Mark Steel: A clear case of attack by wheelchair

[Jan Klimkowski]

Thanks for your valuable insights Jan,

I wonder if, in light of the apparently large number of complaints, if Ben Brown is due for a terrible bollocking from the Beeb executives or whether the Beeb is content with his performance?

Oh dear, on reflection... wot a silly question that was eh? Brown would've been briefed and prepared and had the okay of his producer to set into Jody McIntyre the way he did.

I dobut the private views of BBC News Channel Controller Bakhurst differ much from his public utterance as follows:

I have reviewed the interview a few times and I would suggest that we interviewed Mr McIntyre in the same way that we would have questioned any other interviewee in the same circumstances: it was quite a long interview and Mr McIntyre was given several minutes of airtime to make a range of points, which he did forcefully; Ben challenged him politely but robustly on his assertions.

In other words, Ben Brown will be congratulated for allowing BBC senior managers to defend his interview in terms of their interpretation of "impartiality". I disagree with Bakhurst's interpretation, but he thinks he can get away with it.

Fundamentally though, what Bakhurst's defence fails to mention is the GAPING OMISSION. There were no other interviewees to provide balance and ensure impartiality because Scotland Yard refused to provide a senior officer for interview.

So, the probable victim was robustly (aggressively) interviewed.

The probable perpetrator of the assault was neither interviewed nor challenged.