Blooded BBC inflicts own injury

Once the British press smells blood as it has done over the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand debacle it shows no mercy. But the BBC has only itself to blame for again refusing to offer up anyone to speak for the Corporation on its own news programmes. Eddie Mair yesterday made it clear that the BBC had refused to put up anyone to appear on PM and John Humphrys on the Today programme this morning said "countless requests" for a BBC representative to appear had been turned down. It is the same attitude that BBC editorial management has previously shown by refusing to appear on Radio 4's Feedback programme to defend aspects of the BBC's reporting of the credit crunch. It looks bad when companies or politicians decline to comment. When those working in the media refuse, it just looks hypocritical.