Wednesday, January 25, 2006

UK - Why does the BBC criticize the US so much?

Because it's easy. That's what the BBC's Washinton correspondent, Justin Webb, says. Be sure and read his statement on the masthead of this site.

RB. But you're saying there's a greater readiness to criticize America than there is to criticize China, or perhaps Saudi Arabia or other countries in the Middle East?

JW. And the reason is, I think, that it's easier, that we have a problem reporting open societies, particularly in a time of great international turmoil and war. It's just easier to criticize, it's easier to get information, it's easier to find people within the society who are immensely critical of it. Yet when you think of China, when you think of the Taliban...when you think of the situation in Iran it's just more difficult to get a handle on what's going on in those places. And I think there is a tendency, which we always have to guard against, of being tougher on democratic societies simply because it's easier.


If American society is so open and information so readily available, it should be just as easy not to be so critical or at least more honest than the BBC's usual reports on America.

Oddly, Webb recently spoke up for America and that got him in trouble. Funny that.
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