Kennedy 0 #1 July 8, 2004 QuoteBBC reports 'littered with errors' By Chris Hastings, Media Correspondent A significant number of BBC news reports are untrustworthy and littered with errors because the corporation's journalists fail to check their facts, according to e-mails sent by one of the BBC's most senior news managers. His messages reveal that the credibility of the news service is "on the line" because of a climate of sloppiness. The internal memos, which have been obtained by The Telegraph, highlight concerns about the standard of journalism on local BBC television and radio, as well as on the BBC's flagship News Online service. They suggest that the corporation is struggling to keep its promise to improve the standards of its news services following damning criticisms levelled against it by the Hutton inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly. The BBC was criticised by Lord Hutton after it emerged that Andrew Gilligan, the Radio 4 Today programme journalist - whose flawed story about the background to the Government's claims on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was at the centre of the inquiry - had filed his report without it being checked by station managers. The leaked e-mails sent by Hugh Berlyn, an assistant editor of BBC News Online, show that despite the furore surrounding the Gilligan report, dozens of "unvetted" stories appear on the internet every day. The result is a string of stories that are, at best, littered with errors and, at worst, inaccurate and potentially libellous. In an e-mail last October, Mr Berlyn said journalists were not showing their reports to managers, who are supposed to check them in accordance with BBC rules. He wrote: "Yesterday we carried out a study of how many of your stories were being properly checked by a second pair of eyes before publication. To my surprise and concern, more than 60 stories around the country were apparently published without being second-checked." Another e-mail, sent in February, said that the number of "justified complaints" about the lack of accuracy in spelling, names, grammar or simple detail was growing. Mr Berlyn told staff that he received dozens of complaints a day. "I really think the level of complaints is such that our credibility is on the line and that cannot be allowed to continue." Although his memos were addressed to staff at BBC Online, they highlight concern about local studios, which provide the internet service with much of its material. He said that it was no longer acceptable for News Online staff to justify mistakes by saying: "That's what was in the radio and TV copy." He wrote: "We have to accept that the standard of journalism in local radio and regional TV is not the same as that required by News Online." BBC Online is the most popular website in Europe, receiving 1.9 billion hits a month. It has two million internet pages. A BBC spokesman insisted last night that it had confidence in its journalists. "Since these e-mails were written, tighter procedures for checking copy have been put in place." The BBC has committed itself to implementing measures recommended by Ron Neil, the former head of news. Mr Neil, who was asked to investigate news services following the Hutton Inquiry, has recommended the establishment of a journalism college and expansion of local news services. Telegraph.co.ukwitty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #2 July 8, 2004 Yes, this has been covered quite a bit. See http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1972377 All of the BBC journos have been required to attend classes and to continue to attend classes. The BBC is one of the planet's most trusted news sources and they've grown quite a bit in recent years. In doing that, some cracks have begun to show. They are taking -vigorous- steps to recapture the trust of their audience.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #3 July 8, 2004 The BBC has a long way to go on the road to journalistic integrity... http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1132084;search_string=bbc;#1132084 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1124894;search_string=bbc;#1124894People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #4 July 8, 2004 Citing HonestReporting.com as a source critical of the BBC's journalistic ethic is kinda funny. HonestReporting.com is a misnomer. It is a political group critical of -anything- even remotely critical of Israel. See http://www.honestreporting.com/a/About_us.asp BTW, by their own admission, they are a cyber terrorist organization as defined by the US Patriot Act.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #5 July 8, 2004 QuoteCiting HonestReporting.com as a source critical of the BBC's journalistic ethic is kinda funny. They don't pretend to be unbiased, they admit their agenda. The BBC does pretend and does not admit. That is not funny. Do you dispute something in the articles? edit-where do they admit to being a cyber terrorist groupPeople are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #6 July 8, 2004 That would be on the page I referenced earlier. Quote (July 1, 2002) as playing a role in this shift, and the Jerusalem Post reported that "HonestReporting.com readers sent up to 6,000 e-mails a day to CNN executives, effectively paralyzing their internal e-mail system." That's a denial of service attack . . . cyber terrorism.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #7 July 8, 2004 hmmm.... I wonder how many emails the houes and senate server(s) can handle in a day....witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #8 July 8, 2004 Are you ridiculing the Patriot Act as defining such a letter (e-ail) campaign as a terrorist act? I don't think that a call from an interest group to "write your congressman/whatever" should/would come under such a denial of service attack.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #9 July 8, 2004 Quote Are you ridiculing the Patriot Act as defining such a letter (e-ail) campaign as a terrorist act? Not as much as I'm ridiculing you for using HonestReporting.com as a source. quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #10 July 8, 2004 And you only look toward 'unbiased' sources for your information? I don't think so! Even very biased sources of information can be right. If they are right, then they are all the more important to understanding the hidden agenda of the supposedly unbiased traditional news sources. When Thomas Paine wrote "Common Sense", do you think he was claiming, or considered by others to be unbiased? There is nothing wrong with activists/advocacy, however many libs tend to dismiss any info from such sources without attacking the substance of the info.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #11 July 8, 2004 Quote Quote (July 1, 2002) as playing a role in this shift, and the Jerusalem Post reported that "HonestReporting.com readers sent up to 6,000 e-mails a day to CNN executives, effectively paralyzing their internal e-mail system." That's a denial of service attack . . . cyber terrorism. It's not a DoS unless the messages are bogus, oversized, or not intended to be read. If instead it merely gives email addresses and suggests its readers make their feelings known, that's perfectly acceptable behavior. CNN needs to get with the program if its that easy to knock out email, because an intentional DoS will send a hell of a lot more messages. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #12 July 8, 2004 Quote Even very biased sources of information can be right. If they are right, then they are all the more important to understanding the hidden agenda of the supposedly unbiased traditional news sources. So . . . we -can- apply that same logic to Michael Moore? I just want to be certain where you stand on this. BTW, it's not that HonestReporting.com is biased that is the downfall of your argument (or even that they may qualify as a quasi-terrorist organization), but rather that you have a highly biased source complaining about . . . bias!quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #13 July 8, 2004 Quote It's not a DoS unless the messages are bogus, oversized, or not intended to be read. "Not intended to be read" is your key phrase there. I believe the object -was- to clog the CNN system. Whether or not the CNN system can or can not deal with it isn't relevant -- it's the intention of the attackers.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #14 July 8, 2004 Quote "Not intended to be read" is your key phrase there. I believe the object -was- to clog the CNN system. Whether or not the CNN system can or can not deal with it isn't relevant -- it's the intention of the attackers. Yes, and nothing you cited regarding CNN implied that there was such intent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
damion75 0 #15 July 9, 2004 QuoteThe BBC has a long way to go on the road to journalistic integrity... Now there's an oxymoron! 'Journalistic Integrity'!! I would chuckle at the expense of anyone who could seriously string those two words together! Consider that the 'news' is written by people, and people are inevitably biased one way or the other on anything in which they gain a real interest / knowledge - such as a story that they are writing. No matter how much personal integrity they try to engage their bias WILL come out - or they will go so far in trying to prevent it that the article will be biased the other way. Add to that the sad fact that bad news sells, and every story in every news source on paper, screen or cyberspace will be biased... Of course I am convinced that most journalists don't even try to be unbiased or display integrity...*************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #16 July 9, 2004 QuoteSo . . . we -can- apply that same logic to Michael Moore? I just want to be certain where you stand on this. Of course Michael Moron could be right. It is just that he is not. The ability to pick apart his film point by point has nothing to do with the fact that he is biased, it has to do with him being wrong. QuoteBTW, it's not that HonestReporting.com is biased that is the downfall of your argument (or even that they may qualify as a quasi-terrorist organization), but rather that you have a highly biased source complaining about . . . bias! How is that a downfall? Either their complaints are valid or not.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #17 July 9, 2004 Quote -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Reply To -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BTW, it's not that HonestReporting.com is biased that is the downfall of your argument (or even that they may qualify as a quasi-terrorist organization), but rather that you have a highly biased source complaining about . . . bias! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How is that a downfall? It's the definition of hypocrisy. [Conservative Jedi enter stage left] There is no inherent hypocrisy built into the current Republican Party agenda.[/Conservative Jedi exit stage right] Nevermind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
falxori 0 #18 July 9, 2004 QuoteIt is a political group critical of -anything- even remotely critical of Israel. just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean they are not after you... you can say the BBC tells facts (most of the times). but they tell their facts by telling a story. a story which represents a stand, by chosing terms, titles and order of events. the BBC is not my idea of a "honest" agency. O O O "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #19 July 9, 2004 QuoteHow is that a downfall? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's the definition of hypocrisy. I think not: hy•poc•ri•sy \hi-"pa-kre-se\ n, pl -sies : a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; esp : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion (c)2000 Zane Publishing, Inc. and Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. All rights reserved So only 'unbiased' news sources can complain about the bias of a self-proclaimed unbiased news source? The BBC claims to not be biased, HonestReporting.com makes no secret of the fact they are an advocacy group with a definite goal/agenda.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
