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| James Harding to be next BBC News chief | James Harding to be next BBC News chief |
| (6 months later) | |
| James Harding, the former Times editor, is expected to be confirmed as the new BBC News director as early as Tuesday. The BBC declined to comment, but the Guardian understands the appointment will be confirmed to staff on Tuesday. | James Harding, the former Times editor, is expected to be confirmed as the new BBC News director as early as Tuesday. The BBC declined to comment, but the Guardian understands the appointment will be confirmed to staff on Tuesday. |
| Harding resigned abruptly as Times editor after five years in December, telling shocked staff he did so after being told that Rupert Murdoch wanted to replace him. The Guardian revealed in February that the new BBC director general, Tony Hall, was talking to Harding about a senior role. Harding took a holiday immediately after the furore surrounding his Times departure, and has kept a low profile ever since. However, he is believed to have been approached about a number of potential jobs in the media and politics. | Harding resigned abruptly as Times editor after five years in December, telling shocked staff he did so after being told that Rupert Murdoch wanted to replace him. The Guardian revealed in February that the new BBC director general, Tony Hall, was talking to Harding about a senior role. Harding took a holiday immediately after the furore surrounding his Times departure, and has kept a low profile ever since. However, he is believed to have been approached about a number of potential jobs in the media and politics. |
| At the Times, he was a popular editor among many reporters, but others complained that he lacked the visceral judgment that distinguishes great editors from good ones. | At the Times, he was a popular editor among many reporters, but others complained that he lacked the visceral judgment that distinguishes great editors from good ones. |
| "He was responsible for some great campaigns, but didn't make enough of them. If it was the Mail or the Telegraph, they would have gone for beyond broke on the offshore tax campaign like the Telegraph campaign on MPs expenses." | "He was responsible for some great campaigns, but didn't make enough of them. If it was the Mail or the Telegraph, they would have gone for beyond broke on the offshore tax campaign like the Telegraph campaign on MPs expenses." |
| Many believed that the writing was on the wall for Harding following Rupert Murdoch's testimony at the Leveson inquiry during which he lamented his editor's failure to get the MPs expenses story. He was also forced to apologise to a high court judge over a computer hacking scandal involving a young and inexperienced reporter on the paper who admitted hacking into a policeman's email account to unmask his identity. | Many believed that the writing was on the wall for Harding following Rupert Murdoch's testimony at the Leveson inquiry during which he lamented his editor's failure to get the MPs expenses story. He was also forced to apologise to a high court judge over a computer hacking scandal involving a young and inexperienced reporter on the paper who admitted hacking into a policeman's email account to unmask his identity. |
| Harding's decision to maintain a strong independent editorial line on News International and the phone hacking scandal is unlikely to have gone down well with Murdoch. | Harding's decision to maintain a strong independent editorial line on News International and the phone hacking scandal is unlikely to have gone down well with Murdoch. |
| Just before the Leveson inquiry, Harding wrote how the company had "succumbed to most dangerous delusion of the powerful, namely that it could play by its own set of rules". | Just before the Leveson inquiry, Harding wrote how the company had "succumbed to most dangerous delusion of the powerful, namely that it could play by its own set of rules". |
| Then, after Murdoch's testimony the leader pointed figures at its own management. "Instead of listening and responding to those asking legitimate questions, the company instead pursued its critics as enemies." | Then, after Murdoch's testimony the leader pointed figures at its own management. "Instead of listening and responding to those asking legitimate questions, the company instead pursued its critics as enemies." |
| It was reported that Murdoch wasn't on speaking terms to Harding since last summer, after his Leveson appearance, and didn't talk to him during his many visits to Wapping. | It was reported that Murdoch wasn't on speaking terms to Harding since last summer, after his Leveson appearance, and didn't talk to him during his many visits to Wapping. |
| It is not clear why he was forced to resign, but senior insiders say that Murdoch felt he was the wrong person to complete the shift of the Times from a cerebral paper of record to a "more newsy paper". | It is not clear why he was forced to resign, but senior insiders say that Murdoch felt he was the wrong person to complete the shift of the Times from a cerebral paper of record to a "more newsy paper". |
| Those who know him say that despite his editorship of a Tory-supporting paper, he is not a Conservative. "He is centre-ground, if not a bit left," said one. | Those who know him say that despite his editorship of a Tory-supporting paper, he is not a Conservative. "He is centre-ground, if not a bit left," said one. |
| They also say the resolute independent line he took during the Leveson inquiry and over the phone hacking scandal shows how robustly independent he is. | They also say the resolute independent line he took during the Leveson inquiry and over the phone hacking scandal shows how robustly independent he is. |
| Educated in St Paul's in Hammersmith, one of the top private schools in London, and Cambridge where he got a first class history degree, Harding speaks fluent Mandarin and Japanese, | Educated in St Paul's in Hammersmith, one of the top private schools in London, and Cambridge where he got a first class history degree, Harding speaks fluent Mandarin and Japanese, |
| He stared his journalistic career at the Financial Times in 1994 and opened its Shanghai bureau. He was also the paper's media correspondent. | He stared his journalistic career at the Financial Times in 1994 and opened its Shanghai bureau. He was also the paper's media correspondent. |
| Harding will take over a BBC News division still recovering from last autumn's Jimmy Savile crisis and now embroiled in controversy over John Sweeney's Panorama documentary on North Korea. | Harding will take over a BBC News division still recovering from last autumn's Jimmy Savile crisis and now embroiled in controversy over John Sweeney's Panorama documentary on North Korea. |
| In a strongly worded report on the corporation's handling of the Savile affair published in December, the former head of Sky News Nick Pollard was particularly scathing about BBC News, saying Harding's predecessor Helen Boaden should have taken "greater responsibility" as her division went into "virtual meltdown" in October and November | In a strongly worded report on the corporation's handling of the Savile affair published in December, the former head of Sky News Nick Pollard was particularly scathing about BBC News, saying Harding's predecessor Helen Boaden should have taken "greater responsibility" as her division went into "virtual meltdown" in October and November |
| Boaden, who moved to a new BBC job as director of radio this week, offered to resign at the height of the scandal last year, but the offer was not accepted by the former director general George Entwistle. | Boaden, who moved to a new BBC job as director of radio this week, offered to resign at the height of the scandal last year, but the offer was not accepted by the former director general George Entwistle. |
| BBC News is also adjusting to its recent move from Television Centre to its vast new double-atriumed newsroom in the new £1bn Broadcasting House redevelopment in central London. | BBC News is also adjusting to its recent move from Television Centre to its vast new double-atriumed newsroom in the new £1bn Broadcasting House redevelopment in central London. |
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