Category : Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Date : 10.05.2004
Printable version
Stephen Dando, Director,
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ People, and Caroline Thomson, Director, Policy and Legal, have now
reached their decisions in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ disciplinary process which they have
been leading.
The process followed the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's procedures throughout
and the decisions, as they relate to individuals, will remain, as is
normal practice, entirely confidential between the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and those concerned.
However, we would wish to confirm that no dismissals
were involved.
Furthermore there are two points of clarification arising
from the process.
In the interests of fairness to individuals and the
reputation of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ journalism as a whole we would wish to make known:
1. In relation to the broadcast on the Today programme,
on 29 May 2003, we are satisfied that a core script was properly prepared
and cleared in line with normal production practices in place at the
time, but was then not followed by Andrew Gilligan. We consider that
the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's evidence to the Hutton Inquiry could have been clearer in
this respect.
2. During the Hutton Inquiry much attention was drawn
to an e-mail sent by the editor of the Today programme, Kevin Marsh,
to the Head of Radio News, Stephen Mitchell, on 27 June 2003. Lord
Hutton concluded that this e-mail should have been referred to their
senior colleagues and that the fact that it was not constituted a
flaw in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's management system.
The impression given by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's evidence was that
this e-mail did not reflect the views of senior News management. The
process has concluded that in fact it did reflect their views and
that the views in question had been the subject of recent discussion,
so there was no need for the e-mail to be referred up.
The implied criticism of Stephen Mitchell and Kevin
Marsh in these aspects was in our view unjustified.
Meanwhile a separate process to identify the editorial
lessons from these events is currently being conducted by another team
under the chairmanship of Ronald Neil.
The acting Director-General, Mark Byford, plans to
take the conclusions from the Neil Report to the Board of Governors
in June.
Richard Sambrook, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director of News,
said: "I welcome the conclusion of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's internal inquiry that proper
editorial processes were in place on the Today Programme.
"I also welcome the fact that it has concluded
that Kevin Marsh and Steve Mitchell acted properly and that all those
involved were acting in what they believed were the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's best interests.
"This has been a difficult period for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News.
There are lessons to learn from the events of last year and we will
be working closely with Ron Neil in his review to ensure the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's journalism
is of the highest standard.
"We must now put this chapter behind us and continue
with our main objective: providing strong, trusted journalism to our
UK and global audiences."
