Since the current conflict in Lebanon began, More4 News has interviewed three Israeli politicians or diplomats and one Syrian, one Lebanese and a Hamas spokesman.
We've also talked to an Israeli anti-war commentator, and various political pundits, each with their own blend of analysis and passionately held opinion.
We set this down on the record because, amid the close monitoring and accusations of bias that tend to accompany Middle-east coverage, one charge against broadcasters is that Israeli politicians have been getting disproportionate (that word again!) airtime. But how useful is this kind of analysis as an indicator of bias?
We want to interview politicians about what's going on in Lebanon for two reasons - to hear their side of the story, and to submit it to interrogation. In the aftermath of something like the Qana bombing, broadcasters - and, we think, their viewers - want to hear how those responsible will defend something that many people will feel is wrong.
Government spokesmen several thousand miles away are compared to some we deal with closer to home. But obviously we're not going to let that dictate the balance of coverage. Who's counting the minutes of airtime then? Well, apparently the Israeli government is. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's media adviser was quoted in the Israeli press a fortnight ago boasting that Israeli politicians were being interviewed more than their Lebanese counterparts.
And for a guest-booker, it's remarkable how helpful and obliging Israeli. Of course, interested parties on all sides of the debate will keep monitoring and complaining, either on an individual basis or - as sometimes happens - in organised email campaigns. And fair enough. But bear in mind that the editorial judgments being made are sometimes more complicated than just totting up the minutes.
Comments