BBCWatch

From Wikispooks
Revision as of 19:32, 7 June 2010 by Peter (talk | contribs) (1 revision: Israel Lobby from Spin Profiles)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

bbcwatch is an organisation set up to pressurise the BBC into producing news coverage more favourable to Israel. It is owned and run by Trevor Asserson, [1] an English solicitor now based in Israel. According to The Lawyer his Jerusalam based law firm Asserson Law is the first UK law firm based in another country. [2] Other named individuals who have been involved in the operation include Elisheva Mironi, [3] Lee Kern, [4] Michael Paluch, [5] Deena Pinson, [6] Ariella Kalms and Robin Stamler. [7]

According to its own account bbcwatch was established in 2000, [8] but it did not produce its first report until March 2002. [9] It was incorporated as a UK limited company in February 2004 and dissolved in November 2007. According to its only accounts filed the issue of shares to Trevor Asserson was the company's only transaction. [10] Whilst the company BBCWatch Ltd has been dissolved, the organisation continues to produce reports attacking BBC reporting.

bbcwatch produced a number of reports detailing BBC output and incidents or trends evidencing a perceived bias. For example the organisation's first report, entitled 'The BBC and the Middle East - a Critical Study', argued amongst other things that the BBC should use the pejorative term 'terrorism' to describe Hamas; that the West Bank and Gaza should not be described as ‘occupied Palestinian Land’ or ‘occupied Palestinian territories’ since it suggests that there previously existed an 'autonomous sovereign Palestinian territory'; that Yasser Arafat should not be described as 'President' or 'Presidential'; and that the illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza should not be described as being 'illegal' but instead referred to as settlements in 'disputed territories'. [11]

Notes

  1. Companies House, BBCWatch Ltd Annual Returns made up to 19 February 2005
  2. Tom Phillips, 'Firm Profile: Asserson Law', The Lawyer, 23 March 2009
  3. bbcwatch, 'The BBC and the Middle East - a Critical Study', March 2002
  4. bbcwatch, 'The BBC and the War on Iraq - An Analysis', June 2003
  5. bbcwatch, 'Pictures of Prejudice', 2005
  6. bbcwatch, 'The BBC Goes Native - An Analysis of BBC Arabic', March 2008
  7. bbcwatch, 'Jeremy Bowen and teh Gaza Conflict', December 2009
  8. PDF of <http://www.bbcwatch.com> created 19 March 2010
  9. bbcwatch, 'The BBC and the Middle East - a Critical Study', March 2002
  10. Companies House, BBCWatch Accounts made up to 28 February 2005
  11. bbcwatch, 'The BBC and the Middle East - a Critical Study', March 2002