The current fits of guilt, fury and outrages swirling around the BBC are the latest symptom of the dilemma posed by and for traditional media in the early 21 century. There is an increasingly sinister confluence where objective news reporting seems to have been overwhelmed by the subjective, dark art of “news analysis” and the commercial imperative to “break the story first”. To this add the frenzy around the hunt for ratings and audience reach and the media’s seeming intoxication with its own sense of importance in the affairs of the world.
Following the recent scandal around the late Jimmy Saville, an allegedly notorious paedophile, last week the BBC’s (formerly) respected News Night programme found itself in very hot water(again) by “outing” a senior political figure in all but name, and accusing him of paedophilia. Incorrectly. Without any reliable evidence. Without checking their story properly. Without giving the target of their attack even the courtesy of a response before airing their fictions. In complete disregard for even the most basic tenants of fairness and proper journalism.
Only days ago ITV also pulled a similarly shameful stunt where a shoddy and dubious list of alleged paedophiles was compiled by one of their “allegedly serious” presenters quickly searching the Internet for a few minutes and then chucking his “list” at the UK prime minister in a live television interview. This stunt was no more than shameless media bandwagon jumping and political game playing where trying to embarrass politicians is now the emblem of the serious news reporter. In this instance it backfired spectacularly, although the wretched ITV presenter in question will probably exercise a little more care and humility in future, given the volume of opprobrium he has so deservedly brought down on his head.
However, what journalists and news reporters are managing to do is rather amazing. They are on the verge of making themselves even more reviled than politicians – no easy task. And that is surely not as it should be. Yes, much of the media is probably over-powerful, irresponsible, arrogant and on the evidence, even out of control in many cases. Yet, in so many countries, it is the media that is the first line in defence against governments and other powerful organisations that would otherwise abuse their power without fear. It is the media’s spotlight that corrupt officials fear most. It is the media that exposes wrongdoing, crime, waste and inefficiency, oppression and state violence. Just think of Syria and Libya. In oppressive states, it is journalists that often suffer threats and violence for seeking to expose wrongdoing and abuse. In this sense its value is hard to over-state. Yet there is a nagging worry about the media's own immense power too, for surely power corrupts all its handlers equally and none are immune.
About the most unfashionable thing to point out at the moment is that Jimmy Saville would have been considered innocent until properly proven guilty. Saville would also have had the right to a fair trial in a sober court of law. He may have been the world’s most monstrous paedophile and found to be so – but once we make exceptions to that right we are on a slippery slope. That a man like Saville would still have had that right is the best guarantee of all our rights to such a fair process.
There is a risk now that people, more than ever before, are being judged in the inferno of hysterical headlines and disgraceful journalistic posturing. The role of the media is pivotal to the proper functioning of civil society. However, it has no role whatsoever in the weighing of evidence and the passing of judgement under the law and should be scrupulously careful not to undermine this, one of the most basic and fundamental right in a free society.
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