The BBC is strangely reluctant to respond to freedom of information requests, even ones that are seemingly quite uncontroversial and straightforward…a request to reveal whether journalists had gone through a recrutiment process were met stonewalling…the BBC claiming that ‘The ICO’s guidance ‘Determining what is personal data’ explains that in many cases, data may be personal data simply because its content is such that it is ‘obviously about’ an individual.’
So asking what job title Tony Hall has could also be met with the same stonewalling….it is obviously ‘about’ him…so equally obviously, top secret. God knows what the reaction would be if you asked what that job actually entailed him doing….you’d probably find yourself hustled into the back of a 2CV and renditioned to the Guardian’s basement, put in a orange boiler suit and sandals and harangued with extracts from Owen Jones’ latest tract…give me waterboarding any day.
Press Gazette: Has the appointment process for 23 senior BBC journalists been open and fair? BBC: We’re not telling you
The BBC’s senior compliance officer has backed his team’s decision not to disclose details about the recruitment of 23 high-profile journalists.
The corporation came under fire in June when it appeared to indicate that two external recruits had been taken on through a closed process.
The appointments of ITV News’s Lucy Manning and ITN’s Ed Campbell came shortly before head of BBC News James Harding announced that 415 jobs were to be lost across the division.
The timing was criticised by the National Union of Journalists, with national organiser of broadcast Sue Harris describing the announcement as “really, really upsetting”.
A BBC insider told Press Gazette at the time: “There is only one recruitment process that me and my colleagues know is competitive and that’s a recruitment process.
“There is widespread outrage in the BBC Newsroom about the BBC’s cavalier disregard of its duties to be open and fair in its recruitment. This is nothing less than cronyism.”
Didn’t the bBBC advertise these posts in The Guardian? I thought that was the first step in a bBBC recruitment process.
It is interesting that an organisation that seems to widely use FOI requests seems so reluctant to answer them
Balen report for example
Clearly they, the BBC, have something to hide, probably lots of thing. Any organisation that isn’t open and transparent must be regarded with suspicion, as I am sure the BBC College of Journalism would agree. In fact any organisation which preaches one thing but does another, should not be trusted and the public need to be warned about them. Again I am sure that the BBC College of Journalism would agree.
‘any organisation which preaches one thing but does another, should not be trusted’
Unless they happen to have £4Bpa and command of the airwaves to say just how trusted they are, over and over and over…
http://tradingaswdr.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/bonkers.html
‘Jonathan Munro, Head of Newsgathering (whose Tweet about the source not being SYP doesn’t seem to help)’
Given what a top BBC type says is shown as at variance with accuracy and/or truth, likely not. Again.
‘The BBC is strangely reluctant to respond to freedom of information requests’
If by ‘strangely reluctant’ you mean ‘committed by default to blow off every one without even bothering to see what it’s about, ‘cos they can’, OK:)
The weekly WhatDoTheyKnow.com summaries are breathtakingly in the bovine arrogance on display.
But if such as the PG are getting a little offside, things may proceed in a manner not necessarily to the BBC’s unaccountable advantage.
‘The BBC’s senior compliance officer has backed his team’s decision not to disclose details about the recruitment of 23 high-profile journalists.’
It’s hardly surprising when many of the most senior BBC appointments have been made in the same way. This is not in the sprit of openness.
The Press Gazette / NUJ should make a complaint to the Information Commissioner. The IC will probably back the BBC but the fuss should be embarrassing for them and add grist to the mill for those of us who feel that the BBC is too big and powerful.
Incidentally, listening to Radio 4’s profile of the new BBC ‘Trust’ Chair (designate), Rona Fairhead on Saturday at 7pm, I couldn’t help but notice one or two barbed comments from the BBC’s Ed Stourton, particularly in relation to Fairhead’s lack of journalistic experience…and that she was passed over for a senior role at Pearson.
I was left with the impression that the appointment of this woman who is ‘close to George Osborne’, isn’t being too well received.
Good. I hope she sorts the f***ers out.
BBC relies on the art or journalism exception in FOI law which is drawn so widely they won’t tell you anything about anything where their output/programming is concerned.
Something internal like buildings insurance or staff pensions will be answered.
Not too sure about even that, but of course a few are allowed through to look balanced. I wonder how many are in answer to plants? One look at the BBC complaints homepage suggests that what the BBc says is really winding up the nation maybe slightly under their control vs. what is…
Responses to recent complaints
5 SEPTEMBER 2014
National Lottery results, BBC Red Button, 30 August – 3 September 2014
We received complaints from some users that the National Lottery results have not been updated on the BBC Red Button
31 AUGUST 2014
Jonathan Ross (for Steve Wright), BBC Radio 2, 26-29 August 2014
We received complaints from some listeners unhappy that Jonathan Ross was chosen to provide holiday cover for Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2.
Other than those two… got it about right! And even then, got them right too!!!!
Meanwhile, our Rona may have her hands full come the next ‘Trust’ appeals en bloc culling, as they do seem more like a TVL tame magistrate with a pressing need to join his Mrs the barista for the mid-afternoon rush.
http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2014/9/8/the-bbc-board-and-its-climate-alarmists.html
Move along now, nothing out of the ordinary here…
Well…
http://conservativewoman.co.uk/david-keighley-fairhead-just-bbc-figurehead-power-lies-faceless-placemen-liberal-left/
‘No doubt the BBC’s spin doctors will come up with reasons why that’s perfectly OK, but for the moment they are staying schtum.’
Probably best.
‘..Alice Perkins hasn’t adopted the name of her husband – he’s the former foreign secretary Jack Straw. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions about that in terms of her outlook. She may, of course, have her own political views, but I doubt she votes UKIP.’
Cosy.