Beirut and Dunkirk: a BBC explanation

Amanda Farnsworth, editor of BBC's daytime news, has been explaining in her blog the reason for Dunkirk being mentioned in the same breath as Beirut. Evidently, some listeners and viewers were upset by the inappropriate comparison. In fact, she says, the first mention of the relationship came from a government minister, Kim Howells. But she agrees that the Beirut exodus is not on the same scale as the evacuation of 340,000 soldiers from Dunkirk. She adds: "Some have asked if we are doing too much on the British evacuation and not enough on other aspects. We are constantly asking ourselves this question and at the moment I think we're getting it about right - but we need to keep asking." As blogger Andrew Grant-Adamson says the BBC's transparency is commendable. (Via bbc.co.uk/blogs)