BBC chief attacks U.S. media war coverage

Catholic New Times, May 18, 2003

LONDON -- Several news agencies reported that the head of the BBC launched a broadside against American broadcasters on Thursday, accusing them of "unquestioning" coverage of the Iraq war and blatant patriotism. BBC Director General Greg Dyke said many U.S. television networks had lacked impartiality during the conflict and risked losing credibility if they persisted with their stance.

"Personally I was shocked while in the United States by how unquestioning the broadcast news media was during this war," Dyke said in a speech at a University of London conference. "If Iraq proved anything, it was that the BBC cannot afford to mix patriotism and journalism. This is happening in the United States and if it continues, will undermine the credibility of the U.S. electronic news media."

U.S. broadcasters came under attack for "cheerleading" during the Iraq conflict, with what some critics saw as gung-ho reporting and flag-waving patriotism. In one example, a U.S. network described U.S. soldiers as "heroes" and "liberators."

Dyke singled out Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, the most popular U.S. cable news network during the conflict, for its "gung-ho patriotism. Meanwhile, NBC News correspondent Ashleigh Banfield ripped television news networks, including her own, for their "glorious" coverage of the Iraqi war and a lack of focus on international news over all. In a speech May 1 at Kansas State University, she criticized the networks for showing a bloodless war that gave a skewed picture, one which glossed over the horrors of battle. She did not report from Iraq during the war, but has been stationed overseas in the past.