that the BBC felt they couldn't let this appeal come onto the television screens tomorrow on Monday whilst the story was so high up the news agenda as if the humanitarian suffering of people in Gaza has to wait until the Middle East somehow goes down the news agenda on the evening news. That, I think, is almost cynical."

When presenter Andrew Marr mentioned that the fact that while comment and presence in Gaza is still there that there might be feeling that getting to close to that is getting the BBC too close to people who are on one side of an ongoing conflict, Clegg replied:

I just don't think people look at it that way I think people quite clearly understand that they want to help particularly the children - thousands of children whose lives have been very seriously blighted - destroyed - by the level of violence, without making judgments about the wider politics.

Co-guest Paul Gambaccini (for it was he) then reminded Nick Clegg about Live Aid, when people gave money without taking into political sensitivities, Clegg added:

No conflict is without political sensitivities.

You can see Nick Clegg making his remarks on Sunday AM here.

No comments:

Post a Comment