Impartiality training for BBC reporters

BBC
reporters are receiving training in impartial journalism following criticisms
made by the Hutton Report into the death of Dr David Kelly.

The
‘impartiality seminars’ aim to encourage reporters and producers at BBC News to
think outside of the ‘left-leaning liberal’ mentality traditionally associated
with the corporation.

The
two-hour seminars will include discussions about the dangers of not being
neutral in reports, and about the nature of impartiality and how to encourage
it.

In
an e-mail to staff, Richard Sambrook, director of BBC News, told workers that
audiences were increasingly sceptical of the service they provided and the
challenge was to "restate the case for our journalism and to articulate it
in a multi-channel world".

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The
Hutton Report criticised the BBC for the way it handled a radio report on the
Today Programme about the Government’s policy on Iraq, which ultimately led to
the resignation of chairman Gavyn Davies and director-general Greg Dyke.

By Michael Millar