Several readers have informed us of responses they have received from the BBC in reply to complaints regarding the fact that the attack in Psagot on October 5th did not receive any coverage from the BBC until four days after the event when two suspects were arrested in Al Bireh.
All those readers received the exact same reply from the BBC News website’s Middle East desk, the body of which reads:
“The attack on Noam Glick was not reported on the BBC News website at the time it happened, due partly to our smaller operation at the weekend when fewer stories are covered. However, we recognise it should have been reported and we subsequently followed it up when arrests were made.”
The term “fewer stories” is difficult to quantify, but at least thirteen new items appeared throughout the day on the BBC News website’s Middle East page on Sunday, October 6th.
Hence, some may be wondering in what way a “smaller operation at the weekend when fewer stories are covered” differs from a “very busy news period“.