tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-917932169846040654.post997555977122921094..comments2024-03-29T06:57:27.799+00:00Comments on Jon Slattery: Stephen Glover: 'BBC is pointing a dagger at the heart of a free press'Jon Slatteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13038317396308507738noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-917932169846040654.post-61543839417865447952009-07-20T15:09:40.118+01:002009-07-20T15:09:40.118+01:00Of course, the other point is that I hope Stephen ...Of course, the other point is that I hope Stephen Glover, like me, pays £142.50 a year to watch, read and listen to the BBC. So bloody good value it may be, but free it isn't.Rich Simcoxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-917932169846040654.post-50033122006557688842009-07-20T14:07:24.247+01:002009-07-20T14:07:24.247+01:00The point about the BBC now having a de facto news...The point about the BBC now having a de facto newspaper in online form is an interesting one, but diversionary in my view. And this smacks of the latest in a long (and no doubt continuing, with a general election on the horizon) line of fashionable 'bash the Beeb' articles.<br /><br />Essentially, criticisms of this nature usually boil down to the fact that the BBC is too good, too professional, too well staffed, provides content of a quality that no one can possibly compete with etc. At the very least, we should be demanding that the BBC always operates to these standards; we ought to celebrate it when it does.<br /><br />Of course, the FT is something of a special case. But it proves that readers will seek out expert analysis and information, and I do think people will pay for certain online content eventually.<br /><br />But it will require some thought by the publishers. It doesn't mean you have to charge for everything like you do with a print newspaper (buy all of it or none of it) and it probably does mean upping your game in some areas - like investigations for example - and putting resources behind your editorial teams, as well as making more of the supporting roles of online/digital and print.<br /><br />Undermining the BBC for doing a quality job with our money - or taking some of that money and handing it to profit-making companies - won't raise the standard of journalism in this country - it'll lower it.Rich Simcoxnoreply@blogger.com