The BBC programme Newsnight and its ability to truthfully portray events has been of interest to Raccoonistas for some time now. It is fair to say that we have a distinctly jaundiced view of its agenda.

We formed that opinion back in the days when ‘someone’ mysteriously leaked to a number of journalists that a programme had been suppressed ‘from up on high’ (that old conspiracy chestnut) – the original Meirion Jones ‘story any journalist would want’ on Jimmy Savile. Equally mysteriously, information gleaned for that programme, which was later proved to have been correctly decided by Peter Rippon to have been of a lower standard than you should if not could expect from the BBC, found its way to ITV and the result was the ‘Exposure’ programme made by Mark Williams-Thomas, which thankfully was overlooked for its expected BAFTA award, leaving poor Mark ‘gutted’……

Newsnight was not finished in its spirited attempt to ruin the reputation of the BBC, a month later they commissioned Angus Stickler of the laughable ‘Bureau of Investigative Journalism’ to make the appalling documentary which resulted in Lord McAlpine returning from his sojourn in Italy to the beat of the lawyer’s drum.

You might have thought, after the undignified belly-flop performed by the dyed in the wool Labour supporting Bureau of Investigative Churnalism – landing wallet up in front of Lord McAlpine’s lawyers – that we might have heard the last of them. But no! After costing the BBC £185,000 plus undisclosed costs, Angus ‘I’m a Stickler for the Truth’  has succeeded in wounding the BBC once more.

Yesterday, the BBC was forced to apologise to the military charity Help for Heroes, after yet another programme made by Angus ’I’m a Stickler for the Truth’ was shown to be somewhat short on the old veracity. Indeed, the internal investigation discovered that “there was no evidence to back Newsnight’s claim about Help for Heroes”.

The BBC portrayed criticisms about overall support by a number of agencies as specific criticisms of Help for Heroes. This unfair impression was reinforced by our coverage of the story in other outlets.

“In addition, the Newsnight report contained interviews with two contributors which were edited in a way which misrepresented their views.”

So, the BBC has put its hands up and accepted the blame for yet another programme made by Angus Stickler! Why were they so enamoured of this journalist whose coverage of the original North Wales Children’s Home ‘abuse’ had already been comprehensively rubbished.  His impeccable left-wing credentials may have been partly to blame.

It is with some relief that we note that Newsnight now has a new Editor. Ian Katz. Will we now see more balanced reporting?

Hmmm. Ian Katz was formerly Deputy Editor of….er, The Guardian. Not looking good is it? There he displayed the left-wing dislike of Republican politicians to amusing effect:

Clark County

In August 2004, for the US presidential election, the daily G2 supplement launched an experimental letter-writing campaign in Clark County, Ohio, an average-sized county in a swing state.

G2 editor Ian Katz bought a voter list from the county for $25 and asked readers to write to people listed as undecided in the election, giving them an impression of the international view and the importance of voting against US President George W. Bush.

The paper scrapped “Operation Clark County” on 21 October 2004 after first publishing a column of responses – nearly all of them outraged – to the campaign under the headline “Dear Limey assholes”.

The public backlash against the campaign likely contributed to Bush’s victory in Clark County.

That went well! One American writer who railed against this ‘Guardian initiative’, memorably described the Guardian readers who responded as ’stupid, yellow-toothed pansies‘. I must remember that one!

20 years editing the Guardian? Does that give you the expertise to stand up to reporters who want to produce badly researched and evidenced programmes because they have a ‘thing’ about the subject? We shall see.

Ian is a typical left wing luvvy from the Islington set. He lives in a ‘handsome town house in Islington’ with his ‘tall and athletic-looking, with great hair – blonde, thick, blow-dried’ wife. (It’s her hair that is thick, not her!) How do I know? Well because Justine was part of the ‘Klondyke rush to pitch a stake in cyberspace [which] led otherwise perfectly sensible people to resign from their jobs in a frenzy of e-Commerce excitement only to come a-cropper after the millions failed to materialise from the ether. Justine, however, had young children and was motivated by a desire to achieve that most elusive Fata Morgana of modern motherhood: a work-life balance.’

And she did. With Mumsnet, that den of patronising online conversations about cracked nipples, the merits of cloth versus disposable nappies, and why little Tarquin won’t eat his organic carrot bake. The spiritual home of the phrase ‘baby dancing’ as shorthand for sex…Sheesh!

I fear Newsnight will continue going to the dogs, hounded headed by Katz.

Johann Hari was a stickler for the truth too….

rabbitawayMay 22, 2013 at 20:37

But let’s not be too down hearted. Special guest at these shit awards was
the Met’s chief honcho and I quote …..” journalism in Britain is improving all
the time” phrew thanks Bernie …

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-needs-diverse-police-says-met-chief-as-standard-earns-praise-at-press-club-awards-8627516.html

rabbitawayMay 22, 2013 at 20:22

Oh dear – another award ……

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/spiked-newsnight-savile-story-named-joint-winner-london-press-club-scoop-prize

Moor
LarkinMay 21, 2013 at 16:43

@Mewsical
Alison Levitt could presumably answer the question because she
has met Ms.A, who, The Sun has proudly told us, is actually “Jill”, from
Worthing…..
Nothing
like maintaining the victim’s anonymity…….

My last blogpost highlighted this as well as the fact that Ted Beston’s
arrest may well have been on the basis of the corroborative statements made by
“Penny” and “Sandra” who now appear to be the same person. I kid you not.

There has been a recent kerfuffle over a report at the west Yorkshire
Police which seems to revealed that Yewtree never got round to interviewing
very many of their “victims” because it turns out lots of the addresses the
NSPCC were given are false. Presumably that didn’t stop them appearing on
those silly charts and graphs last January.

LucozadeMay 21, 2013 at 19:08

Moor Larkin,

Re: “There has been a recent kerfuffle over a report at the west
Yorkshire Police which seems to revealed that Yewtree never got round to
interviewing very many of their “victims” because it turns out lots of the
addresses the NSPCC were given are false. Presumably that didn’t stop them
appearing on those silly charts and graphs last January”

False addresses? That’s wonderful, nothing suspicious about that at all,
lol….

rabbitawayMay 21, 2013 at 16:38

BTW talk about Brass kneck ‘Anoymous’ has just posted this little ditty on
Moor’s too –

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/jimmy-savile-trust-snubs-victims-charity-1-

MewsicalMay 21,
2013 at 16:13

Bebe Roberts was never anywhere near Jimmy Savile. She was not at Duncroft
during the period Savile came there, i.e. 74-76. That photo is one she
plastered all over the internet before she went to the Daily Mail with her
lies. As far as the rest of them, they’re all liars. Cogger is on record as
saying that when Savile did try to touch her she smacked his hands away and
told him to leave her alone, which he did. She said he just walked away. Then
later, she shows up as the beef biryani girl, in the company of Fiona SJ,
neither one of them having the sense to simply get up and leave the television
room, apparently, after the alleged ‘groping under the blanket.’ I’m sick of
looking at their damn fool faces, or listening to any of their lies.
Emotionally disturbed then, and emotionally disturbed now, far as I’m
concerned.

rabbitaway
May 21, 2013 at 16:32

Hi Mewsical – glad you had a look – I too am sick of the sight of all of
them but we’re dissecting the Levitt report etc on Moor’s and his photo of
‘Jill’ jogged my memory … ‘is all’ Cheers

rabbitawayMay 21, 2013 at 14:54

Hey good folk – help us out here. Does anyone agree that the two people
named as Bebe Roberts and ‘Jill’ are actually the same person. There’s a
strong resemblance as far as I’m concerned !! Scroll right down the page, I’m
not sure about the shape of the face, but the eye’s ????

http://12160.info/profiles/blogs/leah-mcgrath-goodman-vindicated-jimmy-savile-scandal-lift-her-uk

rabbitawayMay 20, 2013 at 10:48

I want to share an extract from Moor Larkin’s blog chapter entitled ‘Hell
hath no fury’. These few lines had such an impact on me on Saturday night –
give the chapter a read or at least consider this …..

‘I cannot imagine any celebrity daring to set foot in anybody’s hospital
for the next thirty years if something is not done to put the record straight
about Jimmy Savile. Jimmy Savile has been dismissed recently as a proto-chav.
Maybe he was, he was certainly as common as muck.
BUT………
However
superficial his job was, he himself was not just some hollow celebrity, but
rather he made himself a into a man of substance. The casual way his wholeness
has been cast aside illustrates an extremely dangerous superficiality about
the current British Establishment and the British public themselves.’

http://jimcannotfixthis.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/hell-hath-no-fury.html?view=flipcard

Well said Mr Larkin

rabbitawayMay 20, 2013 at 10:36

So now we can dissect Alison Levitt’s report AGAIN ….. I only had to read
the summary to find a rather large flaw –

‘Nothing would suggest that the alleged victims had colluded in their
accounts nor that they were any less reliable,than say a victim of a
burglary…..’
MS Levitt disagrees with the police who, at the time treated
the ‘allegations’ with ‘… a degree of caution which was neither justified nor
required’

My conclusion on her report so far – She is very obviously biased in favour
of the ‘alleged victims’ ….. to be continued on Moor’s blog !

PS she did meet 3 of the original complainants from 2007 – 2008 and she
found them to be ‘credible’ ….. dear me !

Backwoodsman
May 19, 2013 at 11:54

Surely one of the MP’s on the Culture Media and whatever Committee , should
be enquiring into the exact details of the process used to appoint Mr Katz
?
Quite how an editor from a failing, low circulation, overtly left wing
print medium and one responsible for such a fiasco as Mr Katz, came to be
chosen for a position with an impartial national television broadcaster !

LucozadeMay 18, 2013 at 20:54

Moor Larkin, Rabbitaway,

Re: “Surely someone must have been upset by the ‘other side of Jimmy
Savile”

I think one of his nephews was….

rabbitaway
May 18, 2013 at 22:03

Luco’/Moor – I love that tweenie vid especially the little noise’s Max’s
audience are making in the background – ah bless xx

Lucozade
May 19, 2013 at 20:45

rabbitaway,

Re: “I love that tweenie vid especially the little noise’s Max’s
audience are making in the background – ah bless xx”

Things were so innocent back then, lol….

rabbitaway
May 19, 2013 at 21:21

Hi Luco’ – the tweenie thing was made in 2001 – I feel sorry for the
children of the folk who complained about this. He’s so damn cute that
Max !!!!

Lucozade
May 20, 2013 at 02:50

rabbitaway,

Re: “I feel sorry for the children of the folk who complained about
this”

So do I, they’ll be the sort of parents who’ll moan about anything
and everything, lol….

Moor LarkinMay 20, 2013 at 09:19

“Child protection expert Mark Williams Thomas said: “The BBC should
be going through programmes with a fine-toothed comb.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4754933/BBC-shows-Savile-act-on-the-Tweenies.html#ixzz2TopefbjX

I was thinking they should use a nit-comb………….

rabbitawayMay 18, 2013 at 12:53

@Anna, try as I might I cannot find any indication of complaints lodged
with ITV about the Tv program ‘Exposure’. I will dig deeper but, so far the
only ‘complaint’ I have found is about this !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_MNa8OYoOw

Surely someone must have been upset by the ‘other side of Jimmy Savile’
!!

Moor
LarkinMay 18, 2013 at 20:06

@ Surely someone must have been upset by the ‘other side of Jimmy Savile’
@

They say only 2 million watched it.
It would have been 2 million and
two but Entwhistle and Patten were out to dinner ….

This complaint tickled me though….

PUBLICATION: The Sun
COMPLAINT:
Ms Karin Ward complained to the
Press Complaints Commission under Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’ Code
of Practice about a photograph which featured in an article reporting on the
extent of Jimmy Savile’s abuse. The complainant was concerned that the
caption had inaccurately identified her as one of those included in the
image.
RESOLUTION:
The matter was resolved when the newspaper wrote
privately to the complainant, apologising for its error and the distress
caused.
DATE PUBLISHED: 04/01/2013
http://www.pcc.org.uk/news/index.html?article=ODE5OQ==

rabbitaway
May 18, 2013 at 22:05

Moor – well done for finding that. I couldn’t think of the name of the
complaints organisation – pcc – cheers

Dave the Dog
May 17, 2013 at 23:17

binao-” We don’t pay a fee to enable programme makers to indulge their
prejudices.” Precisely!

FrankieMay 17, 2013 at 22:58

Hi Anna:

Seen this? A relative perhaps??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-22567364

Ivan DMay 17, 2013 at 22:20

“Baby dancing”

Seriously?

carol42May 17, 2013 at 18:56

I think it is high time the BBC license was scrapped, it is well past it’s
sell by date and leaves little space for local radio channels. It could
continue as a subscription choice. Not having to earn money they just don’t
care, don’t reflect majority views and shout down opposing opinions and it is
a truly regressive tax. There is no need for public funding now, especially
when we are treated with contempt by their champagne socialists.

binaoMay 17, 2013 at 19:36

The BBC may be a class act compared to some, but it’s way past the stage
of being regarded as an impartial and balanced reporter of news and current
affairs.
I do think there is a place for an independent national
broadcaster providing some core services free to air. I really can’t
understand why the rest of it should be anywhere except in the private
sector. If it’s so wonderful, yes, set it up as a subscription
service.
We may accept that the sneering lefty liberal attitudes
displayed by the BBC are part of the media culture, but there is surely an
obligation to uncritically acknowledge other views. We don’t pay a fee to
enable programme makers to indulge their prejudices.
The alternative is
that I’m wrong, but at least I’m prepared to accept that there are other
viewpoints.

Ancient + Tattered
AirmanMay 17, 2013 at 18:50

The Headquarters of the Fabian Society are clearly alive and active in the
comfy embrace of the BBC – and we pay for it!

MewsicalMay 17,
2013 at 18:41

I see a show about the Catholic Church, presumably also dealing with child
abuse, pipped MWT at the BAFTA post. Hi ho, so it goes.

MewsicalMay 17,
2013 at 18:37

And that should read “as if everything they say should not be subject to
scrutiny …” Duh.

MewsicalMay 17,
2013 at 18:36

It never fails to amuse me that Messham is judged to be as crazy as a
bedbug, but the Duncroft contingent, who are/were “emotionally disturbed”
(this is their own description of themselves, btw) are somehow treated as if
everything they say is should not subject to scrutiny despite the fact they
were in a psychiatric institution with padded cells, pin-down and injections
of elephant tranquilizer – if we’re silly enough to believe one word they
say.

MelanieMay 20, 2013 at 11:07

Actually it was a Community school in the Mid 70s with the emphasis on
Education, very few sessions with any sort of Psychiatrist and the Padded
cell was a medical facility .

MewsicalMay
21, 2013 at 16:57

Melanie – like I said “if you’re silly enough to believe one word they
say.” However, they’d have it that it was for ‘emotionally-disturbed’
girls, and it’s their version I’m quoting. However, Margaret Jones has
said that there were ‘padded cells’ which were known as ‘soft rooms.’ As
Pamela Mason, who was the consulting psychiatrist in my day, obviously
continued on into the 70s, as she was in at least one of the photos of
Savile visiting the school, so she must have been doing at least
something. No medical stuff went on there without a properly-licensed
doctor overseeing the situation and writing orders. As far as an emphasis
on education, well, they got their exams, and that’s about it as far as I
can tell. Were you there?

Fat SteveMay 17, 2013 at 16:18

Well Anna the Uber Raccoon manages to find yet one more creatures waaaay
down the evolutionary scale —this time hiding in the murk and slime of the
media pond—–would never have known this creature existed without looking
through my window and seeing the Uber Raccoon out and going about her business
in France. So thanks Anna —those sausage sandwiches seem to work magic!!!!

JuliaMMay 17,
2013 at 15:10

“It’s her hair that is thick, not her!”

*grins*

ivanMay 17, 2013 at 13:11

Wasn’t Ian Katz one of the ‘people’ that applauded the 10:10 environmental
add that advocated blowing up children that didn’t agree with their message.
For more on this side of things see http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2013/16/new-newsnight-editor-eulogises-1010-campaign.html

ivanMay 17, 2013 at 13:15

Correct url http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2013/5/16/new-newsnight-editor-eulogises-1010-campaign.html
I hit submit before I finished reading

Moor LarkinMay 17, 2013 at 15:25

The BBC seem to be supplying the MWD info to the Americans this time
around.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22551892
Hutton
must be laughing his head off.

Wigner’s Friend
May 17, 2013 at 13:10

@ I fear Newsnight will continue going to the dogs @

I fear it has already got there and, to mix metaphors, has hit the manure
and is continuing to tunnel.

Moor
LarkinMay 17, 2013 at 13:02

@ I fear Newsnight will continue going to the dogs @

“A while back, I ran a blogpost asking the question, Who Investigates the
Investigators, I was of course referring to the investigative journalists.
Well, one thing is now clear to me. They were certainly not going to be being
investigated by the Police. ACPO had them on a leash and they were the attack
dogs.”
http://jimcannotfixthis.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/nothing-like-truth.html

Duncan Disorderly
May 17, 2013 at 12:36

Most will have seen the following highly prophetic Webster article, but I
will put the link here anyway. Webster takes Angus Stickler to task for not
giving right to reply to someone accused of trying to cover up child abuse, in
a BBC production – in 2004! And Steve Messham makes an appearance!

“The central issue is that Angus Stickler chose to make a serious
allegation against Jevons without inviting him to respond to it, or even
alerting him to the fact that it was going to be made. This approach is
strikingly at odds with that described by Jenny Cuffe when she writes that
‘Our approach is invariably sceptical, but always fair’. It inevitably
tarnishes the well-deserved reputation of the programme.

What was even more surprising was Angus Stickler’s choice of his next
witness. ‘Our investigation,’ he said, ‘has discovered serious concerns about
the validity of some of the documents presented at the Waterhouse inquiry.’ In
support of this claim Stickler used extracts from an interview with Steven
Messham, a former resident of Bryn Estyn and other homes who, said Stickler,
‘alleges he was sexually assaulted by 80 different men including a peer of the
realm’. Messham said that it was clear that some of the claims he had made
were not supported by the social services documents which were produced at the
Tribunal. From this he drew the conclusion that, as his solicitor put it
(while making it clear that he was expressing the opinion of his client) ‘the
files had been doctored.’”
http://www.richardwebster.net/print/xfileon4.htm