Email kept from BBC board; said that Gilligan had been guilty of 'loose use of language'

observer ^ | 08/17/03 | Kamal Ahmed and Martin Bright

[Pikamax]

Email kept from BBC board

· Governors split over 'dumbing down' of Today programme · Gilligan accused of being 'too distant' from colleagues

Kamal Ahmed and Martin Bright Sunday August 17, 2003 The Observer

BBC governors were not shown a damning email sent by the editor of the Today programme about Andrew Gilligan's report that the Government had deliberately 'sexed up' intelligence to make a case for war against Iraq. The email, sent by Kevin Marsh to Stephen Mitchell, Head of Radio News and his immediate manager, said that Gilligan had been guilty of 'loose use of language' in his first report on 29 May.

It was Gilligan's report that Number 10 had deliberately inserted a claim that Iraq could have weapons of mass destruction ready for deployment in 45 minutes, even though it was known to be 'probably wrong', that led to the battle between the Government and the BBC.

The Hutton inquiry is now likely to call Gavyn Davies, the Chairman of the BBC, to explain how the governors came to the conclusion that they could give the Today programme their full support despite reservations at the highest levels.

Marsh wrote his email to Mitchell on 27 June, nine days before an emergency meeting of the governors considered the Today report.

'The story was a good piece of investigative journalism, marred by flawed reporting,' the email says. 'Our biggest millstone has been his [Gilligan's] loose use of language and lack of judgment in some of his phraseology.'

Marsh also said that Gilligan's work had been 'marred' by reports he had written for other publications about the story, thought to refer to an article by Gilligan for the Mail on Sunday, in which he named Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's Director of Communications and Strategy, as being the source of the 'sexing up'.

It also said that Gilligan had become too distant from the programme and needed to spend more time in the programme's offices rather than working from home.

The Observer has been told by senior BBC figures that the email was not given to the governors. It also appears that Richard Sambrook, the BBC's Director of News and the man leading the BBC's case against allegations of poor journalism, was not aware of it when he appeared before the board to ask it to defend BBC reporting.

The Observer has been told that Sambrook did, however, speak to Marsh and conveyed his opinions on 'loose language' at the meeting.

Gilligan was not shown the Marsh email until a few days before his appearance before the Hutton inquiry last week.

Questions are now being asked about the governors' role as impartial regulators of the BBC.

Confidential minutes of the emergency meeting handed to the inquiry reveal disquiet about some of the reporting. 'For example, careful language had not been applied by Andrew Gilligan throughout,' the minutes said.

That concern is not reflected in the official statement put out by the governors following the meeting, which gives the BBC its full backing.

The governors' statement was crucial in bolstering the BBC's case before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee report into Iraq and the reporting of the war.

Sources said that at least one governor also raised concerns that the Today programme was dumbing down and becoming too tabloid in its agenda.

Meanwhile, a series of letters between Susan Watts, the Newsnight science editor, who also spoke to Dr David Kelly before he committed suicide, and BBC lawyers reveal the extent of the tensions at the highest levels of the corporations.

Lawyers acting for Watts, whom the BBC wanted to use to back its case that Gilligan's report was true, said that using her in such a way was a 'misconceived strategy'.

Watts complained to the inquiry last week that the BBC had deliberately tried to 'mould' her story so that it corroborated what Gilligan had said.

Documents released by the inquiry show that Fiona Campbell, of Finers Stephens Innocent, wrote to the BBC on 11 July saying that Watts was prepared to cooperate only in line with her duties as an employee.

'Such duties, however, do not extend to "co-operating" where her ethics and responsibilities might conflict or in circumstances where she is being asked to participate in statements with which she cannot agree.'

In a statement to the BBC, Watts also expressed her 'extreme disquiet' that a senior BBC executive had apparently told the Telegraph that Andrew Gilligan and Watts 'got exactly the same story'.

She says: 'In fact, I believe that there are significant points of difference between the two reports.'

A letter from the BBC on 23 July showed the deep frustration within the corporation about Watts's refusal fully to co-operate and attempted to remind her of her duties.

'The BBC's concern is solely to assist the inquiry as fully and accurately as possible. I believe it is your client's duty to do so also,' the letter from the litigation department said.

[COBOL2Java]

That's it, Gilligan! I'm telling the Skipper!

[MJY1288]

Ping

[PhilDragoo]

I can assure you there is no loose use of language here, never.

[BenLurkin]

'loose use of language'

Maybe Gilligan can move over to the New York Tinmes.

[Brandon]

The Observer has been told by senior BBC figures that the email was not given to the governors.

Looks like Gilligan is being set up as the scapegoat. Everyone who believes that no one in BBC's management knew about these problems, please raise your hand ....