Watching BBC News this morning and I was literally shocked to see Angela Rayner being interviewed by ITV’s new star Paul Brand – an extended clip within a report by the BBC’s “Chief Political Correspondent” Henry Zeffman!
What is going on at the Beeb? This would never have been countenanced when I worked as a Producer at the BBC and can only really come under the “Standards are Slipping” banner.
It is basically an admission of being “second best”.
BBC News should be, used to be and actually still is– just about, the “gold standard” by which news is judged around the world.
It used to be the case that if it was on the BBC “it must be true”. That is partly why the BBC World Service, for instance, is listened to by over 400 million people globally each week.
To say that ITV and ITN in particular have been punching above their weight for years – compared to the resources the BBC still has at its disposal – with its £3.84 billion licence fee income this year alone – is more than an understatement! They are to be commended.
What price Brand being poached by the Beeb as Chief Political Correspondent – as the Beeb’s new Director General Matt Brittin, from Google, gets his feet under the table.
Let’s hope that even a Google executive whose focus on news maybe less “laser sharp” than a former DG – John Birt – can see that standards are slipping and either new talent needs to be hired – or else!
And yes, people do still watch and listen to the BBC for news in an era where “fake news” abounds.
Andrew Carapiet is a Founder and Director of Media Friendly – www.mediafriendly.org, enquiries@mediafriendly.org