World

Most of the interviews broadcast only involved verybrief statements. Only eight longer interviews –consisting of more than a few sentences – took place,usually in the news studio. The lengthiest of these was aNewsnight interview with Jerry Ziegler of the US TradeRepresentative Office. The only Caribbean traderepresentative to be interviewed at length, Sir ShridaithRhamphai was brought in to join the discussion at theend of Ziegler’s interview. Channel 4 conducted four ofthe longer interviews in the sample, two of whichinvolved British politicians and a third with a Britishpolitical commentator. Channel 4’s fourth intervieweewas also interviewed by Sky News and BBC1, the USambassador in London, Philip Lader. Lader was the mostquoted participant in the banana dispute, with a total of13 television appearances.C.2.1.4. References to the crisisThere were three types of statement in this section, whichinvolved a total of 125 references to the emerging crisis.There were 32 references to a clash between the US andthe EU – variously described as a trade/bananadispute/war:Reporter: And this is what the row is all about... todaythey sparked the most serious trade dispute between theEU and US for a decade. (BBC1: 1800, 4.3.99)Reporter: It all started as a fall-out over bananas.(Sky News: 1800, 4.3.99)Newscaster: Well, this has to be the biggest banana splityet. (Channel 4: 1900, 5.3.99)Newscaster: Neither side in the banana trade war wasgiving any ground today. (ITN: 2200, 5.3.99)Secondly, there were 32 references in total to theEuropean banana quota system, around which thedispute centred. By waiving import tariffs, the Europeansystem ensured that a percentage of its banana importsoriginated from former ACP colonies, most specificallythe Caribbean Windward Isles. The US governmentargued that these quotas discriminated againstAmerican multinational companies, who grow bananasin Central America. 21 references were couched in termsof American accusations of discrimination:Reporter: Washington says the penalties are inretaliation for Europe’s discrimination againstAmerican banana producers. (BBC1: 2100, 5.3.99)(BBC2: 2230, 5.3.99)In some of these examples, it was not clear whetherthe quota system actually existed, or whether this wassimply the belief of the Americans:Newscaster: The dispute centres on whether Europefavours Caribbean bananas over those from CentralAmerica. (BBC1: 1210, 6.3.99)Reporter: The Americans believe Europe’s unfairlyfavouring bananas which come from its former colonies.(Sky News: 1800, 5.3.99)Reporter: This dispute... basically hinges around the USbelief that the EU is trying to protect the banana industryfrom countries that it’s close to, for example formerBritish Caribbean colonies. (ITN: 1645, 6.3.99)However, 11 of these references clearly indicated thatthe import quotas did exist:Reporter: The EU says Caribbean bananas, thebackbone of the West Indian economy, should havespecial access to EU consumers, but the US says thisdiscriminates against producers in Central America.(Channel 4: 1900, 12.1.99)Political editor: The problem here is that Europeans havealways had a quota that can only be fitted by exports of bananasfrom certain countries – basically former colonies. (Channel 5:1900, 5.3.99)Thirdly, 60 references were made in relation to the USimposing tariffs on a selection of European goods, inparticular Scottish cashmere. One reason for the highnumber of references here is that in some cases, detailedinformation was provided on the range of goods selectedfor tariffs:Reporter: On the list is pecorino cheese, but only if it’s notsuitable for grating. Handbags are also included, whetheror not they have straps. Bedlinen is named, unless itcontains any braid, lace or trimming. Greeting cards willsuffer, with or without envelopes. But most high profile –sweaters or pullovers, if knitted wholly in cashmere.(Channel 4: 1900, 4.3.99)Reporter: the Americans jumped the gun, effectivelyslapping a money bond on certain European goods likecashmere, most of which comes from the Scottish Borders.(Sky News: 1800, 4.3.99)There were only two comments amongst the coveragewhich attempted to begin to explain the bizarre list ofgoods targeted by the imposition of American importtariffs. In the first instance, there was the suggestion onChannel 4 that the industry which faced the greatestthreat from these sanctions, Scottish cashmere, had beentargeted because of pending elections in the country:26 DFID – July 2000