Two interesting stories today about the media coverage of the war. The Sun (UK) reports that the BBC was slammed from inside for bias. And we in the U.S. learn a new verb: "gobsmack."
THE BBC was last night sensationally condemned for "one-sided" war coverage - by its own front line defence correspondent. Paul Adams attacks the Beeb for misreporting the Allied advance in a blistering memo leaked to The Sun. And he warned the BBC's credibility is at risk for suggesting British troops are paying a "high price for small victories". On Monday, he wrote from US Central Command in Qatar: "I was gobsmacked to hear, in a set of headlines today, that the coalition was suffering 'significant casualties'. “This is simply NOT TRUE. Nor is it true to say - as the same intro stated - that coalition forces are fighting 'guerrillas'. "It may be guerrilla warfare, but they are not guerrillas."
Nielsen ratings show Fox News Channels rules.
Fox News Channel has outdrawn CNN in the ratings through the first five days of the war, a further proof of Fox's audience appeal and a blow to CNN, which was hoping to revitalize the reputation it built during the first Gulf War. Through Monday, Fox News Channel has averaged 4 million viewers each day to CNN's 3.57 million. Fox's audience was bigger when the war began March 19, and every day through Monday, according to Nielsen Media Research. While Fox has been the top-rated cable news channel for more than a year, industry experts wondered whether that lead would hold during a big breaking news story. CNN overtook Fox, for example, on Feb. 1 when the space shuttle disintegrated.
Despite CNN's overwhelming advantage in reporting manpower, more Americans — at least so far — want to watch the war unfold on Fox.
Posted by Alan at March 26, 2003 11:49 AM