Panorama Editor Sandy Smith’s Excuse Smacks of Religious Bias

Although BBC Panorama Editor Sandy Smith claims that he does not condone reporter John Sweeney’s insane rants against Scientologists, if you examine Mr. Smith’s explanation for why Sweeney had a meltdown, Smith demonstrates the same anti-Scientology [anti-religious] bias that the Church complains of with Sweeney.

Smith tries to cover for Sweeney by claiming that there was a “personality clash” between Sweeney and Tommy Davis, the Church representative who was the target of Sweeney’s rant. He also claims that the BBC crew were victims of the Church’s attempts to go after opponents and discredit them. He carefully omits to mention to the news media that it was only after the Church realized the preconceived agenda that John Sweeney was on, that he and his producer Sarah Mole were informed that the Church was going to make its own documentary to show exactly what they were really up to. The clip of Sweeney’s rant is one part of that documentary.

The documentary put together by the Church of Scientology, which can be found at www.bbcpanorama-exposed.org is worth watching as it is shows the sleazy tabloid tactics that are used by Panorama and Sweeney in order to portray the Church is the worst possible light. It also documents the repeated anti-Scientology slurs that were interwoven into nearly all of Sweeney’s questioning, which he thinly covers by repeatedly using the phrase, “Some people say .. [insult]” without ever delineated just who “some people” is.

Can you imagine the flap for the BBC had John Sweeney used the same type of insults and anti-religious slurs toward a Jew, Christian or Muslim? How about blacks? At least in the United States, when this recently happened, reacting to public opinion, CBS smelled the coffee and fired the perpetrator.

By offering excuses that the Church of Scientology is an “extraordinary organization” that has “no way of dealing with criticism at all” in my view Sandy Smith is in essence telling people that it is OK for the BBC to treat Scientologists differently than they treat others. This is pure discrimination. Smth’s characterization is plain wrong. Panorama is used to running roughshod over those it wishes to go after . Who has the resources to do a counter documentary on how badly they are being treated by a news organization like the BBC?

If Smith won’t do the right thing and fire Sweeney, then perhaps members of the BBC Trust, which is supposed to oversee and ensure the BBC remains fair, balanced and unbiased, should do their jobs and get rid of him. Otherwise, Mr. Smith’s words and Sweeney’s apologies mean nothing. Sweeney’s actions were disgraceful and he should not be working for the BBC.

Subjects: Scientology – Scientology and Me – BBC – BBC and Scientology – BBC Bias – Celebrities – John Travolta – Panorama – John Sweeney

Technorati Subjects: John Travolta – Scientology – Scientology and Me – BBC – Celebrities – BBC and Scientology – BBC Bias – John Travolta – Panorama – John Sweeney