From independent investigative journalist, Graham PhillipsWhy the BBC Have Come After Me…
The UK’s position on the Ukraine situation has been becoming increasingly aggressive:
The
imprisonment of Ben Stimson:
Increasing
their support of the Ukrainian military:
The
case of Ben Stimson was a link up between the BBC and the UK
government, with the BBC stitching Ben up –
That
was the 11th, on the 17th, I got this email from the BBC (screenshots
pictured).
Hi
Graham,
My
name’s Sam Bright – I work for the BBC in London.
I’m
currently writing a story for BBC Trending about the work of
individuals such as Patrick Lancaster, Russell Bentley and yourself
in eastern Ukraine.
We
would obviously be interested in speaking to you for this story, to
hear your views. We would like to ask you generally about your
experiences, and about how you use the internet to fund your work and
spread your message.
Let
me know if this would be possible. I look forward to hearing from
you.
Many
thanks,
Sam
Bright
I
replied:
Sam,
No
offence to you personally, as I don’t know you, and you may be a
nice guy, but
the
BBC are a shower of despicable, disgraceful, disgraced propagandists,
not to be trusted in any circumstances. And so my response would be
something like:shame
on you bunch of lying, propagandising scoundrels for bringing
journalism into disrepute, and my country into disrepute. Where are
your morals, ethics, or integrity? How can you be so entirely
dishonest in your coverage, and reportage? It’s rank deceit.
The
BBC is fake news, outright lies, and I’m having absolutely no part
of your odious operation, in any way. Actually, you disgust me. I
always work to report the truth – that means I work against the
BBC, who work to twist, and distort the truth, at every turn.
I
think that covers it for now,
Graham
On
the 20th, Sam replied:
Hi
Graham,
We’re
planning to run a story on the BBC News website about your
crowdfunding and activities in eastern Ukraine.
Specifically
we’re reporting that since November 2013, you have been covering
the conflict and that you were formerly employed by Zvezda. We are
reporting that you have been banned from entering Ukraine on the
grounds of national security and that the Ukrainian government has
issued an open letter to the UK authorities condemning your
activities.
We
are also noting that you say you have financed your activities
entirely through crowdfunding from January 2016, and that you have
raised roughly £7,000 through crowdfunding websites since that time.
We
are reporting that you have frequently travelled to Donbass, despite
your travel ban. We are also noting that the site JustGiving removed
one of your appeals in July 2015, because of your defiance of the
travel ban. We are reporting that you have been filmed navigating a
drone with the help of soldiers in Donbass and have interviewed
Ukrainian prisoners of war.
If
you have any comment on the above or would like to reconsider the
possibility of an interview, please let me know.
Sam
Bright
Reporter | BBC
Reporter | BBC
So,
it’s clear what line the BBC are going to take –
that I ‘worked
for Russian military tv channel Zvezda‘
– I did,
briefly,
at the end of 2014, start of 15.
They gave
me
freedom as a correspondent (pictured in a Zvezda piece),
I did my own thing, sent my pieces to them, had contact only with
producers there, like any channel. Yet, still, I
made the decision to end my working arrangement with them, and since
March 2015, have been fully independent, worked only for myself.
me
freedom as a correspondent (pictured in a Zvezda piece),
I did my own thing, sent my pieces to them, had contact only with
producers there, like any channel. Yet, still, I
made the decision to end my working arrangement with them, and since
March 2015, have been fully independent, worked only for myself.
Will
the BBC cover this? They
will, but they are clearly going to make out that I’ve only raised
£7000 via crowdfunding,
clearly that doesn’t cover costs, there must be some sort of shadowy, Russian sponsor etc….
clearly that doesn’t cover costs, there must be some sort of shadowy, Russian sponsor etc….
the
truth is much more prosaic, that I’ve raised a bit more via
my Paypal,
and indivisual donations, but actually
I live modestly, and yeah, it is a sometimes a struggle to get by.
But, that’s the life I’ve chosen, and I accept it.
Be
sure that the BBC journalist penning the hatchet piece about me from
an
office
in London is surely earning much more than myself, and will make no
mention that I’ve sacrificed an apartment in Odessa, any number of
material comforts offered by working for channels, to go it alone,
and dedicate my life to reporting the truth. There will be nothing
about the hundreds
of videos I’ve made giving those in Donass a voice,
being first at the scene where no other western correspondents
were, the
many documentary films…
office
in London is surely earning much more than myself, and will make no
mention that I’ve sacrificed an apartment in Odessa, any number of
material comforts offered by working for channels, to go it alone,
and dedicate my life to reporting the truth. There will be nothing
about the hundreds
of videos I’ve made giving those in Donass a voice,
being first at the scene where no other western correspondents
were, the
many documentary films…
No,
it’s going to be that I’ve frequently ‘returned to Donbass
while being banned
from
there’, and the flying
a drone with the help of soldiers, interviewing Ukrainian prisoners
of war.
from
there’, and the flying
a drone with the help of soldiers, interviewing Ukrainian prisoners
of war.
As
for the drone, I did fly that with members of the people’s militia
around, and they
could hardly not be, given that it was positions.
And indeed, as I’ve been completely open about, as with everything
– they advised me on where would be most interesting to fly it.
And, really, so what?
And
the interviewing Ukrainian prisoners of war –
sure,
I’ve done that a lot of times.
But, Ukrainian forces have taken me captive twice,
Not
to mention stolen a great deal of my possessions.
So,
I earned my right to interview Ukrainian POWs the hard way, and
actually, I always stay within reasonable boundaries.
But,
all of that will be put forward to make me out to be some sort of a
bad guy.
No
mention of the tens
of thousands I’ve raised for humanitarian work in Donbass,
the ongoing
support of the children’s home in Lutugino, for
example.
And
the rrest, that I’m some sort of Russian
spy, propagandist etc.
Not mentioning that I’ve often
spoken of not liking the RT channel, after how they treated me,
and ended my own contract with Zvezda. And am, of course, British,
with no connection at all to Russia, other than that it’s a country
I’m interested in, like, like doing reportage from – as
others, Serbia, for example.
And
the rrest, that I’m some sort of Russian
spy, propagandist etc.
Not mentioning that I’ve often
spoken of not liking the RT channel, after how they treated me,
and ended my own contract with Zvezda. And am, of course, British,
with no connection at all to Russia, other than that it’s a country
I’m interested in, like, like doing reportage from – as
others, Serbia, for example.
So,
why did I refuse to speak to the BBC, as some have asked?Because
the story they have decided to write is pre-determined. Anything I
say to them would only be turned around and used against me, and
more, I would be complicit, thus
compromised,
in their hit piece on me,
which
all leads to the question – why are they doing it?
Clearly,
the BBC have been tasked to do a hit piece on me, to set public
opinion against me, so that if the UK government do try to take steps
against me, there won’t be any public uproar, or outcry – as
there wasn’t with Ben.
But,
it’s a clumsy attempt from them, and it’s not going to work.
However the fact they even tried it shows which way the wind is
blowing in the UK.
I
replied to Sam:
Samuel,
again, this is not personal because I don’t know you, but the BBC
are not to be trusted in any way. I’ve seen many times the deceit,
and propaganda the BBC have, and do, perpetuate.
I’m
not going to be any part of it.
So,
it’s a no, and will always be that way. It is your right to reprint
parts of these emails I have sent you. But, that’s it. I stand for
honest, truthful journalism, of integrity. The BBC is fake news,
lies, propaganda.
Regards,
Graham
So,
it’s their move now. But, I’m ready for them. Bring it on!
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