WHERE does the BBC go from here? The apologies ring hollow because they are only sorry they got caught. If any good could comes out of the sordid Martin Bashir mess the BBC finds itself in, maybe it’s that they’ll have learnt an important lesson. Arrogance and intransigence, the preserve of overblown corporations, has an Achilles heel, the truth.
READ MORE: This is why the Diana interview scandal also affects BBC Scotland
It may be a hard lesson to learn because after Princess Diana came the Sir Cliff Richard fiasco, another disgraceful episode. The competitive nature of news-gathering has to be tempered with responsibility and accuracy but there is also a worrying trend of omission. The National frequently carries stories of importance that are ignored by the BBC. There is no longer a one-stop shop for news and to keep abreast, the more sources of news the better. Al Jazeera, France 24 and CNN are a liberating experience compared to the claustrophobic BBC/UK Government line. It is shameful that Scotland has to reach out to foreign broadcasters for impartial news.
Mike Herd
Highland
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