Panorama's coverage of 9/11 and the ‘War on Terror'

Editors: Paget, D. and Lacey, S.

Publisher: Cardiff University Press

Abstract:

The BBC requires its journalists to ‘report acts of terror quickly, accurately, fully and responsibly’ (BBC, 2012: 1) yet the Corporation’s flagship current affairs series Panorama’s investigation of the 11 September atrocities and the ensuing ‘War on Terror’ was narrow, factually-flawed and served to amplify hawkish policy prescriptions that ultimately led to ruinous wars against Afghanistan and Iraq. Evidence for this view emerges through an examination of four major investigations into Al-Qaeda and the events of 9-11 broadcast between September 2001 and July 2002. Study of these key episodes shows how Panorama’s coverage lacked investigative depth and drew unfounded links between the 9-11 leader Mohamed Atta and Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, whilst contributing to an information vacuum around the attacks that helped feed far-fetched conspiracy theories that sprang up in their aftermath.

Other Panorama episodes dealt with the broad subject of terrorism and ‘the War on Terror’ within this period, including three studio debates (‘Britain on the Brink’; ‘War on Terrorism’ and ‘Clash of Cultures’) which have been written about elsewhere (see Cottle, 2002). The focus here, however, is on the quality of the investigative reports that dealt with the traumatic events of September 2001 and their aftermath, events which led to a profound shift in US foreign and security policy, with far-reaching consequences for Britain and the rest of the world (see Norris, Kern and Just, 2003; Moeller, 2004).

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/28584/

Source: Manual

Preferred by: David McQueen

Panorama's coverage of 9/11 and the 'War on Terror'

Authors: McQueen, D.

Editors: Lacey, S. and Paget, D.

Pages: 143-159

Publisher: University of Wales Press

Place of Publication: Cardiff

ISBN: 978-1-78316-245-1

Abstract:

The BBC's 'flagship' current affairs series Panorama backed away from reporting on the 9-11 attacks despite having a senior reporter with relevant expertise in the area. Subsequent coverage lacked investigative depth, recycled commonplace analogies with Hollywood films and drew unfounded links between the 9-11 leader Mohamed Atta and Iraq. This chapter examines Panorama's much criticised coverage of the September 11th attacks, drawing on textual analysis of archival material and interviews to revisit a disturbing chapter in British current affairs coverage. The chapter explores the journalistic practices which led to such a failure, including the role of the 'star' reporter, managerial interference, over-reliance on official sources and a culture of caution. It examines how Panorama failed to separate fact from fiction in its use of Hollywood imagery and intelligence services disinformation which contributed to a politically charged atmosphere of fear. It will also closely examine Panorama's claims about the subsequent anthrax attacks which have since been traced back to a US bio-weapons laboratory. These claims which tenuously linked Al Qaeda and foreign powers were staged in highly dramatic ways drawing on horror and science fiction tropes and marked a further blurring of boundaries between fact and fiction. Panorama's coverage, in this respect, was typical of the media's response to the 9-11 atrocities and their aftermath by amplifying fear, echoing official lines of inquiry and avoiding awkward questions, for instance, about the role of domestic agents in the, now all-but-forgotten, anthrax attacks. The many failures of Panorama's 'investigative journalism' of this critical episode in recent history proved extremely useful to the Bush and Blair governments. The chapter concludes by reviewing the lessons that can be learnt from Panorama's initial failure of nerve and subsequent failure to investigate.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/28584/

Source: BURO EPrints