Monday 13 January 2003

Pilger cleared of bias in Palestine documentary

British television regulators have cleared journalist John Pilger of breaking broadcasting rules in his documentary on the Middle East which attracted more than 100 complaints from viewers.

Palestine is still the issue: A special report by John Pilger, shown in the United Kingdom in September and in New Zealand one month later, incurred the wrath of Michael Green, the Jewish chairman of Carlton television which made the programme, and provoked 116 complaints about bias and inaccuracy to the Independent Television Commission (ITC). The ITC also received 553 letters supporting the documentary.

In an adjudication published today the ITC says that, despite orchestrated campaigning for and against the programme, Carlton had provided "persuasive evidence of the care and thoroughness with which it was researched".

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