As the debate continues over the BBC follows gm the resignation of the Director General and the head of news earlier this week, two Greater Manchester MP’s have given alternative views on the underfire corporation
The former journalist and former member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee Paul Waugh said that he knew more than most some of the failings of the BBC, but also recognised some of its great strengths, not least in combating misinformation online.
“It I know many of its journalists personally and many, many of them take ultra seriously their duties to provide fair, impartial and, yes, fearless news coverage. It is the fearlessness that often upsets this House, on either side. Yes, this was a serious error by the “Panorama” team and a correction should have been issued swiftly, but that does not mean that the BBC as an institution should be undermined. There are enemies on the left and the right who want to see the demise of the BBC, and they would rue that day should it ever happen.
Graham Stringer however took the opposite view in the debate saying that he did not think any reasonable person can think that the programme put out by “Panorama” was a mistake.
He added that it was clearly manipulation with a purpose, and unfortunately it follows a long line.
He gave an example from hid Constituency
”a programme was put out a few years ago called “People Like Us”, where contributors—young women—had been paid to fight and other contributors had been sent on holiday in order to get them to say particular things.”
He added that he did not think that the biggest threat to the BBC is some conspiracy saying that the biggest threat to the BBC is a failure to uphold objectivity and the standards we expect from the BBC.
