Kuyimfuneko yezintatheli zezinkampani ukuthi zihloniphe izimiso zemibono yabakhokhi bazo kanye namandla ombuso - umthombo obalulekile 'wezindaba' kanye 'nokwaziswa' kwamazwana, phela. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, intatheli yebhizinisi ithanda ukuveza isithombe esizisebenzelayo njengomphenyi oyiqhawe, umshampeni wentando yeningi, kanye nomgqugquzeli wenkulumompikiswano enobulungiswa nebhalansi. Imvamisa, vele, umphakathi uyakwazi ukubona ngalo mkhuba.
U-Huw Edwards, umfundi wezindaba we-BBC, wake walandisa ngendaba ephathelene nokugilwa esitimeleni yindoda 'ethukuthele':
'Ngemva nje kokubuya kwami โโngivela eLashkar Gah [idolobha eliseningizimu ye-Afghanistan kanye nenhloko-dolobha yeSifundazwe sase-Helmand] ngo-2008, ngabhekana nendoda esitimeleni eya eLondon. Engxoxweni ebuhlungu engathathanga ngaphezu kwemizuzu emihlanu, uveze ukukhathazeka okubalulekile mayelana nokusakazwa kwe-BBC nge-Afghanistan. Bonke babexhunyaniswe ngandlela thize nemvelo yobudlelwano bemithombo yezindaba yaseBrithani namabutho ahlomile.
'Ubecasulwe ukubika kwethu "okusontekile", isimo sethu "njengeziboshwa" zamabutho ngesikhathi sihlala e-Helmand, kanye nokwenqaba kwethu okubonakala ngamabomu ukubika "iqiniso". Ah, yebo. Iqiniso.' (URichard Lance Keeble noJohn Mair, abahleli, I-Afghanistan, Impi kanye Nezindaba: Izinsuku zokugcina kanye Nemigqa Engaphambili, I-Arima Publishing, Bury St Edmunds, 2010, p. ix)
Impendulo yendoda ye-BBC exosha emoyeni - 'Ah yebo. Iqiniso' โ lingadlala kahle ekhasini, kumnyama nokumhlophe. Kodwa akatsheli umfundi ukuthi empeleni utheni kumbangi esitimeleni, nokuthi ukushintshana kwabo kuphele kanjani. Phela lokho kuzobandakanya u-Edward eveza umbono wakhe, okuyinto izintatheli ze-BBC ngokusobala ezingavunyelwe ukuyenza!
Esikhundleni salokho, uyabubula ngokwefilosofi futhi utshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi 'iqiniso' 'isifiso esinzima kakhulu sentatheli', wengeza:
'Ekubikweni ngempi, lokho kuba nzima kuthathwa kufinyelele emazingeni asabekayo nakakhulu.'
U-Huw Edwards wenza ukubika okunembile kuzwakale njengenkinga ethile ku-quantum gravity, okuthile 'okungenakwenzeka' okungenzeka ukuthi ngeke kufinyelelwe phakade. Kodwa umgibeli ayehamba naye isitimela wayeqinisile. Lapho kukhona 'ukukhathazeka okuyisisekelo mayelana nokusakazwa kwe-BBC nge-Afghanistan' - kanye ne-Iraq, i-Israel-Palestine, i-Iran, i-Syria, ubumpofu, ubunxiwankulu bomhlaba wonke, isiphithiphithi sezulu esizayo, njalonjalo. Kodwa u-Edward - othile ophathiswe umsebenzi wokufunda i-News at Ten futhi aphawule ngemiqhudelwano yasebukhosini, okungenani - uyingxenye yeqembu elikhethekile le-BBC News elibonakala ngeqembu lesikhungo elicabangayo elingavumeli ukukhathazeka okubalulekile ngendima yomsakazi.
Njengesazi sezokuhlalisana kwabantu uStuart Hall ngendlela efanele uyabona:
'Abezindaba bachazela iningi labantu ukuthi yiziphi izenzakalo ezibalulekile ezenzekayo, kodwa, futhi, banikeza izincazelo ezinamandla zendlela yokuqonda lezi zenzakalo.'
Futhi kunoma iyiphi ingxoxo 'enomthwalo wemfanelo' yezehlakalo nezinkinga, imingcele ibekwa ngaphakathi kwemingcele elawulekayo evimbela izinselele ezinkulu ekusungulweni. Njengesibonelo esihle, isazi-mlando uMark Curtis ucaphuna uhlelo lwe-BBC Isikhathi Sombuzo - usihlalo uDavid Dimbleby, enye indoda ephezulu yenhlangano (kanye nowake waba. Ilungu leBullingdon Club) okuphathiswe ukuphawula okubukhoma kwemicimbi yombuso - 'njenge-microcosm yokuthi abezindaba basebenza kanjani':
'akuvamile ukuthi kumenywe amazwi abucayi. Uma kunjalo, kuyivelakancane kangangokuthi imibono yabo ingagcina izwakala inhlekisa uma iqhathaniswa nokubukwa "okuvamile" kanye "nokulinganisela" kwabanye abahleli bephaneli. Kuyamukeleka ukuthi amaphaneli eSikhathi Semibuzo agxekane ngaphakathi kokuvumelana kwezikhulu kodwa hhayi ukuthi noma ubani agxeke bonke ngaphandle kwalokho kuvumelana.' (Iwebhu Yokukhohlisa, Vintage, 2003, p. 378)
UCurtis uyaqhubeka:
'Ubufakazi bukhulu bokuthi i-BBC kanye nezindaba zethelevishini zezentengiselwano zibika ngenqubomgomo yezangaphandle yaseBrithani ngezindlela ezifana nezinhlaka zenkulumo-ze yombuso eqondile. Nakuba kungaqondiswa umbuso, umphumela wawo ungase ube; akucashile ngisho. I-BBC, i-ITV kanye ne-Channel 5 izindaba azibiki lutho olugxeka kakhulu ngenqubomgomo yezangaphandle yaseBrithani; okuhlukile umbiko oyinqaba wezindaba zeChannel 4. Izindaba zikamabonakude - umthombo wolwazi lwabantu abaningi - zihlinzeka ngokuhlanekezela okwedlulele kwemithombo yezindaba โฆ idlala umsebenzi wokucabanga omkhulu kunowabezindaba.' (Ibid., p. 379)
I-Craft Propaganda
Lo msebenzi wokucabanga wawucacile ku-BBC Newsnight 'special' edition ngoFebhuwari 26, 2013, enesihloko esithi. 'I-Iraq: Iminyaka eyi-10'. Esinye sezihambeli endaweni yesikhulumi phambi kwezithameli ezimenyiwe kwakungumhleli onesihloko esithi 'Umhleli Wezindaba Zomhlaba', uJohn Simpson. Intatheli engumakadebona inomoya we-avuncular gravitas, njengenguqulo yokubika kwezepolitiki kaDavid Attenborough, esiza ukukhuthaza umbono we-BBC News njengonegunya futhi unokuqonda. Kodwa bheka amazwi akhe ngokukhanya okubandayo komqondo ophusile, ephuciwe iphimbo elinzima kanye nesethulo esiqinile, futhi empeleni aqukethe ingqikithi encane, incane kakhulu noma yini ebekela amandla inselelo enkulu (njengoba sike sabhala ngaphambili: bona lapha futhi lapha). Ngempela, ngezinye izikhathi lawo mazwi ayakhohlisa. Isibonelo, ngesinye isikhathi emnikelweni wakhe we-Newsnight uSimpson wathi ngempela:
'Kwamethusa uBlair noBush ukuthola ukuthi uSaddam wayezilahle ngezikhali izikhali zakhe ngaphambili.'
Yimaphi amandla engqondo ayimfihlo uSimpson angaba nawo okuthola 'ukushaqeka kwangempela' ngaphakathi kobuchopho bukaBlair noBush? Kunokuba uSaddam alahle izikhali zakhe ngobuqili, kungani uSimpson engazange abike, njengoba kwakufanele enze eminyakeni eyi-10 edlule, ukuthi i-Iraq ibisebenza ngempumelelo. isuswe i-WMD yayo?
Iwebhusayithi ye-BBC ngokwayo isenayo okulotshiwe wengxoxo noSaddam Hussein, eyenziwa nguTony Benn ngoFebhuwari 2003, lapho uSaddam ethi: 'I-Iraq ayinazo izikhali zokucekela phansi okukhulu.' Ngempela, isikhulu sezikhali sase-Iraq uGeneral Hussein Kamal, owahlubuka kuhulumeni ngo-1995, utshele I-CIA, i-intelligence yaseBrithani kanye nabahloli be-UN ukuthi i-Iraq yayisuse i-WMD yayo kulandela iMpi Ye-Gulf ka-1990-91:
'Zonke izikhali- zebhayoloji, amakhemikhali, imicibisholo, zenuzi, zacekelwa phansi.'
Lokhu kwakunjalo embule odabeni lwe Newsweek eyanyatheliswa ngo-February 2003, ngaphambi kokuhlasela kwe-Iraq. Kodwa akusizanga ngalutho ukumisa inkambo eyayinqunyelwe impi eyamiswa uBush, uBlair ehambisana naye ngokuzithandela. Ngempela, inhlangano yabezindaba yase-United States, i-FAIR, yabika ukuthi 'awekho amaphephandaba amakhulu ase-US noma izinhlelo zethelevishini zezwe' ezithinte le ndaba; bekuyi anganakwa. Ngobuqili, noma ngenye indlela, uJohn Simpson we-BBC akazange akhulume noma yikuphi kwalokhu ku-Newsnight.
Kamuva, umethuli weNewsnight uKirsty Wark wakhuluma noHans Blix ngesixhumanisi sevidiyo:
'Wawungumhloli wezikhali omkhulu. Ubunikwe umsebenzi wokufuna nokuthola i-WMD. Manje sesisesimweni lapho kungenzeka ukuthi i-Iran isendleleni yokuba ne-WMD.'
Lokhu bekuwukuchema okwesabekayo kwentatheli ye-BBC esezingeni eliphezulu, 'engachemi'. Bekukuhle u-Kafkaesque ukuthi intatheli ye-BBC ephezulu, lapho ixoxa ngenhlekelele eholwa yinkulumo-ze yase-Iraq, iphinde indaba efanayo eyasungulwa ye-WMD eyethusayo maqondana ne-Iran, ngokusobala ngokungazi okuphelele!
Abukho ubufakazi obuqinile nhlobo, kuphela ukucabangela kanye nokwesaba amazwe aseNtshonalanga anamandla kanye no-Israyeli, ukuthi i-Iran ithuthukisa i-WMD (bona I-Iran 'Usongo' Emhlabeni Kafkaesque ngu-Edward S. Herman noDavid Peterson). Kodwa ukwenzelela bekulokhu kuqhubeka endleleni kaKirsty Wark kuyo yonke i-Newsnight 'njengomongameli' we-BBC. Kuyena interview nowayengundunankulu uTony Blair, uWark waze wabuza:
'Kodwa akukubi yini ngendlela yokuthi kuleli zwe manje asikwazi ukuphinde silwe ngenxa yezobunhloli, akunjalo?'
Ukungazi kukaWark ngepolitiki yangempela yesisusa sempi akunakuthethelelwa futhi akuchazeki. Impi yase-Iraq ayizange ilwe 'ngokwesisekelo sobuhlakani'. Kunalokho, njengoba engadumile I-Downing St memos kwavezwa, 'ubuhlakani namaqiniso bekulungiswa kunqubomgomo'. Futhi inqubomgomo bekuwukusungula impi yobudlova ngokumelene ne-Iraq.
Ngempela, iWashington neLondon bakha itulo lokuheha uSaddam ukuba avimbe i-UN, ngaleyo ndlela anikeze izaba ezicashile zempi. Njengoba thina kuphawulwe ngo-2005, 'izindaba zangempela kumamemo e-Downing Street' zachazwa yintatheli uMichael Smith Los Angeles Times:
'Nakuba uBlair noBush besagcizelela ukuthi isinqumo sokuya ku-UN sasimayelana nokunqanda impi, enye incwadi ithi empeleni kwakumayelana "nonyawo olungalungile" uHussein ukuze abanike isizathu esingokomthetho sempi.
'Izikhulu zaseBrithani zazithemba ukuthi i-ultimatum ingahlelwa ngamagama angeke amukeleke kuHussein kangangokuthi uzokwenqaba ngokuqondile. Kodwa bebekude nokuqiniseka ukuthi lokhu kuzosebenza, ngakho-ke bekukhona nohlelo Bโฆ Kalula nje, izindiza zase-US ebezizulazula endaweni okungeyona impukane ziwisa amabhomu amaningi ngethemba lokuthi zizovusa amadlingozi azonika abalingani izaba. ukwenza umkhankaso ogcwele wokuqhunyiswa kwamabhomu, impi yomoya, isigaba sokuqala sokungqubuzana.'
Isiphetho sikaSmith esihlakaniphile sasiwukuthi 'indlela ukuhlakanipha "kwalungiswa" ngayo ukuze kuthethelelwe impi kwakuyizindaba ezindala.' Kunalokho:
'Izindaba zangempela yisivumelwano esibi sika-April 2002 [lapho uBlair evakashela uBush eCrawford, eTexas] ukuya empini, ukusetshenziswa kabi kwe-UN ukunikeza izaba, kanye nemfihlo, impi yomoya engekho emthethweni ngaphandle kokusekelwa yiCongress.'
U-Alan Greenspan, usihlalo osenesikhathi eside we-Federal Reserve Board of Governors, wabhala ngokudumile:
'Ngiphatheke kabi ukuthi akulungile kwezombusazwe ukuvuma lokho wonke umuntu akwaziyo: impi yase-Iraq ikakhulukazi imayelana nowoyela.' (Inkathi Yeziyaluyalu, Penguin, New York, 2007, p. 463)
NoMichael Klare, uprofesa wezokuthula nezokuphepha emhlabeni kanye nombhali we Izinsiza zempi, ukuphawula ukuthi:
'Ukulawula i-Iraq kumayelana nowoyela njengamandla, kunokuba uwoyela njengophethiloli. Ukulawula i-Persian Gulf kuhumusha ekulawuleni i-Europe, Japan, ne-China. Sibeka isandla sethu phezu kwe-spigot.'
Ukuthekelisa Intando Yeningi Phansi Ngomphongolo Wesibhamu
Kodwa iqiniso elinjalo alamukeleki ngokomqondo, mhlawumbe akucabangeki nokucabanga, kunoma ubani onezifiso zokuba umbhangqwana ophephile wezandla ze-BBC; futhi kubukeka sengathi akuvunyelwe ukungena kunoma yisiphi isikripthi se-BBC esilungisiwe.
Umbhali kanye nomhlaziyi wezepolitiki Nafeez Ahmed wayekhona ekurekhodweni okukhethekile kweNewsnight futhi wanikwa imizuzwana embalwa ukuthi akhulume nezilaleli. Ngalo kanye usuku okwasakazwa ngalo isipesheli seNewsnight, washicilela a Ucezu edalule futhi yabhidliza 'izinganekwane eziyisikhombisa' ezisekela umkhawulo we-BBC nokuhlanekezelwa kohlaka lwenkulumo-mpikiswano. Lokhu kufaka phakathi isimangalo esibucayi sokuthi ukuthathwa kwezinqumo eWashington naseLondon kuphanjaniswe 'ubuhlakani obungalungile', nokuthi isinqumo sikahulumeni kaBlair sokuya empini sasisekelwe ohlelweni olusemthethweni lwephalamende. Kafushane, uthi U-Ahmed:
'I-Newsnight yalishaya indiva iqiniso elase libhalwe kahle manje lokuthi impi yaqalwa isethi yemigomo yamasu emincane eyayingenazo izintshisekelo zabantu base-Iraq enhliziyweniโฆ. Naphezu kokuba amaqiniso etholakala kabanzi futhi kalula embhalweni womphakathi, uhlelo lwe-Newsnight lokugubha iminyaka eyi-10 yempi lwabafiphaza kangangokuthi imibuzo yangempela, ebucayi yayinganakwa kakhulu.'
Uma umbuzo owodwa, ogcwele imibuzo uveza insizakalo ye-BBC yokusho inkulumo-ze, kulapho u-Kirsty Wark ebuza uzakwabo, umhleli wezokuvikela we-BBC Newsnight uMark Urban:
'Ucabanga ukuthi umqondo wokukhipha intando yeningi emazweni angaphandle ekupheleni kombhobho wesibhamu usuphelile?'
Umfundi we-Media Lens u-Tony Shenton uphonsele inselelo u-Kirsty Wark nge-imeyili (Februwari 26, 2013):
'Ukholelwa ngokucacile ukuthi iBrithani ihlasela amanye amazwe ukuze ikhiphe intando yeningi nenkululeko. Ngakho-ke, ngicela ungachaza ukuthi kungani uBlair noCameron et al beqhubeka nokuba ngabangane nababusi abanonya njengeSaudi Arabia neBahrain njll?
'Ingabe uNoam Chomsky akanembile uma ethi iBrithani ne-US bazokweseka imibuso enonya kakhulu inqobo nje uma behlala bethobela abantu abakhethekile baseNtshonalanga?'
U-Wark uphendule (Februwari 27, 2013):
'Ngiyabonga nge-imeyili yakho. Unelungelo lokuthola umbono wakho, kodwa angazi ukuthi ungazi kanjani ukuthi yini engiyicabangayo, bengimane ngibuza umbuzo.'
UShenton uphendule (Februwari 28, 2013):
'Njengoba wazi, indlela oyihlela ngayo inkulumo-mpikiswano yembula okuningi mayelana nezinkolelo zakho.'
Umbuzo ka-Wark ogcwele imibono mayelana 'nentando yeningi yokuthunyelwa kwamanye amazwe' ukhumbula a i-imeyili eyinqaba yake yathunyelwa kuMedia Lens nguHelen Boaden, owayengumqondisi we-BBC News. Wayenamathisele amakhasi ayisithupha ezingcaphuno ezivela kuBush noBlair okuthiwa bafakazela izinhloso zabo ezinhle zokuhlasela i-Iraq!
Umsebenzi Wezindaba ze-BBC? Ukulondoloza Ibhalansi Yamandla!
U-Nick Robinson unikeza incazelo yomsebenzi emfishane yendima yakhe njengomhleli wezepolitiki we-BBC encwadini Live From Downing Street:
'Umsebenzi wami ukubika ngalokho abakucabangayo nabakwenzayo labo abaphethe kanye nalabo abazama ukuziphendulela ePhalamende.' (Bantam Books, 2012, isandulela).
Lo mbono wokusakazwa kwenkonzo yomphakathi ubulokhu ukhona kusukela ezinsukwini zokuqala ze-BBC, kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1920s. Iziteshi zezentengiso zalandela okufanayo. UStuart Hood, owayenguMlawuli we-BBC Television, wake waphawula ngazo zombili iziteshi ze-BBC kanye nezentengiso ukuthi:
'uhumushe ukungachemi njengokwemukelwa kwaleyo ngxenye yemibono ehlanganisa ukuvumelana kwephalamende. Umbono ongaphumeleli kulokho kuvumelana unobunzima ekutholeni inkulumo.' (UJames Curran noJean Seaton, Amandla Ngaphandle Kokuzibophezela: Abezindaba nokusakaza eBrithani, uhlelo lwesi-5, Routledge, London, 1997, p. 170)
Umbhali UDan Hind iphawula kahle ukuthi lapho umphakathi usubuswe yizintshisekelo zebhizinisi, abezindaba bezinkampani 'ibhalansi nokungakhethi' bavuna kakhulu labo asebevele bathole amandla amakhulu, 'kube benza lokhu kuchema kubonakale kungokwemvelo futhi kunobulungisa.' (Ukubuya Komphakathi, Verso, 2007, p. 56).
U-Hind uyanezela:
'...abaphathi be-BBC bahlala beqinisekile ukuthi bangakwazi ukubona lokho abantu okudingeka bakwazi futhi nokuthi bangakwazi ukumisa izingxabano zezombusazwe nezomnotho ngendlela elinganiselayo nengenzeleli. Umbono wokusebenzela umphakathi ubasiza ukuthi bazibone bengochwepheshe abasezingeni eliphezulu. Ilungelo labo lokunquma ukuthi yini eyamukelwa obala litholakala kulokho abakufezile kwezobuchwepheshe, ulwazi lwabo kanye nokuzibophezela kwabo emcabangweni othize.' (Ibid., p. 56)
Le 'ideology ethize' iwukuthi, njengoba sesichazile ezincwadini eziningi nasezixwayiso eziningi, ukucabanga okungamanga kokuthi uhulumeni 'wethu' uzothatha isinyathelo ngenhloso enhle, ngisho nalapho ebangela izinhlekelele zobuntu kwamanye amazwe; nokuthi ubunxiwankulu obuholwa yinkampani buyisimo sezindaba esingokwemvelo - noma, okungenani, esingenakuphikiswa.
Abaphathi be-BBC, abahleli abaphezulu kanye nezintatheli bawufake ngaphakathi lo mbono ongamanga, ukuze bangakwazi ukwelapha inkulumo-ze yombuso kanye ne-disinformation ngokuhlolisisa nokungabaza okudingekayo. Imiphumela yalokhu kwehluleka okukhulu kwentando yeningi ihlanganisa Impi Yaphakade, ubungxiwankulu bezinkampani obudlangile kanye nokungabi nampendulo kukahulumeni engcupheni yezinxushunxushu zesimo sezulu. Manje-ke, akusona isikhathi somkhankaso wesitayela sikaGandhi we ukungalaleli okunokuthula ngabezindaba zebhizinisi, okungenani the BBC?
I-ZNetwork ixhaswa kuphela ngokuphana kwabafundi bayo.
Nikela