My interview with the BBC

My interview with the BBC
By Gabriele Zamparini (*)


On 17 November 2005 I received an email from the BBC. They wanted to interview me for the BBC 2 programme Newsnight. Wow! I felt excited. Then I thought, wait a minute. Why should the BBC interview the guy who wrote “Will the BBC tell the truth about Fallujah?” (November 07, 2005), “EXCLUSIVE: the BBC is WRONG!!! Fallujah, the RAI NEWS 24 documentary and my e-mail exchange with the BBC” (November 08, 2005). “BBC and Fallujah: War Crimes, Lies and Omertà” (November 09, 2005), “The BBC, of course!” (November 16, 2005), “SHAMELESS BBC: WHEN MISINFORMATION MEANS WAR CRIMES. Exclusive interview with Karen Parker, Chief Counsel of the Association of Humanitarian Lawyers” (November 17, 2005). Still thinking, I got the first of three telephone calls from BBC Newsnight. After each call I sent an email to a friend of mine to let him know about the news. Here below I reproduce the e-mail I received from the BBC asking for an interview and the three e-mails I sent to my friend. Have fun!

From: "XXXXXXXXX
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:10:21 -0000
To:
Subject: BBC NEWSNIGHT QUERY

To Whom It May Concern,

I am trying to get the contact details for Gabriele Zamparini for a possible BBC Newsnight interview.

If I could possibly be provided with his relevant number - I would be very grateful. I can be reached either by email, or on my mobile - XXXXXXXX

With best wishes,

XXXXXX

FIRST EMAIL TO MY FRIEND:

XXXX XXXX just called me. First she invited me for tonight's programme. Then she asked me a couple of questions, like, what do you think about bloggers? It's a good or bad thing? How bloggers get their news? Etc...

I gave very short, "balanced" answers. But probably even that wasn't enough balanced since at the end she told me that this thing of tonight was not sure and she would call me back in a couple of hours. (…)

So, now. I am waiting for their decision. Then I will decide.

My feeling is that they wanted "a blogger" to talk about the "blogs world"!

Probably my answers have not been "satisfactory" for the kind of programme they have in mind.

Gabriele

SECOND EMAIL TO MY FRIEND:

They called me again. This time was a male journalist, too bad I didn't get his name. He wanted to know "my point of view"

So I said: so, this means that if you don't like what I say, you won't invite me, right?

Then I answered and told him what "my point of view" was.

I have been extremely polite, even sweet.

But I expressed my view.

He kept saying: "your feelings are"

I kept repeating: "it's not about my feelings but about facts"

I told him that there is a whole universe of alternative information out there. And people prefer spend their time following these media because they have lost completely the trust with the mainstream. I told him that people are not stupid. I told him that those in the mainstream media seem to me like those in the green zone in Baghdad. They are completely isolated from the real world.

And about the war in Iraq, I told him that the "coverage" of the BBC is simply shameful and I wonder how people can sleep at night knowing all what's happening.

I told him that of course there are a lot of professional journalists at the BBC and I ask him what they are waiting for and when they are going to work as journalists, since now most of the time they seem to be the spokespeople for 10 Downing street, or for the pentagon or the white house.

I also told him that even though at the BBC they don't have to struggle like most of us in the alternative media, I would never switch my life with theirs.

I was always very polite, low voice, and sweet.

At the end, he said: "If we need you, we'll call you"

"Yes, of course sir. Good luck." was my answer

THIRD EMAIL TO MY FRIEND:

The name was XXX XXXX. He called again. Wanted to know who passed me the info about the Military Magazine that reported the use of WP in Fallujah. I told him that at the end of my article there is written the name with the link of the American guy who passed me that info and that he had written this on his blog the same day. It took 30 minutes just to make him understand how to go to the blog and click the link! These guys are preparing a programme on blogs or want to pass the info to someone? He was shocked that "bloggers" pass such important info each other!!! It seems the programme will be focused on the "power of blogs", not on the issue! Of course! The funny part: he said: So the BBC reported on this after you published it on your blog?

Answer: Yeah, right! I wish. The BBC "reported" on this only after Monbiot published it on the Guardian!!!

Professional journalism at the BBC...

Oh yes. The interview. What interview?

(*) Gabriele Zamparini is an independent filmmaker, writer and journalist living in London. He's the producer and director of the documentaries XXI CENTURY and The Peace! DVD and author of American Voices of Dissent (Paradigm Publishers). He can be reached at info@thecatsdream.com