BBC coverage of the war
I don't usually indulge in the usual warblogger media-bashing, but the BBC has missed the story today. Fine to inject a tone of scepticism that's embarrassingly lacking from the US broadcast media. But today was the day that Iraqis were liberated from one of the most capricious dictatorships on the planet. And these are the top two stories on the BBC website at 3pm EST. ·Baghdad falls to US forces: Saddam Hussein loses control of the Iraqi capital, as looting breaks out amid scenes of jubilation at the US takeover. ·Fears mount over Iraq disorder: A collapse of law and order in parts of Iraq could cause major problems for ordinary people, aid officials fear.
Both these stories are accurate, but they show poor news judgement. The looting, in Baghdad at least, has been limited, according to the detail of the BBC's own reports. It's entirely to be expected that Iraqis would reclaim the spoils of their rulers. Above all, this is a story for tomorrow. Today, Baghdad has fallen. The anxiousness about disorder is at best small-minded, and makes the BBC, which has reported well on the war, unnecessarily vulnerable to accusations of bias.
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