BBC admits errors on source

The Australian ^ | July 24 2003 | Tom Baldwin and Raymond Snoddy

[knighthawk]

THE BBC has admitted that it had made "slips of the tongue" in describing its source for bitterly contested allegations about the intelligence dossier on Iraq released by the Blair Government last September.

The BBC acknowledged that a number of journalists, including defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan, made errors when claiming the stories were based on an "intelligence source" when, in fact, David Kelly, who committed suicide last Friday and has subsequently been revealed by the BBC as its source for claims the dossier was "sexed up" by Downing Street, was a Ministry of Defence consultant.

A BBC spokesman said on Tuesday: "There was some confusion about this. Although Dr Kelly had access to intelligence material, he was not a member of the intelligence services."

Richard Sambrook, the BBC's head of news who knew Dr Kelly's identity, said on June 26 that Gilligan's story came from "one senior and credible source in the intelligence services". The spokesman said: "That was a slip of the tongue."

Gilligan may also have misled parliament when he answered "yes" to questions from MPs on the foreign affairs committee about whether his source was "in the intelligence services".

Gerald Kaufman, a senior Labour MP, on Tuesday night wrote to the BBC listing a number of such quotations including the Board of Governors' statement on July 6 which had implied the stories came from a "senior intelligence source".

His letter to Gavyn Davies, the BBC chairman, said "either the governors made no effort to ascertain the identity of the source or else asked, were told, and knew that the source was Dr Kelly. Either way, they were ready to allow the impression to be propagated that the source was an intelligence source."

Downing Street will claim that Dr Kelly was not a credible source because he had not been involved in key decisions about the September dossier.

[knighthawk]

The spokesman said: "That was a slip of the tongue."

Rather looks like they sexed up their case against Blair!

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Peach]

timesink - thought you'd be interested in this little mistake (read bias) by the BBC.

[what's up]

Those bloomin' Brits!

[justshutupandtakeit]

It is fun watching the BBC go from one lie to another.

[Clara Lou]

Rather looks like they sexed up their case against Blair!
You have to understand-- liberals are permitted to "sex up" things to suit their ends. Conservatives are not. It's very simple.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

Trying to pull a clinton by calling it a mistake or an error.NO,I DON'T THINK SO!This was done on purpose!

[CyberAnt]

Wow! This is great! John Gibson raked the BBC guy over the coals yesterday.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Dang those bureaucratic snafus.

[Lexington Green]

The BBC screams that Blair and Bush are LIARS. When caught lying themselves, they report it as "a slip of the tongue". This communist propaganda machine should be shut down as a national security threat.

[Ronin]

Slips of the tongue????

I thought they were called LIES.

[Sloth]

I think Andrew Gilligan should be violently sodomized with a plunger handle, then beaten unconscious with a shovel.

OOPS! Sorry, slip of the tongue. Of course, I meant to say that he should be given the benefit of the doubt.

[MizSterious]

And well he should have. That guy is so slimey, I'm surprised he didn't slide out of his chair. One insult to our President after another. Why did Fox even bring him onto the show?

[Timesink]

Thanks Peach! I'll ping it.

[Sacajaweau]

btt

[Timesink]

This is the nascent Mainstream Media Shenanigans ping list. Please freepmail me to be added or dropped.
Please note this will likely become a high-volume list.
Also feel free to ping me if you come across a thread you would think worthy of the ping list. I can't catch them all!

[george wythe]

this little mistake (read bias) by the BBC.

LOL!

British understatement.

[Copernicus]

Posted to *CCRM

[MEG33]

I've been wanting to jump through the screen and bang that phony BBC reporter over the head.

[Temple Owl]

I can remember when BBC and the New York Times were more believable and reputable than the National Enquirer. My how times change.