Senior BBC News executives including James Harding were discussing whether to show the latest Islamic State (Isis) video threatening the lives of two Japanese hostages on Tuesday morning – when the very same footage appeared to flash up on the BBC News channel on giant TV screens behind them.
The BBC gave us this insight into the perils of making editorial judgments in a fast-moving, breaking news environment because it live streamed the morning news meeting chaired by Harding, director of news and current affairs, at the corporation’s New Broadcasting House London HQ as part of its Democracy Day coverage.
Harding was discussing the issue with his top news team in the 9am meeting. “One issue is to get the balance right between carrying water for this organisation in propagandist terms and making sure that the issue is properly reported,” said the former Times editor. Harding’s deputy, World Service boss Fran Unsworth, added: “I don’t think we necessarily have to show the video. We could show a still, couldn’t we?”
Just at that moment all heads turned as the meeting room screens appeared to show it was running on the BBC after a still was used by CNN. Are we running it, asked Harding. “Is that the new video?” said another exec. “Or a previous one?”
Earlier, the 8.30am daily World Service news meeting was told that the BBC was not using the footage until a corporation-wide edict had been decided upon. Despite using less and less of recent Isis videos, Unsworth said the latest one-minute 40-second film, showing the militant known as “Jihadi John” was more newsworthy because it is the “first time we have seen Japanese hostages. It’s the nationality”.
Running down the top stories and big issues of the day, Harding began by asking about plans for US president Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, which will take place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, UK time – the Sun’s decision to axe topless models on Page 3 was also among the most discussed stories.
However, there was reluctance to put the story too high up the running order without official confirmation from the paper, having to rely instead on a story in the Sun’s News UK sister title the Times (following a MediaGuardian report on Monday).
Without confirmation, said Radio 4 Today editor Jamie Angus, the BBC’s reporting risked “looking muddled” and suggested its news outlets should “take a decision to tidy that up” later in the day (the Today programme led its 9am bulletin by saying the Sun was declining to confirm or deny the story and referring to the Times report).
Not everyone agreed on the importance of the apparent decision, with Page 3 continuing to live online. One executive said topless models hadn’t been axed, they had “just been put behind a paywall”.
Former Page 3 models Sam Fox and Melinda Messenger were touted as contributors to BBC programmes.
When one of those present pointed out that a Times columnist, Janice Turner, had said the BBC’s coverage was ridiculous and over the top, Harding said: “Can I make a suggestion? Call Janice and let’s get her on.” Harding presumably has her number.
Elsewhere, Richard Clark, editor of the BBC Radio newsroom, pointed out that parliament had knocked off five hours early on Monday because there was nothing to debate, suggesting that someone should investigate whether this parliament had passed less legislation than any other.
Unsworth also appeared to suggest at one point that Labour were a cert to win the next London mayoral election. Perhaps mindful of outside viewers keen to leap on anything resembling bias, she added: “Not necessarily though.”
The 9am meeting also featured contributions from BBC executives including Paul Royall, editor of the flagship 6pm and 10pm bulletins on BBC1, and BBC News channel controller Sam Taylor.
Nick Sutton, editor of Radio 4’s The World At One, was also among those present at the meeting, where Harding casts one eye back as well as one eye forward.
Harding dished out the plaudits to business editor Kamal Ahmed’s Panorama on Tesco on Monday night and Newsnight’s mansion tax interview with Lord Mandelson.
He also offered up his own contribution to the BBC’s Democracy Day, asking whether the view that “democracy has had its day … if you want to run a country look at China” would be represented in the coverage. “Not that I’m a fan” of that particular point of view, he added.
