[Xellos-_^]

THE BBC’s present mess began when “Newsnight”, a heavy-hitting news and current affairs programme, failed to run a story alleging that Jimmy Savile, the recently deceased popular DJ and presenter, had been a paedophile, aggressively preying on young women and boys. It then compounded the problem, by running another programme, which alleged there had been a cover-up involving a senior Conservative of the Thatcher years, which ensured that his name emerged through social media websites. But the story was wholly untrue: Lord McAlpine was not the alleged offender, as his accuser, the programme’s source, has now admitted.
Out of this mishandled mess, the BBC has lost a newly appointed director general and much credibility. Its own “key values” commitments include “quality” and “trust” and it has squandered both in this sorry saga. Many senior figures have, in its quaint parlance, “stepped aside” pending the outcome of a number of inquiries, all of which are likely to find the corporation wanting in some way. Many lessons will be learned, not least how easy it is for sloppy journalism to sneak through holes in accountability and management in sprawling organisations.


http://www.economist.com/blogs/bligh...#sort-comments

BBC gave itself 2 black eyes in a late Halloween costume.