View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
June 1, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 7:33pm

Thompson: we don’t need a ‘guiding hand’

By Press Gazette

BBC director general Mark Thompson defended the corporation's coverage of Israel and Palestine.

He was speaking in advance of the corporation's official response to an independent report, commissioned by the board of governors earlier this month, which found "no deliberate or systematic bias" in the BBC's reporting of the conflict.

Thompson disagreed with the findings of the BBC board of governors'

report that a "guiding hand" should be appointed in newsrooms to reduce the potential for bias.

Speaking at the session entitled "Does Public Service Broadcasting Have a Future?", he described the BBC's approach as one of "critical realism" in which journalists use "sophisticated analysis" and "individual judgement"

balanced with a duty to get facts and provide an accurate view of the world.

He said the first principle of journalism provided by public service broadcasters was that it was impartial, dispassionate, disinterested journalism that was free from governmental or party political influence.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

He said the suppression of independent sources was on the increase and mentioned Iran's recent move to block access to the BBC's Persian website from within the country.

Thompson said: "The site is not in any way anti-Iranian or anti-Muslim. It is simply seeking to make impartial and truthful news about Iran and the rest of the world available to those Iranians who want to access it."

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network