[Media-watch] FW: Bombing of Iraq

[Mark Priestley]

<FONT 
color=#0000ff>Following radio news reports this morning that UK/US planes are to 
launch pre-emptive strikes against Iraqi targets, it is interesting to speculate 
about the extent to which these will be covered by the TV news. The records of 
BBC and ITN are not good - they have had very little to say to date about the 
regular bombing raids that have taken place since the last Gulf war, including 
27 since January 1st this year. Go to <A 
href="http://www.ccmep.org/usbombingwatch/2003.htm"><FONT 
color=#0000ff>http://www.ccmep.org/usbombingwatch/2003.htm<FONT 
color=#0000ff> for details.
<SPAN 
class=606122816-03032003> 
In 
this context it would be helpful if as many people as possible would write to 
the BBC and ITN news editors: 
<FONT 
color=#0000ff>Jonathan Munro - <A 
href="mailto:jonathan.munro at itn.co.uk">jonathan.munro at itn.co.uk
<FONT 
color=#0000ff>Richard Sambrook - <A 
href="mailto:richard.sambrook at bbc.co.uk">richard.sambrook at bbc.co.uk
<SPAN 
class=606122816-03032003> 
<SPAN 
class=606122816-03032003>Please ask why they have not given adequate coverage to 
the prosecution of a war against Iraq that is already taking place - when this 
war has not officially started yet. My letter is below.
<SPAN 
class=606122816-03032003> 
<SPAN 
class=606122816-03032003>Mark
<SPAN 
class=606122816-03032003> 
<FONT face=Tahoma 
size=2>-----Original Message-----From: Mark Priestley 
Sent: 03 March 2003 15:51To: 
'jonathan.munro at itn.co.uk'Subject: Bombing of 
Iraq

Dear <SPAN 
class=959264915-03032003>Jonathan,
We are not yet at 
war: and yet a careful sifting through the news reveals that we are. In fact, 
have we ever stopped being at war with Iraq since 1991? It would appear that 
Iraqi installations have been bombed no fewer than 27 times since the start of 
the year (see http://www.ccmep.org/usbombingwatch/2003.htm).
<FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS"> 
In my opinion 
this is an outrage, especially given that most people in Britain are opposed to 
war. Worse still, most people are ignorant of this covert bombing, and the media 
must be held to blame for a dereliction in their duty of informing them. I 
wonder how the relevation of our government's complicity in this would affect 
support for a war and for Tony Blair. Sadly it appears that the British people 
will not get the chance to decide; instead they are continually kept in the 
dark.
<FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS"> 
When is 
the ITN television news going to 
start covering this crisis properly? When are the British people going to learn 
the true course of events in this crisis?
<FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS"> 
Yours 
sincerely
  
--------
Mark Priestley 
Lecturer in Education <FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS">Institute of Education <FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS">University of Stirling <FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS">Stirling FK9 4LA Tel. 
+44 (0) 1786 466272 Fax +44 (0) 1786 
467633 <FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS">           
Email 
m.r.priestley at stir.ac.uk 
Website <FONT 
face="Bookman Old Style" color=#0000ff><A 
href="http://www.stir.ac.uk/departments/humansciences/education" 
target=_blank>http://www.stir.ac.uk/departments/humansciences/education