[Nettime-bold] Media

["Ivo Skoric" <ivo@reporters.net>]

More media manipulation in the West - maybe Al Jazeera should 
consider opening an office in London?

ivo
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Stop the War Coalition (StW)
PO Box 3739, London E5 8EJ
07951  235 915
<mailto:office@stopwar.org.uk>office@stopwar.org.uk
http://www.stopwar.org.uk
http://www.mwaw.org

Tuesday 20 November 2001
TO: The Editor


Dear Editors,

Protesters in this country are accustomed to police under-estimating 
their numbers on demonstrations. In the case of Sunday's huge Stop 
the War march, however, the gap between police estimates - 15,000 - 
and those of the organisers - 100,000 - takes some explaining.

This is the organisers' view of the figures. We challenge the BBC, 
the Press Association and the police to give us theirs.

The police told us on two separate occasions that they estimated the 
marchers as 30,000 and 20,000 - 40,000. Yet after the march was over, 
their estimates were mysteriously "revised down" and the press quoted 
their final estimate as 15,000.

The Stop the War Coalition went to considerable lengths to make an 
accurate estimate of the numbers present. Using observers and 
counters, we arrived at the figure of 100,000. This figure was not 
released until 4pm, when it was announced - twice - from the 
platform, and press released. Yet the BBC and the Press Association 
persistently quoted us as claiming 50,000. Only when a spokesperson 
for the Coalition rang the PA to complain did they finally concede 
that our figure was indeed 100,000.

Neither the PA nor the BBC made independent assessments of the 
numbers. Instead, both quoted police figures and deliberately 
misquoted the organisers' estimates. Journalists are keeping people 
passive by denying to the wider public a sense of the true size of 
the anti-war movement. If more people opposed to the bombing were 
aware that London was packed with 100,000 protesters on Sunday it 
would increase their own willingness to speak out and join in. Our 
demonstration has revealed the pro-bombing "consensus" to be a 
chimera.

Finally, the BBC's own guidelines say:

<<  OPPOSITION TO THE WAR
Enabling the national debate remains a vital task. The concept of 
impartiality still applies. All views should be reflected in due 
proportion to mirror the depth and spread of opinion. We must reflect 
any significant opposition in the UK (and elsewhere) to the military 
conflict and allow their arguments to be heard and tested. Those who 
speak and perhaps demonstrate against war are to be reported as part 
of the national and international reality. >>

Is this principle not worth upholding in print as well as on the air?

Yours,
John Pilger
George Galloway MP
Ken Loach
Harold Pinter
Charles Shaar Murray
Andrew Murray, chair Stop the War Coalition
Lindsey German, StW Coalition

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