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More Beeb follies

3 comments on More Beeb follies

More Beeb follies
: Now the BBC is getting attacks from within. The Telepgrah reports that the Beeb’s own flagship show Panorma is going after the Beeb’s behavior in the Gilligan/Kelly/sexed-up-dossier/Hutton affair:

The programme has caused intense divisions within the BBC as it will be hard-hitting in its scrutiny of some of its own journalists and will also clear the Government of dishonesty in its handling of intelligence material….

The programme, A Fight to the Death, is expected to be particularly critical of Andrew Gilligan, the BBC’s Today programme journalist who reported alleged concern in the intelligence services about the Government’s first dossier about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. It also criticises the corporation for standing by Gilligan before conducting an adequate investigation to establish the facts.

3 responses to “More Beeb follies”

  1. Miguel Avatar
    Miguel

    Would this mean that the BBC is beginning to rotate to a more equilibrated position? I sure hope so, although it may be too much optimism. Anyways, I’m preety convinced that it is “change or die” for the beep over the next few years.

  2. billg Avatar
    billg

    Good. I’m convinced that the Gilligan sexed-up dossier flap was taken more seriously than merited in the U.S. because the Beeb still maintains of aura of near-infallibility in the States. The assumption that the BBC is accurate and the government is lieing is automatic for many people. Brits who pay for it know better.

  3. hugh macleod Avatar
    hugh macleod

    I agree, Miquel. Although don’t hold your breath.
    It really is a cultural institution. I don’t watch its national news anymore because it’s more interested in its own “Westminster Village” than it is going after the truth.
    Yes, they have some kind of loyalty to their own definition of “objectivity”, same as the rest of us. However the real way to get an “objective” view is not to watch a so-called “objective” news program… but to watch a lot of newsprograms with different slants. Which is why I’m as happy to watch Fox as I am to listen to NPR.
    They want to be objective while still retaining their monopoly. They can’t see why that’s a contradiction.