BBC secrets

By Ethel C. Fenig

Yes, yes it is guilt by association, guilt by non-admission, guilt by fighting to keep secrets but the impartiality and reliability of the BBC suffered another blow when they won their hard fought

right to keep secret an internal report into its Middle East coverage, in the first appeal to go to the high court over the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

Why is the stodgy, British taxpayer funded news service so tenaciously protecting the contents of a report, commissioned by their former news director, analyzing whether the Beeb's reporting was anti Israel? Could it be because it was? Still is. Hmmmmm. Inquiring minds, even American ones who do have access to BBc news, want to know.

Update: Vel Nirtist writes:

There is something peculiarly striking about a news organization keeping its policies so secret. After all, what is the lifeblood of journalism? Leaks from the disgruntled officials to the press, of course. From the Pentagon Papers to Abu Ghraib, almost every major policy shift was precipitated by a leak from a praiseworthy and patriotic (at least from the press' standpoint) individual in the know.

Now that it is a news organization itself that is being suspected of less-than-ethical conduct, isn't it time for a praiseworthy and patriotic BBC employee to blow the cover and leak the entire report - and for the BBC to applaud his or her courageous action?

Or does the the news media live by a different standard than that it preaches? Isn't it time to tell the BBC, "doctor, heal yourself"?