The Bashir affair has brought the BBC into disrepute around the world. It may signal a low point in that fraud and a cover-up of that criminality were involved, but it has been only one of a number of mis-steps in recent years. One should not forget the smearing of at least two prominent Conservatives as paedophiles on dubious hearsay evidence and the sensationalist, profligate, coverage of the pointless police raid on Cliff Richard's property.
To me, they appear as the inevitable result of a conscious decision to compete with commercial broadcasting by descending to tabloid values. The process was accentuated by appointing former popular journalists to senior positions in the corporation. The result has been that of the Reithian aims of education, informing and entertainment, the latter has come to dominate. Sensationalism, trivia and titillation have become the order of the day.
What the BBC can do when it takes its responsibilities seriously has been shown by its coverage of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in the UK. It has deployed not only its excellent staff science and medical reporters, but also well-selected experts. It has given prominence to the best advice in news bulletins and in features. The corporation has contributed massively to Britain's recovery from the virus.
The corporation has a roster of expert reporters world-wide, probably as good as any global broadcasting organisation. Apart from the clearly well-staffed, perhaps over-staffed, Washington bureau, they are under-used. They come into their own when there is a massive natural disaster or political emergency, but their contribution of other news is passed over. Events like the corruption trial of South Africa's former president are ignored, even if the charges have implications for the conduct of former UK ministers. The coverage of the conflict between the government of Israel and Hamas has been welcome. While giving due prominence to the effects on ordinary families, it has also presented Israel's side of the story. But this wss a huge story which could hardly be ignored and the BBC was late to the party. The events leading up to the conflict did not figure in main BBC news bulletins and the corporation's Middle East staff are normally invisible, in spite of frequent incidents in the region.
To recover its reputation, BBC must dismiss all those who condoned Bashir's tactics and those who contributed to the cover-up, no matter how senior they are in the corporation. I believe BBC should go further and change the direction of its reporting. Stick to facts. Use its experts more. Avoid speculation, especially in political reporting, which should in turn be reduced to the bare essentials. Improve world coverage. Remember Reith. If that appears patrician and elitist, so be it. There needs to be an equivalent of The Times in TV news, but it does not mean that the corporation should stop presenting the news in a form that most people can understand.
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