The BBC’s moment of peril
Alan Rusbridger’s forensic investigation into the implementation of the Dominic Cummings plan to undermine the BBC is great journalism—and deeply alarming (“How the government captured the BBC”, March). The BBC’s supply of clean information—never perfect—is as much a utility as electricity or clean water. As the bedrock of public service broadcasters, the Corporation has saved us from the mess of American politics. Robbie Gibb’s murky political and commercial deals undermine an institution vital for our democratic survival.
How bad is this compared to the past? After all, Margaret Thatcher cleared the appointment of Marmaduke Hussey as BBC chair with Rupert Murdoch. But Hussey went native and ultimately fought for the BBC. The Gibb affair is on a scale far worse than anything we have seen before: not least because the attempt to cow the BBC is so sustained, distracting and successful. Such behaviour corrodes the nation. It is, after all, our BBC: for us, by us, about us.
The recent onslaught comes amid relentless opposition by commercially interested media rivals, as well as savage cuts, with real funding slashed by a dangerous 30 per cent between 2010 and 2020 and the government now breaking the deal on inflation indexing from April. Rusbridger correctly identifies the cutting of the cables of decency which made this possible.
In this atmosphere, it’s no wonder Lucy Frazer, the culture secretary, allegedly called in the candidates for the BBC chair to demand that they followed her own (narrow) view of impartiality. The BBC’s editorial independence is the cornerstone of everything it does: the detail is none of the minister’s business.
What can be done? You can design rules, but rules cannot always proscribe bad behaviour. Leadership, culture and behaviour are ultimately required. For now, we should demand a thorough investigation by public appointments commissioner William Shawcross (or someone else if he is conflicted). Any incoming administration must resist revenge while cleaning this mess up. The BBC has often been reformed and refreshed following a fine audacious report from an outsider. Well, in Rusbridger’s reporting we have the beginning of one. Now let’s act on it. Jean Seaton, professor of media history at Westminster University and author of a volume of the official history of the BBC
This is a first-class piece of investigative reporting. It might have explored the connections several of these people have with the Policy Exchange thinktank. As well as William Shawcross, why not add the Bews père et fils, David Frost, and the lawyers in the same circles? In Poland, Donald
Tusk has said that PiS’s overloading of the media, judiciary and so on requires an “iron broom” to sweep them out (see Annette Dittert, p26). Labour should do the same to prevent what Alan Rusbridger describes from ever happening again. Michael, via the website
I am sorry, but this is in the realms of conspiracy theory. There is a lot of supposition, allegation and prompting of the reader to infer shadowy motives, but very little in the way of anything concrete to go on.
It is hardly surprising that somebody in public life with right-wing views knows other people in public life with right-wing views. Meanwhile, a key piece of evidence is apparently Nadine Dorries’s book, which was described by this very publication as “a mess of conspiracy” and roundly derided as far-fetched fantasy in virtually every review outside of the lunatic pro-Boris Johnson right. Meanwhile, all of the evidence of Robbie Gibb’s alleged interference in BBC journalism is in the form of hearsay. no-name, via the website
How can you call hearsay what people have put on record? For example, Lewis Goodall reported directly to Alan Rusbridger on what he experienced. As for Nadine Dorries’s interaction here, she is the only witness to the shenanigans engineered (we assume by Mr Smith or his supporters) to try to pervert her choice of candidate for Ofcom. Or are you saying she is lying? Big Sister, via the website