My response to the BBC's Leanne Buckle re the BBC Trust's response to my appeal to the BBC Trust

Further to the BBC's response to my complaint, I have replied.

Dear Leanne Buckle,

In reply to the BBC's letter that you sent me, I have some comments.

First of all the BBC have made an error in fact, in the letter sent to me.

The letter states this:

'The Senior Editorial Adviser considered the first element of the complaint, that holding the Q&A on a Jewish High Holy Day denied Jews the opportunity to participate.

The Senior Editorial Adviser noted that this was indeed a High Holy Day when many Jews spend time in the synagogue4 and when many observant Jews would not consider it appropriate to engage in online debates.

On 16 September 2012 at 6.06am Jeremy Bowen tweeted:

“Tomorrow (Monday) I’m answering your questions on the Mideast on twitter. Details are all here bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19601920”

The Senior Editorial Adviser noted that people who wished to submit questions were able to do so in advance via email and via Twitter and Facebook. Given that Rosh Hashanah did not commence until sundown that day, the Senior Editorial Strategy Adviser considered that observant Jews who wished to submit questions would have had the opportunity to do so before Jewish New Year began.'

This is factually incorrect, Rosh Hashonah started at sunset on 16 September not 17 September. Surely the BBC should have checked that fact before replying to me and relying upon that date. What is the BBC's Senior Editorial Adviser's position re the opportunity for observant Jews to ask questions now?


Secondly, the letter goes on to list the many subjects that were discussed in Jeremy Bowen's Twitter Q&A. It is my contention that by deliberately excluding the majority of Jews from being able to participate in this Q&A, Jeremy Bowen skewed what questions might have been asked - he excluded more difficult questions from disgruntled Jews by the timing of his Q&A.


Thirdly, the letter goes onto state that:

'The Senior Editorial Adviser could find no evidence that Jeremy Bowen was offensive. His observation that Jewish New Year “doesn’t stop quite a few Jews using social media!” was prefaced by “And I also know…” which suggested he knew this from experience. Whether this was an observation about friends or colleagues, or simply an observation about contact he’d received himself during Rosh Hashanah was unknown, but there was no evidence that this was either an offensive comment or a personal attack on the complainant.'

The BBC say that Jeremy Bowen's observation suggests that he knew this from experience but there seems to be no inclination to check with Jeremy Bowen himself. The letter states that there was no evidence that this was either 'an offensive comment or a personal attack on the complainant'. Nowhere did I say it was a personal attack on me, what I do say is that it was offensive. I'll explain why - by stating that he knows that just because it was one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, this does not prevent some Jews from using Social Media Jeremy Bowen is insulting those Jews who are observant and do not use Social Media on religious holy days. He is saying, other Jews use Social Media and so could they. Would he insult observant Muslims in a similar way?


Fourthly, I note that the BBC have not addressed at all the point I made asking if Jeremy Bowen would hold such a Twitter Q&A during Ramadan. This is relevant as it shows towards the followers of which religions Jeremy Bowen takes into account causing offence and towards which he does not.


I look forward to your prompt reply to this email. Especially bearing in mind that your original letter, denying my complaint access to the BBC Trust, relies heavily upon a factually incorrect statement.


Kind regards

NotaSheep MaybeaGoat

I wonder how the BBC will react to having been found out to have been trying to mislead me...