Major problems at the BBC

This is an extremely troubling story. Not because of the general issues troubling the BBC - those are well known. The organization has long been a bloated and inefficient institution. But rather, because of the complete lack of scrutiny to which the BBC is subjected. As a public broadcaster and the annual recipient of billions of dollars in public money, the BBC requires robust and incisive scrutiny. However, where (as the report illustrates) UK law is used as a defense against effective scrutiny, the BBC is able to continue its work unchallenged. This is total absurdity. Consider a situation in which government officials took public money, behaved incompetently and then refused to allow the media to report on their activities. That's basically what is happening here. But it isn't only the BBC that must be blamed, it's also the pathetic defamation law of the United Kingdom. Law that rewards the rich and punishes those who wish to pursue the truth.

Caveat- I've met many BBC journalists and they've nearly always been intelligent, fair minded individuals. But their organization faces major problems. Those issues must be addressed.