The problem with the BBC’s appointment of Jess Brammar to head its news channels is not her widely tweeted loathing for Brexit, Boris Johnson and the Tory Party. Any news organisation should have room for all kinds of opinions.
It is that she is one of a legion of such appointments, which have created an arrogant, self-perpetuating executive class at the BBC that holds only one view, the liberal Leftist view.
They work with, socialise with and talk only to people like themselves, so that they are unable to conceive that anyone else might legitimately take a different position. They are like the goldfish, swimming endlessly round in its bowl.
It does not even know that it is a goldfish and thinks that the watery glass sphere in which it dwells is the whole world.
The problem with the BBC’s appointment of Jess Brammar (above) to head its news channels is not her widely tweeted loathing for Brexit, Boris Johnson and the Tory Party. Any news organisation should have room for all kinds of opinions. It is that she is one of a legion of such appointments, which have created an arrogant, self-perpetuating executive class at the BBC that holds only one view, the liberal Leftist view
This is why the BBC is repeatedly derailed by its inability to see things coming. It had no idea that Brexit was even a possibility, as its elite class never met anyone who was in favour of it. It was likewise baffled by the 80-seat Tory majority at the last Election.
This indefensible lack of diverse opinion is most especially felt among top news executives. Of course there are exceptions.
The Corporation’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, plainly strives for a dispassionate understanding of the real world of politics. Her forerunner, Nick Robinson, is another rare big beast who sees more than one side.
Director general, Tim Davie might turn his attention to the more general high-handedness of his organisation, which is shown by the story we tell today of the indefensible loss of the bloodstained clothes of the murdered schoolgirl Karen Hadaway. The BBC opened an internal investigation in 2004 after Karen’s family asked for the clothing to be returned in the hope of aiding a new investigation of the crime, and the BBC could find no trace of them. Now it can find little trace of any internal inquiry either. It appears the reporter involved, the now notorious Martin Bashir (above), lost the garments. But he says he can’t remember the events
The presenter and interviewer Andrew Marr, though beyond doubt on the Left himself, is aware of the existence of other views and treats them with respect. But they stand out because they are so unusual.
And there are plenty of good things about the BBC. On this page, our columnist Alexandra Shulman (The Mail on Sunday likes diversity of opinion) rightly praises the skills of Radio 5 Live’s sports presenters and commentators.
She correctly notes that no other broadcaster in the world matches BBC quality. Its drama, nature programmes, light entertainment and documentaries also outdo everyone else.
This is why it matters so much that in some areas it simply is not living up to its Charter and Agreement obligations to be impartial.
The new director general, Tim Davie, has talked encouragingly of curbing the power of the metropolitan elite. But there is little to show for it.
This indefensible lack of diverse opinion is most especially felt among top news executives. Of course there are exceptions. The Corporation’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg (above), plainly strives for a dispassionate understanding of the real world of politics
Mr Davie might also turn his attention to the more general high-handedness of his organisation, which is shown by the story we tell today of the indefensible loss of the bloodstained clothes of the murdered schoolgirl Karen Hadaway.
The BBC opened an internal investigation in 2004 after Karen’s family asked for the clothing to be returned in the hope of aiding a new investigation of the crime, and the BBC could find no trace of them.
And now it can find little trace of any internal inquiry either. It appears that the reporter involved, the now notorious Martin Bashir, lost the garments. But he says he cannot remember the events.
Perhaps if the BBC had looked more thoroughly into these matters at the time, it might have prevented Mr Bashir’s rise to prominence, and much resulting damage.
But its closed and haughty elite, with its insistence on being judge and jury in any case where it comes under criticism, ploughed on regardless.
That is what it usually does. But with the licence fee unlikely to endure in its present form for much longer, it needs to reconsider this approach, urgently and soon.