Throughout last week, Westminster’s Professor Steven Barnett was interviewed by numerous news outlets to give his thoughts on the serious allegations levelled at BBC presenter Huw Edwards by The Sun newspaper, and subsequent reporting by the BBC.
Professor Barnett appeared on Sky News on 10 July, followed by another appearance on 11 July and a radio interview with Irish broadcaster RTE. He also joined the BeebWatch podcast as their main guest to discuss how BBC news programmes appeared to be obsessed by the story and gave it disproportionate coverage. On 12 July Professor Barnett joined Iain Dale on LBC to discuss the problems with The Sun’s story, and the inability of the press complains handler, IPSO, to act as an effective and independent regulator. On BBC Scotland that same evening he discussed Jeremy Vine’s intervention, calling it “disappointing and unnecessary.” On Thursday 13 July, he appeared on BBC Northern Ireland, and BBC 5 Live where he went up against former The Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie and again explained why the original Sun story was problematic and poorly evidenced.
Professor Barnett rounded off the week with an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Feedback show, picking up on listener complaints about the BBC’s obsessive coverage of itself. Here, he noted: “BBC journalists want to demonstrate their independence from their own management and from the institution and show that they can be independently critical. And that's a good thing. But I'm afraid that there are times when it becomes obsessive and self-indulgent… bad journalism doesn't just start with the original story. It then continues with the way in which other journalists follow it up.”
Across these appearances Professor Barnett reminded listeners and viewers that The Sun had a long-standing corporate anti-BBC agenda which fuelled their coverage. He also noted that there were disputed facts involving a young person, their parents and a BBC presenter, but that nothing unlawful had taken place – a position supported by the police. He suggested that we wait for the BBC to complete their internal enquiry before jumping to any conclusions or moral judgements. In the meantime, he said, both the young person and the presenter were entitled – both legally and morally – to their privacy, and we should be asking some searching questions about The Sun’s coverage as well as BBC responses.
Steven Barnett is a professor at the School of Media and Communication. He specialises in media policy, regulation, the theory and practice of journalism, political communication and press ethics. He has directed over 30 research projects on the structure, funding, regulation and business of communications in the UK and around the world. His work has frequently been quoted in parliamentary debates and government reports, and he is a regular commentator and writer on media issues.
Listen to Professor Barnett’s appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Feedback show.
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