10 April 1997 Edition
BBC accused of bias
Mitchel Mclaughlin has repeated his accusation ``of censorship and media bias by the BBC''.
Following an interview with the SDLP's Seamus Mallon, MP for Newry/Armagh last Monday about the arson attack on a Catholic church in his constituency. The BBC had previously refused to conduct an interview with Martin McGuinness following the Coalisland shooting by undercover British soldiers, because it was defined as a constituency matter. ``Was last Monday's Seamus Mallon interview not also a constituency issue? Where lies the difference?'' asked Mitchel McLaughlin.
This is not the first time in recent weeks that the BBC has adopted a biased approach to interviews. When the BBC learned of Mitchel McLaughlin's meeting with the CBI two weeks ago it refused to give the issue local coverage because McLaughlin is a candidate, despite the fact that it covered the event on their news from London. In contrast, the BBC gave vast local coverage to Ian Paisley's march in Portadown which threatened nationalists with orange marches through their areas.
Following an interview with the SDLP's Seamus Mallon, MP for Newry/Armagh last Monday about the arson attack on a Catholic church in his constituency. The BBC had previously refused to conduct an interview with Martin McGuinness following the Coalisland shooting by undercover British soldiers, because it was defined as a constituency matter. ``Was last Monday's Seamus Mallon interview not also a constituency issue? Where lies the difference?'' asked Mitchel McLaughlin.
This is not the first time in recent weeks that the BBC has adopted a biased approach to interviews. When the BBC learned of Mitchel McLaughlin's meeting with the CBI two weeks ago it refused to give the issue local coverage because McLaughlin is a candidate, despite the fact that it covered the event on their news from London. In contrast, the BBC gave vast local coverage to Ian Paisley's march in Portadown which threatened nationalists with orange marches through their areas.