Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Journalistic standards http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1030818770 Message started by david_france on Aug 31^st, 2002, 6:33pm

Title: Journalistic standards
Post by david_france on Aug 31^st, 2002, 6:33pm

>:(
I was attracted to this site by comments earlier this year about journalistic standards "on air". I wonder how many ex-Beeb journos are, like me, throwing their hands up in despair at the "journalistic standards" of BBC On-Line? Twice in the last week I have emailed the web managers telling them that their principal stories have been factually incorrect. One concerned the way the railways are run (Virgin does not have responsibility for track improvements) and the other a legal point about a suspect "giving evidence" by video link when it was only a remand hearing. This is basic stuff which in a newsroom would be picked up by the news editor or similar. Is there no kind of supervision? Are these people not subject to journo training?
Is it surprising when you read that BBC News On-Line is being sued for libel? What do you think?
David France (Local & Network Radio 1973-1995)

Title: Re: Journalistic standards
Post by Bob_Eggington on Sep 1^st, 2002, 1:26pm

I suppose I should try to respond, having spent the last three years of my BBC career helping to set up the online news service.

Sloppiness and inaccuracy are inexcusable and unfortunately commonplace throughout journalism, I would suggest. There are some honourable exceptions, of course - Reuters springs to mind. But wherever I read or look or listen, I notice mistakes on a daily basis.

The BBC News Online team are turning out a very large number of stories (at least 300 a day) which unusually for daily journalism remain available indefinitely for everyone to look at and criticise.

They do make mistakes, of course - but not very many. I usually email them once or twice a week to draw their attention to something that's wrong. They always respond promptly. They have a culture of self-criticism, traditional methods of quality control (including the liberal use of the fierce bollocking) and a lot of pride in their work.

I'm not at all surprised, after something like 1.5 million stories, all of which are still available to be read, that they are being sued for libel (though I don't know anything about the case in question). What mature news organisation hasn't been sued for libel at some point?

So, without detracting from David's perfectly proper annoyance at mistakes, I think they do a very good job. And the BBC News Online database, after five years in operation, is a fabulous resource to have available via the Web.

It will however, help to keep them on their toes if everyone pounces mercilessly (well, more or less mercilessly) on every mistake....