• Disrupting Power Since 2015
  • Donate
  • Login
Sunday, May 18, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
Canary
MEDIA THAT DISRUPTS
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION
SUPPORT
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Canary
No Result
View All Result

We need to talk about how the BBC World Service is describing Jeremy Corbyn to 75 million overseas listeners

Kerry-Anne Mendoza by Kerry-Anne Mendoza
19 June 2022
in Trending, UK
Reading Time: 4 mins read
169 3
A A
0
Home Trending
319
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The BBC World Service transmits news and views from Britain across the world. But in a segment ‘educating’ overseas listeners on domestic politics, the service described Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as ‘pro-Russian’.

BBC breakdown

The BBC has faced widespread condemnation for its treatment of Corbyn, particularly since the Salisbury poison attacks. BBC Newsnight even went so far as to portray the Labour leader with a red hue, against a Kremlin backdrop. The show once depicted Corbyn as a supporter of Donald Trump, despite the men being at opposite ends of the political spectrum.

People are rightly alarmed by BBC #newsnight this week. You should know that former Editor Ian Katz who started the photo shopped hats & was anti Corbyn for his time there, is now Director of Programmes on Channel 4. pic.twitter.com/aTW2E05aXL

— Dylan George (@DylanStrain) March 18, 2018

But while Newsnight is a flagship political programme at home, the BBC World Service (English) reaches 75 million people around the world. During an episode of Weekend, BBC World Service UK political correspondent Rob Watson gave this explanation for criticism of Corbyn over the Salisbury poisonings:

To try and get this in some kind of context for people listening… Let me say something about post-Second World War politics of the European left.

After a short apology for “being a bit crude” in his approach, Watson continued that, since the Second World War:

The Western European left has essentially been divided. There are those who are sort of, basically, they were socialists but very pro-Western, pro-markets really, pro-American, pro-NATO.

And another part of the European left was not only left in its economic outlook, but was actually very anti-Western, anti-NATO, pro-Soviet Union. And Jeremy Corbyn is in that camp, in the latter camp, and essentially, what some members of his opposition… Labour Party are saying is ‘For goodness’ sake Jeremy, you’re in the wrong camp, mate!’

The #BBCbias against Jeremy Corbyn is escalating beyond belief. The BBC World Service UK politics reporter describes him as in the "pro Soviet Union" camp. YOUR licence fee money is paying for what according to the former BBC Chairman are "quite extraordinary attacks" on Corbyn. pic.twitter.com/CyqoKgzwbS

— Devutopia (@D_Raval) March 17, 2018

Watson doesn’t just oversimplify the issue here, he butchers it. His description of the UK left as pro-Soviet versus pro-West factions is simply not true.

Inaccuracy squared

The UK left is diverse. It includes a wide spectrum of ideas which (in broad strokes) challenge neoliberal capitalism, while promoting peace, cooperation, human rights and social liberalism. Russia hasn’t been a factor for much of the left since the 1980s, and is certainly not central to Corbynism.

The pro-market, pro-US, pro-NATO camp to which Watson refers is actually a tiny but vocal cluster of Labour-right MPs and centrist pundits. These groups might describe themselves as ‘centre-left’ or ‘moderates’, but actually occupy the political space of classic or neoliberalism. They are broadly pro-welfare state, and (on the whole) socially liberal. But they also tend to support the privatisation and marketisation of public assets and services. Those on the left argue these methods have negative, long-term impacts that undermine the welfare state and liberal values.

Centrists are often hawks when it comes to foreign military interventions (otherwise known as wars). Their catastrophic misadventures in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and beyond did not temper these impulses. This can be demonstrated perfectly by one arch-centrist: David Aaronovitch. BBC and Guardian pundit Aaronovitch was a vocal supporter of the Iraq invasion, but was unnerved when weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) failed to materialise in the aftermath. In April 2003, he wrote a column entitled “Those weapons had better be there…”, in which he stated:

If nothing is eventually found, I – as a supporter of the war – will never believe another thing that I am told by our government, or that of the US ever again. And, more to the point, neither will anyone else. Those weapons had better be there somewhere.

Of course, there were no weapons. Was this a transformative experience for Aaronovitch? Nope.

Flash forward 15 years, and its dejá vù time. Again, Corbyn is the genuinely moderate voice calling for an evidence-based approach before we jump to costly false conclusions. And again, Aaronovitch is in full attack mode.

Just to be clear, the Corbyn call for evidence re Russia is a smokescreen, just as was Ed Miliband's for proof of Syrian use of WMD in 2013. The truth is that he and his closest advisor consider the US to be the greater threat, and always have.

— David Aaronovitch (@DAaronovitch) March 14, 2018

Make it stop

For the last three years, centrists have been bemoaning the “post-truth era” and “fake news”. Now, those same people are vilifying anyone calling for calm and considered behaviour in the wake of a serious incident. And they see no irony in their actions at all.

Welcome to the new McCarthyism. The witch hunt is on.

Get Involved!

– You can make a complaint to the BBC here.

– Join The Canary, so we can keep holding the powerful to account.

– Read and support other independent media outlets:

Media Diversified, Novara Media, Corporate Watch, Red Pepper, New Internationalist, Common Space, Media Lens, Bella Caledonia, Vox Political, Evolve Politics, Real Media, Reel News, STRIKE! magazine, The Bristol Cable, The Meteor, The Skwawkbox, Salford Star, The Ferret.

Featured image via Twitter/Twitter

Share128Tweet80
Previous Post

The British Army ‘failed’ to investigate the alleged abuse of teenage boys

Next Post

The government just tried (and failed) to discredit inconvenient new evidence in the Russian spy case

Next Post
May Russian

The government just tried (and failed) to discredit inconvenient new evidence in the Russian spy case

Homeless

The homelessness minister is ignorant of what's driving homelessness. So we've set her straight.

Rupert Murdoch and Jeremy Corbyn and the Times logo

The Times newspaper's major 'scoop' on Jeremy Corbyn today got debunked before the ink was dry

Department for Work and Pensions Logo DWP

A daughter had to present the DWP with her dead mum's ashes to prove she wasn't 'fit-for-work'

BBC Newsnight panel

A reminder how BBC Newsnight reacted when they found out on-air that Jeremy Corbyn might become Labour leader

If you can’t beat them, join them. Right? If Keir Starmer hasn’t joined them, he certainly has just made the daunting prospect of a Farage-led government just that bit more likely.
Opinion

#SwindonsSundaySermon: if you can’t beat ’em – make sure you’re even worse

by Rachael Swindon
18 May 2025
This year, the Sunday Times rich list came out on the same day as financial regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed that 21% of UK people have less than £1,000 in their bank.
Analysis

Two sets of figures just dropped. Together they show an alarming reality about the UK

by James Wright
18 May 2025
Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts
Analysis

Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts

by The Canary
16 May 2025
Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for asking difficult questions
Analysis

Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for doing their job

by HG
16 May 2025
FIFA face human rights questions over upcoming world cups in Saudi Arabia and the US
Analysis

FIFA face human rights questions over upcoming world cups in Saudi Arabia and the US

by Maryam Jameela
16 May 2025
  • Contact
  • About & FAQ
  • Get our Daily News Email
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

The Canary
PO Box 71199
LONDON
SE20 9EX

Canary Media Ltd – registered in England. Company registration number 09788095.

For guest posting, contact [email protected]

For other enquiries, contact: [email protected]

The Canary is owned and run by independent journalists and volunteers, NOT offshore billionaires.

You can write for us, or support us by making a regular or one-off donation.

© Canary Media Ltd 2024, all rights reserved | Website by Monster | Hosted by Krystal | Privacy Settings

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion

© 2023 Canary - Worker's co-op.

Before you go, have you seen...?

If you can’t beat them, join them. Right? If Keir Starmer hasn’t joined them, he certainly has just made the daunting prospect of a Farage-led government just that bit more likely.
Opinion
Rachael Swindon

#SwindonsSundaySermon: if you can’t beat ’em – make sure you’re even worse

This year, the Sunday Times rich list came out on the same day as financial regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed that 21% of UK people have less than £1,000 in their bank.
Analysis
James Wright

Two sets of figures just dropped. Together they show an alarming reality about the UK

Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts
Analysis
The Canary

Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts

Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for asking difficult questions
Analysis
HG

Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for doing their job

ADVERTISEMENT
Business
Nathan Spears

Smart Delivery Positions Mr Nang as a Leader in Australia’s Cream Charger Market

Lifestyle
Nathan Spears

Social Media Activism: How Grassroots Movements Are Gaining Power Online

Travel
Nathan Spears

Best Destinations In Spain For A Couples Holiday