British television station Sky News has said that it would not agree to air an appeal for aid to the hurt in Gaza following the fighting with Israel. As reported on Albawaba.com, this follows a decision already announced by the BBC to refuse to broadcast the short movie.
In an official statement, John Ryley, head of Sky News, explained that the decision was not a judgement on the validity of the appeal but was taken in the interests of impartiality.
"The absolute impartiality of our output is fundamental to Sky News and its journalism," he said. "That is why, after very careful consideration, we have concluded that broadcasting an appeal for Gaza at this time is incompatible with our role in providing balanced and objective reporting of this continuing situation to our audiences in the UK and around the world.
"No-one could fail to be touched by the human suffering on both sides of the conflict, which has been the focus of much of our own reporting in the region."
The BBC's decision to refuse the appeal has lead to widespread public protest and to political action in England and in Scotland to force it to broadcast the piece. Members of Parliament have backed a parliamentary motion on the matter, and leading public figures have also urged the network to reconsider, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the head of the Church of England.
