Shaken BBC prepares to defend its reputation

Financial Times ^ | July 20 2003 | Tim Burt, Media Editor in London

[dogbyte12]

So far as I know, the BBC's reputation is that of a bunch of effete, effeminate girly men liberals who loathe the fact that they are all poshly educated white men, and who attempt at every opportunity to bash the west, and promote "other cultures", often by excusing the other cultures of offenses that they would crucify their own government for in a heartbeat.

That is their reputation. How exactly does this story change it at all?

[Dog]

There is another shoe about to drop in this story....

I remember reading an article yesterday that said Kelly was in contact(email) with someone the morning he died......he complained of "dark actors" in this mess to his wife.

His wife said he was angry before he went for his walk .........what if he was in contact with Gilligan ........and Gilligan told him he was on his own.

They ruined this man........the ba$tards.

[Helms]

Like Taraq Azziz digging his outdoor latrine.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I gotta hand it to him, it's definitely more original than the "spend time with the family" reason that they always give. I guess it sounds better than, "I gotta take leave to do some job-hunting."

[maestro]

Shak'n BBC prepares to defend its reputation

LOL

BBC Official Secrets Act Damage 'control'.........LOL

:-)

"Wag-the-Bulldog"

:-)

[Miss Marple]

I really would like to know what caused the BBC to admit their duplicity, and cause the change in tone of these stories.

Maybe Bush and Blair have more on them than has been revealed.

[Helms]

"Shoe-bomb"/ National Proletariat Radio, lol!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

This episode underlines why it is wrong for their to be publicly funded media. The BBC has essentially become an opposition political party.

[EDINVA]

given Kelly's feeling that the BBC went 'way beyond' what he'd told them, could it be said the BBC "sexed up" Kelly's comments?

[Helms]

Their Joint Press Conference "brimmed" with confidence.

[Dog]

Jane I bet it was the fact Kelly was emailing people on the morning he killed himself.......this is a sudden change of heart on the BBC's part........they are afraid of something......and I bet it is on David Kelly's computer.

[mass55th]

Hmmm. Blairs and newspapers just don't seem to mix.

[Miss Marple]

Who? You mean Bush and Blair?

[EllaMinnow]

"The corporation has a great deal to answer for. They started all this," he said. "The first thing they should do is apologise and conduct a rigorous internal inquiry."

Ping.

[Wolfstar]

Dog, it is such a healthy, wonderful thing that the general public is finally getting to learn the truth about big media — that their product is the telling of tales (synonym for story). In this country, there is nothing whatsoever preventing the media from telling false tales. Our libel and slander laws are very weak and vastly skewed in favor of the media. Over the years, judicial interpretation of the First Amendment has given the media carte blanche to say and do whatever they want without concern for any consequences. When human beings are given that much power wihout fear of consequences in any walk of life, corruption is sure to follow. When unfettered corruption is partnered with fierce political partisanship, the danger to all of us grows exponentially.

[Peter Libra]

I would like to address generally these observations for Freepers. There is an act in the UK called The Official Secrets Act . It was revised in 1989 from the 1923 act. Just out of the British Army, 1951 ,I got a position at a very minor level with the British civil service. It involved classified work. Even the cleaning staff were sworn in. They lectured us in an "indoctrination" for about half an hour. We dutifully signed. Penalty.? Ten years for giving out information.

The new official secrets act have whittled down the sentences. ie two years, then six months, then three months. This according to the degree of the offence. If this man Kelly,did not have to sign under this act, then it must be a colossal error. It has teeth, a stupid woman leaked to the press, that American devices of war were to arrive on British soil. She got three months and dismissal.

London lad here, says about Kelly this: For all the difference it would have made, he should have kept his stupid mouth shut.

[mass55th]

What I should have wrote was:

Blairs and news medias don't seem to mix.

[marajade]

I think the guy made his own problems. He lied to parliament about being the source. He didn't have access to the intelligence he was telling the BBC. Why didn't he just come out publicly and say it was him even though it might have been against the law there.

[Miss Marple]

Yes. The e-mails will tell the tale.

Interesting that Judith Miller (the WMD correspondent from the NYT) made sure that the e-mail got out in public quickly. I think she knows something.