Newsnight Editor in Conflict of Interests Storm
Celebrate
By Boris Mellor
June 6 2006
Peter Barron Editor of Newsnight is a "devoted Spurs fan" (Media Guardian 5 June 2006), and as such this must raise issues as to his impartiality with regards to the BBC Newsnight investigation into Arsenal Football Club.
It is rather ironic that the Editor who set up an investigation into an alleged conflict of interests could be accused of breaching BBC guidelines. Here is an extract of those guidelines:
"The BBC’s reputation for impartiality and objectivity is crucial. The public must be able to trust the integrity of BBC programmes and services. Our audiences need to be confident that the outside activities of our programme makers or presenters do not undermine the BBC’s impartiality and that editorial decisions are not influenced by any commercial or personal interests.
Conflicts of interest can arise for anyone who appears on air or has responsibility for the content of a programme or service or associated activity. Presenters, reporters, producers, editors and researchers are all affected. There may be particular sensitivities concerning on-air talent. For editorial staff the greater the level of responsibility the greater the need to avoid any possible conflict of interest. Each programme department or team will need to identify its area of vulnerability.
The BBC should be satisfied that everyone involved in editorial decisions and programme making is free from inappropriate outside commitments. The principles apply equally to freelances or staff. It is also important that independent producers should not have any interests which could undermine the integrity and impartiality of the programmes or websites which they produce for the BBC."
It is unlikely that the issue here is one of money, but as a Spurs fan he would benefit from getting Arsenal removed from the Champions League. There would be no journeys on a Thursday night to obscure clubs in Eastern Europe. Clubs that by comparison make Beveren sound famous.
An additional issue raised is why did he offer the print version of his programme to the Evening Standard? The Standard refused it, but surely such an allegedly important investigation should have been made available to a national newspaper with more prestige and circulation. Surely the fact that he used to work for the Standard had nothing to do with it? I would speculate that he chose the Standard because Spurs fans are more likely to read it. Could it be intentions were more tribal than national? Hardly the standard to be expected from an investigation of alleged national concern.
The publicity for the programme claimed that Fifa were about to investigate Arsenal – in fact that was a complete fabrication. When the BBC approached Blatter on the Thursday evening it was the first he had heard of the issue. His response was to say that he would demand an explanation from Arsenal. Still no mention of an investigation. Indeed Fifa can’t investigate, and they have asked the FA to investigate, but the FA are not sure what it is they are investigating as Arsenal have not breached any of its rules.
Finally Barron’s justification for the whole farrago of nonsense is that Beveren could play Arsenal in the Champions League. Perhaps they have more chance than Tottenham, but that’s not exactly a lot is it? Champions League Barron? You are having a larf.