News or Opinion?

BBC reporter Stuart Hughes has my sympathy and best wishes for recovery from his landmine injury in Iraq. I’m not very sympathetic, however, toward the BBCi editors who insist on pushing an opinion piece disguised as ‘news’. It may be an analysis but news it ain’t! Hughes writes:

The United States is at the centre of the debate over landmines. The US remains the largest donor to mine clearance projects, giving more than $70 million last year. Even so, the US has slashed its mine action funding in recent years and has yet to conclude a review of landmine policy begun more than two years ago. Washington urgently needs to show leadership by signing up to the mine ban treaty.

Maybe Hughes is right. He is entitled to his opinion. Just give it a proper label.

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