[Media-watch]

[YvonneMarshall]

Dear Lesley & Colleagues,

earlier today (Wed April 2nd) I sent you a an e-mail in which I said that contributor Trevor Kavanagh was lying - the message was written in haste, in anger, but it seems that the BBC's e-mail facility collapsed entirely this afternoon, so it wouldn't have got to you anyway.

I'm aware that the use of the 'L' word, in media as well as politics, is verboten, but for mere plebs like me it is, at times, unavoidable. To make it clear, and remove any dubiety from my previous message - Trevor Kavanagh was lying when he said, on your show, that there were still doubts as to the origin of the missile which destroyed the market-place in Baghdad i.e. that the tragedy may have been the result of an Iraqi air-defence missile 'going up, then down.'  He may, in his defence, claim that he was referring to the 'first' such attack, which claimed fewer lives, but the essence of the deception remains the same. 

Trevor Kavanagh holds a senior and very influential position in the best-selling daily newspaper in Britain. Execrable as the contents of that publication might be for many folk, it is only logical to expect that someone attaining such a lofty position has a good command of the skills employed in that trade as well as a keen awareness of what his peers are doing. Presumably, that is why he is deemed a worthy  - and regular - guest on your show. 

Robert Fisk's report on what happened in the Baghdad market-place was viewable online on Sunday March 30th. He reported in detail what he witnessed in the market in the Shu'ale suburb in the aftermath of an aerial bombardment. That's what journalists are supposed to do. 

What Trevor Kavanagh did today on your show was nothing short of criminal - there is no way that someone in his position, with his responsibility, could possibly be unaware of Fisk's report. Tonight, Channel 4 News was broadcasting the details of Fisk's message (although it was attributed) as an 'exclusive'. This is three days after Fisk's report first appeared online, and five days after the 'incident' in question.

Trevor Kavanagh has appeared on the Lesley Riddoch Show many times since the show started. I'm sure I'm not the only listener who would be very grateful if you would invite him to guest on tomorrow's show to explain his misleading statements about the 'market-place' bombings and ask him if he knew about Robert Fisk's reports when he made those comments - if he wasn't aware of them then he is negligent and shouldn't be entrusted with the position he occupies. 

If he was aware of them, he's a liar.

Regards,

Ian Brotherhood

 
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