Public Trust And Management Skill

Michael Hedges November 12, 2012 Follow on Twitter

Public broadcasters have become easy targets in recent years for doing too little, doing too much or doing it wrong. Keeping the “public service” flame comes from size, polish and independence from the political gruel. Public broadcasters have endured the periodic raging of critics because public trust remains high. Once that is compromised competitors and angry politicians have the last word.

Abruptly and surprising only in timing the career of BBC Director General George Entwistle ended over the weekend. He had been with the BBC for 23 years and director general but 54 days. He “fell on his sword,” the term oft used by UK commentators, unable to explain transgressions and poor judgments far down the line.

Events moved with lightening speed from Friday (November 9) when a victim of child sexual abuse recanted allegations, previously reported on BBC TV’s Newsnight program (November 2), of abuse in a care home by an unnamed former Conservative Party politician. In the week following the broadcast, major news outlets led by twitteratti named the politician, who had not been contacted by Newsnight reporters.

The outrage landed with a thud on George Entwistle’s new desk. Even though he’d been in senior management the new job meant new responsibilities. But the desk was already cluttered with files on another problem with decision making related to a Newsnight investigation, the former BBC show host, now dead, accused of being a sexual predator. The Newsnight editor responsible for that investigation was asked to “stand aside” pending official inquiries. Questioned by politicians about what he knew and when he knew it, Mr. Entwistle responded poorly, leading to the moniker “incurious George.”

The director general’s job description includes responsibility for news output, editor-in-chief. It also includes being the BBC’s public face, from speeches to broadcast interviews. Mr. Entwistle was elevated to the director general’s position largely for his management skills and knowledge of BBC television.  Being interviewed by bitingly tough – and contractually independent – journalists is a learned skill. On BBC Radio 4 Saturday morning (November 10), Mr. Entwistle again fared badly. Twelve hours later he resigned.

All attention moved to BBC Trust Chairman, Lord Patten, who expressed sadness. Mr. Entwistle had been his hand-picked candidate replacing previous BBC Director General, Mark Thompson. Lord Patten, a career politician and diplomat, took to the Sunday morning airwaves in full damage-control mode. “One of the tragedies is that he (George Entwistle) wanted to do all of the right things,” said Lord Patten on BBC2 (November 11). “What undermined him were exactly those failings he wanted to address.”

Lord Patten named the BBC’s outgoing head of Audio and Music (read: radio) Tim Davie as acting Director General. Mr. Davie was to move to commercial arm BBC Worldwide in December.  A new DG will be named in “a few weeks rather than a lot of months.”

Howling from the usual UK media suspects has been acutely shrill. “BBC boss quits over shoddy journalism at Newsnight,” headlined the Sunday Times. “Bye Bye Chump,” said The Sun. Several editorial writers and commentariat offered that Lord Patten, too, must consider his options.  “I'm not going to this morning take my marching orders from Mr. Murdoch's newspapers,” groused Lord Patten on Sky News (November 11).

Later this month the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics, which focused almost entirely on “Mr. Murdoch’s newspapers,” will deliver a final report, possibly with recommendations for statutory regulation of newspapers. And through the next two years criminal trials for phone-hacking to perverting the course of justice will add to tensions in both media and political quarters. It is unsurprising that those feeling a threat might lash out, diversions being defensive strategy.

Public trust is for public broadcasters the last battlement, which stands against the critical hoards. In that battle, media in the UK – from the tabloid newspapers to the BBC - is fighting a rear-guard action. Loss of public trust is a serious matter for the BBC: “There are one or two newspapers, Mr. Murdoch's newspapers would love that,” said Lord Patten, “but I don't think the great British public wants that.”

Lord Patten has called for a “radical structural overhaul” at the BBC. “I now have to make sure in the interests of the license fee payer and the audience that the BBC has a grip. We have these two big inquiries, my job is to make sure we learn the lessons from those inquiries and restore trust and confidence in the BBC. If we don't do that then I am sure people will let me know.”

See also in ftm Knowledge

The BBC

Few pure media brands transcend borders and boundries to acheive the iconic status of the BBC. The institution has come to define public service broadcasting. Yet missteps, errors and judgment questions fuel critics. The BBC battles those critics and competitors and, sometimes, itself. 119 pages PDF (February 2012)

Order here