JEREMY THOMPSON MY VIEW

We need credible TV news more than ever, says the former anchorman

Every now and then I get asked what I think of the so- called battle between the BBC and ITN over their News At Ten shows. Frankly, I think it’s as relevant as two old mastodons head-butting to a standstill in Jurassic Park. Watching appointment-to-view news on terrestrial TV is a dying habit.

When I was a correspondent on both the BBC and ITN flagship evening shows back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s they were still the main way of consuming TV news and attracted huge ratings. Now younger generations are more likely to be gathering their news in many different ways.

I joined Sky News nearly 25 years ago because I felt it was the future – a rolling news channel covering stories 24 hours a day. If a story broke we put it straight to air. The BBC News Channel soon emerged as a challenger. ITN joined the fray but scrapped its dedicated news channel in 2005 after five years on air.

Today TV news channels are under severe pressure. There are regular rumours that the BBC may shut down the News Channel, absorbing it into its online news service. Now the future of Sky News is under threat, potentially sacrificed to ensure the Fox takeover of Sky television.

All this comes at a time when we need credible news outlets more than ever. A time when genuine news is under attack from ‘fake news’ in a digital-age battle for the truth.

I don’t believe fake news is anything new. Just the age-old game of misinformation and propaganda, but accelerated through social media. During the Trump election campaign in the US, some of his less scrupulous supporters fired out fake news stories to promote their man and trash his main rival, Hillary Clinton. It clearly had an impact. As I observed in my book Breaking News, ‘Facts were left face down like fresh roadkill on the information superhighway.’

We’ve seen TV stations in other countries that are little more than mouthpieces for totalitarian regimes putting out their version of the truth, dressed up as genuine news. Fortunately in Britain TV news has to comply with standards laid down by the regulator Ofcom. That should give viewers confidence that what they’re watching is credible and untainted.

I believe this is a time when all genuine journalists are needed to stand up against the blizzard of digitally-driven bunkum, to report with courage and impartiality. It’s time to fight back against the flimflam and the fakers.

Breaking News: An Autobiography, by Jeremy Thompson, is published by Biteback.