Auntie gets her knickers in a twist

The BBC crisis may be exploited by manipulative paedophiles as a smokescreen and Beeb-haters as bandwagon jumpers. But they do have a problem and it is one they share with many other media operations: Badly trained journalists who are managed by people who spend too much time watching the hicksville antics of amateur bloggers (ho ho) and others who they see as a threat to their business. 

The BBC has descended to that level and is discovering that credibility is a hugely valuable and hard-won commodity.

Backing up a bit, the error over Savile was mere timidity. They knew only too well that they would get some of the blame for his antics so were on the back foot anyway. On top of that, the absurd adulation of the man was about to be repeated for Christmas. So they dropped the prog. They must have known it would annoy the hell out of the staff and so leak. Which it did. The rest is painful history.

But the fault was effectively just an old rule that guarded journalists for years - if in doubt, leave it out! No big deal in professional terms then.

Now the error of McAlpine is on a different scale - it is a pure lack of professionalism. Frankly, Entwhistle should have suspended and then sacked the two idiots in charge on that day for a failure so elementary that even a junior would be ashamed. They did not test their evidence. What!? No, really. They did not even show the allegor a picture of his Lordship to make sure it was the right man. Let alone give the man a call.

But it gets worse because once the journalists knew that his name was on the web NOT contacting him or showing his picture to Meeshan for confirmation (he would we now know have said 'wrong man') was appalling. And they MUST have known it was out there; they are wired like the rest of us. Even Patten has admitted he knew although he could hardly intervene since that would have been seen as political (this is a Tory allegation remember - "Tory placeman stops Beeb" etc etc). But if he did then Entwhistle probably did and he could/should have intervened and hence perhaps his resignation.

As Dimbley says, the BBC are making their own crisis. And its not just a BBC issue - just rotten journalism of which I suggest there is just too much everywhere (says a sad old hack!). The ITV list of names, everything to do with phone hacking. The list goes on.

The cause? Maybe too much BA in Media Studies and not enough Proficiency in work experience? Says a tired old and ex hack!