Gaza.

A short Guardian Editorial in response to the BBC’s refusal to air an appeal for the Disasters Emergency Committee,

“to avoid any risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC’s impartiality in the context of an ongoing news story.”

The BBC has tried to defend their decision. Part of the 1963 agreement giving free airtime to DEC appeals on television also says that if all broadcasters do not agree to carry the appeal none of them can.

Recent DEC appeals have raised £530m for Tsunami aid, £10m for the Congo, £18m for Burma. The DEC had hoped to raise £10m for Gaza — this will be considerably less without the TV appeal.

Of course, as white phosphorous and DIME took their toll, the BBC had no concerns about context, impartiality or public confidence when they used Gaza producer Rushdi Abu Alouf to file reports during the Israeli media blockade. Rushdi and his colleagues are, in the BBC’s own words,

“a model of impeccable journalism, in terrible personal circumstances. Most of us go home when the story is over. Gaza is their home.”

Perhaps, in the BBC’s mind, refusing the DEC’s appeal will prolong the Gazan’s “terrible personal circumstances” thus ensuring their continued “impeccable journalism” — after all, there is no escape when “Gaza is their home.”

Who knows?
Ask them: lodge a complaint with the BBC — then:

Donate to the DEC
0370 60 60 900 or www.dec.org.uk

UPDATE #1 — 24 January 2009
ITV, Channel 4, Five and Al-Jazeera English have decided to air the DEC appeal on Monday. Five said this “transcends politics”. A protest outside the BBC drew thousands, including Tony Benn who spoke earlier on Radio 4:

During the protest George Galloway rightly mentioned how the people of Gaza helped secure the release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston in 2007. In the Gazan’s time of need can the BBC not repay even that favour? Watch a report by Alan Johnston on his captors, Hamas, includes an interview with Rushdi.

UPDATE #2 — 24 January 2009
Channel 4 piece, shows the protest with Tony Benn and George Galloway:

Further interviews with the International Development Secretary and BBC COO.

UPDATE #3 — BBC Director General responds:

after very careful reflection and consultation inside and outside the BBC, we decided that in this case we should not broadcast the appeal.

The comments to that statement (~400 in 5hrs) are worth reading and contributing too.