Impartiality is hard won but easily lost - Why the BBC is right

I am heartily sick of the campaign against the BBC from the usual suspects, but also people who should know better after the BBC put its impartiality in front of taking sides in the Gaza conflict.

Now before anyone jumps in to attack me they ought to check my record on the Gaza conflict. I was and remain deeply critical of Israel, believe they were wrong to attack, I believe they have committed war crimes and I think those who supported without reservation Israel should be ashamed of themselves.

Those pro Gaza groups and politicians now protesting forget that the BBC was the only news organisation in the world getting regular news reports from its own journalists based in Gaza during the conflict. Compare the BBC's coverage of the conflict compared to the US networks and you will see why the BBC was regarded internationally as the TV station that gave the whole news as opposed to the Israeli news. Were it not for the BBC's ability to get to places where other news organisations couldn't go, the real story of Gaza may not have been told and Israel would have been able to hide evidence of its war crimes. This is the real message which has been lost by those berating the BBC over the weekend.

Eighteen months ago the BBC trust said the BBC was too willing to hand over its channels to the DEC when it ran an appeal for Darfur whilst the channel was also found to be lacking impartiality when episodes of the Vicar of Dibley ignored the idea of a plot and instead became adverts for Make Poverty History. If the BBC can be found to be wrong for supporting Make Poverty History it shows just what a fine line the BBC would have been treading if it had run the DEC disaster appeal.

I am, perhaps, most disappointed by the number of Lib Dem MPs who have joined the bandwagon against the BBC, but who ever it is signing motions or printing stories, remember that Sky News too shared the BBCs concerns whilst ITV, Channel 4 and Five had much to gain by making the BBC seem alone in its decision. If you were watching ITV News you would imagine that Sky News did not exist as the BBC are painted as the "only" channel not running the appeal.

If the BBC had run the appeal, what would have happened next time a major world event occurred where the BBC might have had the ability to expose the truth but were denied the opportunity because they were not trusted ? We'd have blamed the BBC for ruining its reputation.