What I wrote at Lib Dem Voice

July 11, 2006

What's sauce for the BBC...

The Times’s David Aaronovitch makes a compelling point in his article today, No, Mr Humphrys, there is no excuse for probing into the DPM's sex life:

... last Thursday listeners to the Today programme heard John Humphrys ask the following question to the Deputy Prime Minister: “There are now reports, and they’re circulating on the internet, as you know, that you have had other affairs — is that true?” Let me just stop here for a moment. I went to work at the BBC in current affairs in January 1988. I stayed for seven years, working in political news and — for six months — on the Today programme. I was at the BBC throughout the David Mellor affair. It is inconceivable that such a question would have been asked ten years ago. It would have been considered a breach of journalistic standards.

But I can't help feeling Mr Aaronovitch's case is slightly undermined by The Times’s choice of lead story on page 27, peddling allegations about Tommy Sheridan MSP, leader of the Scottish Socialist Party:
Sheridan 'had group sex with his brother-in-law'

3 comments:

Backintheday said...

I suppose the argument would be that this is reporting from a court case whereas the questions to DPM were based on internet rumour.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if, by any chance that this article catches the appropriate eye, Aaronovitch's view will affect his proprietor's other journals of record and high moral tone - the Sun and the News of the World?

Anonymous said...

Former leader of the SSP.