Complaint
Three listeners complained that the presenter, Nick Robinson, had expressed the contentious view that Israel had murdered tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza.Ìý The ECU considered the complaints in the light of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
Concluding an interview with Lord Cameron about the Government’s position on the Gaza conflict, Mr Robinson said “I want to end if I could with a question about morality.Ìý You will know – I think you have talked about the fact that the West has been perceived to lose the argument with many of its own people ever since the war on terror began.Ìý Isn’t the real risk of where we are now that western governments appear to back Israel the moment that Israel is under attack, but when Israel attacks and murders tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians, we say the words but we do almost nothingâ€.Ìý The ECU understood Mr Robinson’s intention was to paraphrase the kind of thing likely to be said by those of “its own people†with whom “the West has been perceived to lose the argumentâ€, but accepted that he had phrased his remarks in a way which left it open to listeners to infer that he was expressing his own view on a controversial matter, contrary to the advice of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s Editorial Guidelines on impartiality.Ìý It noted, however that, immediately after the programme, Mr Robinson had to acknowledge the controversy over his remarks and to say he should have been clearer, and that similar form of words was also posted by Â鶹ԼÅÄ News on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s Corrections and Clarifications page.Ìý As the ECU considered the issue to be one of imperfect phrasing rather than a genuine expression of a personal view on a controversial matter, it regarded the public acknowledgement by Â鶹ԼÅÄ News sufficient to resolve the issue of complaint.Ìý
Resolved