Bruised BBC vows to improve journalism

1.00pm

LONDON - The BBC revamped its journalism guidelines on Wednesday in response to a bruising fight with the British establishment over its Iraq war coverage.

Eager to protect its reputation as one of the world's most respected broadcasters despite a judicial savaging over a May, 2003 Iraq report, the publicly funded BBC also announced the creation of its own journalism training college.

"It is a template for strengthening BBC journalism," new director-general Mark Thompson said of the recommendations contained in the Neil Report commissioned after judge Lord Hutton's criticism. All would be implemented immediately.

Hutton exonerated Prime Minister Tony Blair but lambasted the BBC in his January report into the death of a British scientist who committed suicide after being outed as the source of a radio report that officials hyped Iraq's weapons threat.

Hutton said the report was unfounded and the BBC's editorial system "defective". That prompted an apology from the BBC, the resignation of its chairman and director-general, and anger and soul-searching among its 28,000 staff.

The BBC's crisis -- the worst in its eight-decade history -- echoed pressure on other big Western media over standards.

Most notably, the New York Times last year fired reporter Jayson Blair for fabricating and plagiarising material. It also recently admitted it was misled over information from Iraqi exiles on Saddam Hussein's weapons.

Recommendations in the Neil Report, led by a former BBC executive, include general points like renewed emphasis on core values of accuracy, serving public interest, impartiality, independence and accountability.

But they also touched on some of the specific criticisms of then BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan's May 29 "6.07" report, so-called because it was broadcast at 6.07am.

Stories from anonymous sources should have greater scrutiny, and single-source stories should be used "only where the story is one of significant public interest and the correct procedures have been followed," the report said for example.

While Gilligan's report highlighted a valid issue -- questionable intelligence over Iraqi weapons -- details of his reporting such as incomplete notes, loose wording, and insufficient balancing were criticised even by colleagues.

"What's often forgotten is that much of what Gilligan said was right," media analyst Graham Lovelace told Reuters.

"It's just the way the BBC handled the story... and the mistake of an individual reporter going live very early in the morning... that was blown up by the government."

Wednesday's new measures should, however, "help BBC news move forward and preserve the BBC's well-trusted and deserved reputation for impartiality and accuracy," Lovelace added.

Affectionately nicknamed "Auntie" by Britons, the BBC is a veteran of sometimes vicious disputes with successive British governments.

Ex-leader Margaret Thatcher's right-wing government derided the "pinko" BBC for its supposed leftist leanings, while supporters of the centre-left Blair were convinced the broadcaster was gunning for him over the Iraq war.

"The BBC does not have the public's trust as of right: it has to earn and maintain it," Thompson said.

- REUTERS