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06/29/2003 Archived Entry: "Attention, US Media: Here's how it's done."
Attention, US Media: Here's how it's done.
You want to see a big media company stand up to the lying sacks of shit in government? You want to see them call a spade a spade and come right out and say that the government put pressure on the media to report things a certain way?
Well then. You'll have to go to England, Im afraid.
Downing Street was last night embroiled in a full scale war with the BBC after the corporation accused the No 10 communications chief, Alastair Campbell, of intimidatory tactics and of pursuing a "personal vendetta" against its defence correspondent. To the fury of Downing Street, which is demanding an apology over a BBC report that the government "sexed up" a dossier on Iraq's banned weapons, the corporation went on the offensive as it launched a point-by-point rejection of Mr Campbell's criticisms.
In its strongest ever attack on Tony Blair's government, which was cleared by director general Greg Dyke, the BBC insisted that it was standing by the contentious story by its defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan.
Richard Sambrook, the BBC's director of news, wrote to the prime minister's director of communications: "I do not accept the validity of your attacks on our journalism, and on Andrew Gilligan in particular. We have to believe that you are conducting a personal vendetta against a particular journalist whose reports on a number of occasions have caused you discomfort.
His sharply worded letter, stretching to eight pages, was immediately rejected by Downing Street as "weasel words and sophistry". Mr Campbell made clear that he would not let the matter drop as he said: "BBC standards are now debased beyond belief. It means the BBC can broadcast anything and take responsibility for nothing...."
Signalling that the BBC is now braced for a bloody public fight with Downing Street, Mr Sambrook turned on Mr Campbell for suggesting the corporation had pursued an anti-war agenda.
"It is our firm view that No 10 tried to intimidate the BBC in its reporting of events leading up to the war and during the course of the war itself," he wrote. "As we told you in correspondence before the war started, our responsibility was to present an impartial picture and you were not best placed to judge what was impartial."
Mr Campbell is determined to discredit the BBC and Mr Gilligan in the hope that the Commons foreign affairs select committee, which is investigating the use of intelligence, will temper its criticisms of the government....
"There's been a huge volume of complaints from Downing Street about the BBC's war coverage and it's absolutely obvious that it's not just and this story that's on trial here. It's the whole coverage of the war. That's another reason why the BBC is so furious and determined," said one well-placed source.
It's getting so intense, that the UK's chief propagandist stormed the Beeb's TV studio and demanded to get on the air - and then promptly melted down altogether.
"Then suddenly in my earpiece at 7.04pm I was told Alastair Campbell has entered the building," Snow said last night. "In two minutes he was sitting in front of me unannounced. He was angry." Scowling and barely able to control his rage, Mr Campbell mixed up his syntax as he let rip.
"This is an attempt by the government to get the BBC to admit that a fundamental attack upon the integrity of the government, the prime minister, the intelligence agencies - let alone the evil spin doctors in the dark who do their dirty works in the minds of a lot of journalists - let them just accept for once they have got it wrong...."
The Tories last night seized on Mr Campbell's appearance to claim that he had "completely lost the plot". Alan Duncan, the shadow foreign minister, said: "It was a breathtaking moment. Everyone could see him self-destruct on television.
"He has completely lost the plot, and is now in a vicious personal vendetta against the BBC which will severely hamper his ability to do his job. He is asking us to believe the unbelievable, and his credibility is well and truly shot."
Now, that's television! Can we get some of that over here?
Replies: somebody speaks up.
Now, who in the US government holds the equivalent position as Mr. Campbell? I mean dreaming of the day that this sort of event would happen here in this country, what character from this administration would "play" Mr. Campbell?
Second, I have read recently that bbc may now sue the government. Story
here.
My favorite line from Mr. Campbell in the story filled with irony
"BBC standards are now debased beyond belief. It means the BBC can broadcast anything and take responsibility for nothing..." Guess Mr. Campbell doesn't like the media taking on the job of No. 10 Downing Street.
Posted by couldntresist @ 06/29/2003 10:44 AM NY
