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BBC boss hits back at 'armchair' criticism from former executives BBC boss hits back at 'armchair' criticism from former executives
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A BBC boss has hit out at criticism of the corporation’s news output by former executives, branding them “armchair generals” who allowed BBC News be dominated by boring white men. A BBC boss has hit out at criticism of the corporation’s news output by former executives, branding them “armchair generals” who allowed BBC News to be dominated by boring white men.
Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s head of newsgathering, told staff he was sick of the likes of the former head of television news Roger Mosey and ex-Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer writing articles about a supposed a crisis of confidence at the organisation. Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s head of newsgathering, told staff he was sick of the likes of the former head of television news Roger Mosey and ex-Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer writing articles about a supposed crisis of confidence at the organisation.
He expressed exasperation with “former BBC News executives who are now making a few bob to supplement their pensions as armchair generals”, saying the same individuals had failed to modernise the corporation’s output while they were in charge.He expressed exasperation with “former BBC News executives who are now making a few bob to supplement their pensions as armchair generals”, saying the same individuals had failed to modernise the corporation’s output while they were in charge.
“There has been an outbreak of armchair general commentary in recent weeks, reflecting that everything was fine and dandy in their day. Of course it was,” said Munro in an internal email to BBC News staff.“There has been an outbreak of armchair general commentary in recent weeks, reflecting that everything was fine and dandy in their day. Of course it was,” said Munro in an internal email to BBC News staff.
Mosey, now master of Selwyn College, Cambridge, recently wrote a piece for the Sunday Times in which he criticised the BBC’s output. Among other issues he said he had “shuddered” at a tweet from the BBC’s Seoul correspondent Laura Bicker in which she described a historic meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea as ‘totes emosh’. In reality Bicker was summarising the reaction of the Korean leaders, rather than her own reaction. Mosey, now master of Selwyn College, Cambridge, recently wrote a piece for the Sunday Times in which he criticised the BBC’s output. Among other issues he said he had “shuddered” at a tweet from the BBC’s Seoul correspondent, Laura Bicker, in which she described a historic meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea as ‘totes emosh’. In reality Bicker was summarising the reaction of the Korean leaders, rather than her own reaction.
Damazer, a former controller of Radio 4 who is now the master of St Peter’s College, Oxford, wrote a widely circulated piece for Progress warning that Brexit could break the BBC’s news output, in which he suggested the BBC Ireland correspondent job, now held by Emma Vardy, was no longer “a big deal”. Damazer, a former controller of Radio 4 who is now the master of St Peter’s College, Oxford, wrote a widely circulated piece for Prospect magazine warning that Brexit could break the BBC’s news output, in which he suggested the BBC Ireland correspondent job, now held by Emma Vardy, was no longer “a big deal”.
Munro said he perceived there to be sexism in the criticism from the former executives, who had left the output “male, pale and stale”: “One ‘AG’ took exception in print to a correspondent tweeting from the Trump-Kim summit with (wait for it …) a sense of humour which might appeal to a younger audience. That tweet came after three round-the-clock days of ‘hard’ news coverage of all the significant angles.Munro said he perceived there to be sexism in the criticism from the former executives, who had left the output “male, pale and stale”: “One ‘AG’ took exception in print to a correspondent tweeting from the Trump-Kim summit with (wait for it …) a sense of humour which might appeal to a younger audience. That tweet came after three round-the-clock days of ‘hard’ news coverage of all the significant angles.
“A different AG had a public bash at a correspondent who didn’t seem to him to be as ‘senior’ as the holder of the same post back in his day. Guess what? Both the targets were women correspondents, doing an excellent job for us on very challenging stories. And both are being criticised by male AGs who, when they had the chance to modernise the BBC, chose instead to leave us with a legacy which became popularly known as ‘men at 10’.”“A different AG had a public bash at a correspondent who didn’t seem to him to be as ‘senior’ as the holder of the same post back in his day. Guess what? Both the targets were women correspondents, doing an excellent job for us on very challenging stories. And both are being criticised by male AGs who, when they had the chance to modernise the BBC, chose instead to leave us with a legacy which became popularly known as ‘men at 10’.”
The BBC head of newsgathering continued: “What a shame that they didn’t trust in some appointments not in their own image, to allow people to grow into their roles, to mix the cast list so it began to look and feel a bit like the audience – you know, a few women here and there.The BBC head of newsgathering continued: “What a shame that they didn’t trust in some appointments not in their own image, to allow people to grow into their roles, to mix the cast list so it began to look and feel a bit like the audience – you know, a few women here and there.
“Five years ago, we had zero female editors in newsgathering. Yes, zero. None of our staff correspondents in Europe was a woman. Yes, none. So when they’re thinking that it was so much better when they ran the place, they’re thinking back to the days when male, pale and stale was good enough. We’re proud to have moved things on.”“Five years ago, we had zero female editors in newsgathering. Yes, zero. None of our staff correspondents in Europe was a woman. Yes, none. So when they’re thinking that it was so much better when they ran the place, they’re thinking back to the days when male, pale and stale was good enough. We’re proud to have moved things on.”
The BBC’s news output has come under ever-increasing scrutiny in recent years following referendums in the UK on Scottish independence and the EU, and at a time when the corporation is facing tighter budgets and the challenge of adapting to new media formats. In addition to criticism from all sides of the political divide, it is dealing with an Ofcom inquiry into future and perceived impartiality and the toxic internal legacy of unequal pay. Last week a leading female radio executive turned down a promotion after finding out she was going to be paid less than her male equivalent. The BBC’s news output has come under ever-increasing scrutiny in recent years following referendums in the UK on Scottish independence and the EU, and at a time when the corporation is facing tighter budgets and the challenge of adapting to new media formats. In addition to criticism from all sides of the political divide, it is dealing with an Ofcom inquiry into future and perceived impartiality and the toxic internal legacy of unequal pay. Last week a leading female radio executive turned down a promotion after finding out she would be paid less than her male equivalent.
Munro also praised the 50-50 project, which aims to ensure the BBC puts more women on air as pundits and correspondents and has seen enormous success in the last year with massive increases in the number of appearances by women on broadcasts. Munro also praised the 50-50 project, which aims to ensure the BBC puts more women on air as pundits and correspondents and has had enormous success in the last year with huge increases in the number of appearances by women on broadcasts.
He said: “In fact, if they’d done their job a bit differently back then, the BBC wouldn’t have even needed a 50-50 project, but we did. The figures for the monitored month in April are now out. What progress we’ve all made.”He said: “In fact, if they’d done their job a bit differently back then, the BBC wouldn’t have even needed a 50-50 project, but we did. The figures for the monitored month in April are now out. What progress we’ve all made.”
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