Feedback to the Today programme and a complaint

Further to my earlier post about the BBC's non-correction of misleading information on the Today programme I gave emailed feedback to the Today programme and also made a formal complaint to the BBC.

Here is the email that I sent the Today programme:

'Yesterday the BBC Radio 4 Today programme broadcast an interview with  Dr Aryeh Kontorovich who lives in Beersheva in southern Israel and Dr Mona El-Farra, vice president of the Red Crescent in Gaza. This morning's news summary at 07:30 included very little about the situation other than that has now been  a ceasefire which has resulted in Israel stopping attacking Gaza and that 200 rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel since Friday. This is deliberately misleading as it makes it seem as though the rockets only started on Friday and are as a result of retaliations after Israel's attack of Friday on Gaza terrorists (or in BBC language - 'militants'). This is not a minor matter as it neatly turns the blame for starting this latest violence onto Israel, when the blame should be laid squarely on the terrorist groups operating within Gaza who have been firing potentially lethal rockets at Israeli civilians for many months.

It is not as though this information is hard to come by. The BBC could subscribe to the Twitter feed from QassamCount for updates every time a rocket is fired at Israel. The BBC could look at the feed from Challah Huakbar or even just 'Challah's Gaza Rocket Counter' on the same site. For even more detailed information the BBC could even look at this list - http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Palestinian_ceasefire_violations_since_end_Operation_Cast_Lead.htm - of 'Palestinian ceasefire violations since the end of Operation Cast Lead'.

The real figures and facts are easily obtainable so why do the BBC allow interviewees such as Mona El-Farra to state that there have been no rocket attacks from Gaza.
"let me tell you that for the last four months there were no rockets against Israel and Palestinians respected the cease-fire."

Where was the correction from John Humphrys at the time or subsequently?'

I have also complained via the new BBC complaints website:

'Your Complaint
Type of complaint: Radio
Choose station: Radio 4
Programme title: Today
Featured in the programme: No
Transmission date: 12/03/2012
Broadcast type: Recorded/On demand
How long in to the show: 07:23
Complaint category: Factual error or inaccuracy
Contacted us before: No
Complaint title: Allowing deliberately misleading claims to be made
Complaint description:
Yesterday the BBC Radio 4 Today programme broadcast an interview with Mona El-Farra, vice president of the Red Crescent in Gaza. During this interview, Mona El-Farra was allowed to state that there have been no rocket attacks from Gaza prior to Friday's attack on Gaza by Israel: "let me tell you that for the last four months there were no rockets against Israel and Palestinians respected the cease-fire." This is factually untrue, so where was the correction from John Humphrys at the time or subsequently?' This morning's news summary at 07:30 stated that that 200 rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel since Friday. This is also deliberately misleading as it makes it seem as though the rockets only started on Friday and are as a result of retaliations after Israel's attack of Friday on terrorists in Gaza. This misdirection is important as it neatly turns the blame for starting this latest violence onto Israel, when the blame should be laid squarely on the terrorist groups operating within Gaza who have been firing potentially lethal rockets at Israeli civilians for many months. It is not as though the information is hard to come by. The BBC could subscribe to the Twitter feed from QassamCount for updates every time a rocket is fired at Israel or look at one of the other sites that keeps track of such attacks. Were the Today programme unaware that Mona El-Farra was lying or are they not interested in the truth? At the very least a correction should be broadcast.

Your Details
Receive a reply: Yes
Email address: notasheepmaybeagoat@gmail.com
Title: Mr
First name: NotaSheep
Last name: MaybeaGoat
Under 13: No
Location: England
First half of UK Postcode: W1'

I await the BBC's reply/replies...