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Editorial: The Assault on the BBC
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The assault on the BBC comes from two sources: Downing Street and sections of the press, notably Rupert Murdoch's News International titles, The Sun and The Times. These papers chose to target the BBC, The Times suggesting in a leader, 'Reithian Values?' on July 22 that Lord Hutton 'must expose the faultlines in our institutions'.
The front page in the same edition had the main story, 'First cracks in unity of BBC board' citing two unnamed governors who were concerned about the issues surrounding BBC reporting, and the handling of news that Dr Kelly was the source.
It was pretty poor reporting, and the BBC quickly rebutted the claims it made.
Of course the assault on the BBC is nothing new. Attacks on it began to appear regularly in the Murdoch press from the mid-1980s on, and to the extent that the public service broadcaster can be damaged in the run-up to the Charter review in 2006, the media interests of News International benefit.
As we went to press the onslaught by the Downing Street spin machine was moving up a gear with the deployment of Peter Mandelson to lead the attack on the BBC.
It is vital that the Hutton inquiry establishes clearly the sequence of events, and who was responsible for the pressures which led to Dr Kelly's death. But we also need to remember that this sad incident has already done what Downing Street wanted, albeit without the unforeseen consequences of his death.
Since Alastair Campbell began the attacks on Andrew Gilligan's reporting, the focus of media attention has moved away from the substantive issue of whether Blair misled the country into war through his endlessly repeated claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction ready to use.
The events bear all the tell-tale signs of a deliberate, diversionary manoeuvre. Bashing the BBC may produce dramatic headlines, but in the long run will damage Downing Street more.
Last modified: Sunday, August 3, 2003
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Miscellany
COMPETITIVE PRESSURES
PLATFORM: COMMERCIAL PRESSURES ON ITN
Television impartiality or Biased News?
Journalism Studies
ACCESS FOR ALL OR ACCESS DENIED?
No drinking up time at the Last Chance Saloon
Plaudits for Presswise
MEDIA MONITOR: Freedom of Information Blocked
MEDIA MONITOR: Gannett/Newsquest
NEXT ISSUE
CPBF NEWS: AGM HAS THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS
The Dotty & Barmy Watchdog
Editorial
CURBING CAMPBELL
The Phillis Review on government information:
Role of top PR Firms causes concern
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
CARLTON/GRANADA MERGER
NEWS FOR SCOTLAND
CROSS-MEDIA PROMOTION
ITALIAN AFFAIRS
A LETHAL COCKTAIL:
Racism, the press and the PCC
WITHOUT COMMENT (1)
WITHOUT COMMENT (2)
SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT
DON’T DO IT HERE, DON’T DO IT THERE: HBO’s The Sopranos Is As Good As It Gets
US MEDIA OWNERSHIP
WORTH READING
REVIEW: The Wages of Spin by Bernard Ingham, John Hardy Publishers £18.99
Excerpt from PBS weekly newsmagazine NOW, Friday 25 April
