Madrid, Spain, Nov 23, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Spokesmen for the Dioceses of Bilbao, San Sebastian, and Vitoria in northern Spain issued a statement Monday protesting a “deviously manipulative” television report about the supposed backing of the Basque separatist group ETA by members of the clergy.
 
The bishops said they were outraged by the report, which “lacked the most basic principles of ethics in journalism.”

On November 16 the Spanish network Antena 3 broadcasted a report produced by El Mundo TV in which hidden cameras were used to obtain the opinions of various priests about ETA’s terrorist activities and their relationship with the organization.

The statement issued by the three dioceses denounced report’s producers for disregarding “the fundamental rights and duties in the reporting of news: knowledge of the true identity of the interviewers and of the true objective of the meetings that were requested and that took place, which was purposefully and deceitfully hidden from the guests, thus violating their right to free speech and to privacy.”

The statement also expressed “solidarity with those persons who were treated so unjustly” and decried “the immoral use of the media, which does nothing to foster the spread of peace in truth, justice, and freedom.” 

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