BBC boss warns of “dangerous period” for journalism
Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, has waded into the row engulfing the Metropolitan police’s attempts to force the guardian to reveal its journalistic sources signify a “dangerous period” for British journalism.
Despite later sropping their legal moves the Met’s decision is being seen as part of a “disturbing trend” which has seen police forces seeking sources and material.
Thompson said: “At the BBC, we receive an ever-growing number of demands for untransmitted news rushes which the police seem to regard as having no more privilege or protection attached to them than CCTV pictures.”
A court order is required for the release of such material.
Thompson also warned that “It would be easy for concern over the appalling invasions of privacy revealed by the phone-hacking scandal to spill over into legislation or regulation which enables wrongdoers to escape journalistic exposure.”