The mainstream British media — left and right — have completely gone silent over the amazing revelations that Greg Dyke considered starting a political party while he was still the boss at the BBC, in order to oust Tony Blair. As reported only on the internet by The American Thinker and other sources, this revelation was first made public in Wednesday's London Evening Standard, by journalist Tom Mangold.

Why is it terribly odd that no British newspaper has followed this story? For a start, the BBC is chartered to be 100% independent of any political persuasion, and its Director General must be completely and unconditionally impartial. These constraints regarding the 'public service' requirement of the BBC maintain its part of the contract or bargain, if you will, with the British license fee payer. Greg Dyke broke that contract on behalf of the BBC by openly considering the financing of a political party while he was Director General.

Secondly, and in view of events surrounding the BBC's refusal to retract their allegations that Tony Blair had lied about Iraq's WMD, it now appears as if the BBC's refusal to back down over Andrew Gilligan's flawed report was driven by Greg Dyke's personal political obsessions. More information is emerging that some individuals at the BBC did in fact want to issue the retraction for the story, but were apparently blocked by Greg Dyke. He did so out of hatred for Tony Blair, and not for reasons of 'independence,' as he has stated in various comments since his resignation from the BBC.

Yesterday, in the British press there was not one story regarding Tom Mangold's startling revelations. But incredibly, there were some stories about Greg Dyke, but they concerned the fact that he is being touted to become the next head of ITV, the British commercial media network. 

One cannot help but suspect that there is a deep an incestuous malaise within the British press in which the key is not to criticize their own —— no matter what the charge.

Perhaps the media are waiting for confirmation as to whether Greg Dyke will get the ITV job. They probably don't want to burn any bridges, as some of them may be looking for a new job at some point in the future.

This whole debacle, including the non—reporting of it by the British press, amply demonstrates just how unprincipled British journalists and editors have become in the last few years. They hypocritically moan about the level of spin that emanates from the Blair government.

Pot, kettle, black.

Posted by Michael  04 16 04