Author: Tom Leonard
Publication: The Telegraph
Date: May 3, 2006
URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/03/nbbc103.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/03/ixnewstop.html
The BBC should get its "language right"
and not be afraid to use the word "terrorism" in its news coverage,
an independent report said yesterday.
The study, commissioned by the BBC governors
to investigate allegations of bias in the corporation's coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, found there was little evidence of "systematic or deliberate
bias" but criticised "the elusiveness of editorial planning, grip
and oversight".
While BBC executives had rightly given much
thought to the use of "sensitive" language, there was "significant
scope for improvement, particularly in reporting terrorism", the Impartiality
Review panel said.
The BBC has been criticised in the past for
its reluctance to use the terms "terrorist" and "terrorism"
in its news reporting. Within hours of the London Underground and bus bombings
last year, the corporation's head of news sent a memo to senior staff saying
he was worried about offending the World Service audience and reminding them
of the BBC editorial guidelines.
These say that words such as "terrorist"
should be avoided, as it carries "emotional or value judgments"
and "can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding".
The review panel, which included senior academics
and journalists, largely disagreed, saying that "terrorism" was
the "most accurate expression" for indiscriminate attacks on civilians
aimed at causing terror for ideological objectives. However, it said the BBC
was right to avoid labelling organisations as "terrorist".
Sir Quentin Thomas, the president of the British
Board of Film Classification and the chairman of the Impartiality Review's
panel, said: "We say that the BBC should get the language right. We think
it should call terrorist acts 'terrorism' because that term is clear and well
understood.
"Equally, on this and other sensitive
points of language, once it has decided the best answer, it should ensure
that it is adopted consistently."
BBC News management, which is understood to
have been annoyed by the review's findings, said it would draw up plans for
implementing "appropriate recommendations".
