In the midst of the 'omnishambles' which seems to be the BBC's management, judging from its news and 'comedy' output over the last 24 hours the Corporation still seems intent on a policy both of outrageous self-congratulation ('we are the best broadcaster in the world ' etc, etc.) and also of trashing its beginnings and early culture under the estimable (if dourly Presbyterian) Sir John (later, Lord) Reith; the Woodstock generation and their ideological offspring don't like either Reith's Christianity or his strict ethical code, conveniently forgetting that very early on he did much to establish the BBC's independence from Government and politicians of all parties during the General Strike of 1926.
For some time the Corporation has largely abandoned the Reithian principles of impartiality and balance; the problem is that because of its internal culture it doesn't even recognise its institutional bias [see the comments of former Director-General Mark Thompson here]
Why does it matter? Because we are all forced to pay for it.
Now they are asking us, 'what would restore your trust in the BBC?'
To put it simply, although it will be far from simple to achieve - a return to its first principles of seeking to 'educate, inform and entertain,' whilst endeavouring to remain free from political and philosophical partiality.
This, however, may not be the ideal method of rebuilding trust.... (I'm old-fashioned enough to think neither is the Ahmadinejad look....)
But there is one way at least to begin to put things right- and this is only slightly tongue-in-cheek- and that is to ban its staff - all of them - from reading The Guardian newspaper (and perhaps throw in the The Tablet for good measure - see this from the composer, James MacMillan) and thereby attempt to undo the damage caused to the nation by decades of the drip, drip of unchecked, compulsory (licence-fee funded) soft-left and statist propaganda directed against anyone who is unfashionable enough to be religious, particularly a Christian, or even vaguely to the right of centre politically, or who takes a traditional approach to family life or to his or her children's education.
And while we're on the subject, make Ann Widdecombe the presenter of Woman's Hour...
From John Humphry's interview with George Entwistle, it appears that part of the former Director-General's problem was not reading 'The Guardian'.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, but only because he was giving a speech or out to dinner or some such, rather than any evidence that this was not his newspaper of preference!
ReplyDeleteTouché!
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