The BBC goes blogging: Is Auntie finally listening

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The BBC goes blogging Is Auntie finally
listening?

• Alfred Hermida
• Graduate School of Journalism
• University of British Columbia
• Alfred Hermida
• Graduate School of Journalism
• University of British Columbia

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Points of View, BBC, 1962
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Points of View, BBC 1962
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Accountability
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• BBC labeled as
• Bloated monolith
• Monopolistic
• Elitist
• Complacent
• Poorly managed
• Photo Joe Dunckley (http//www.flickr.com/photos/
  steinsky/)

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The J-blog

• New form of journalism (Wendland, 2003 Singer,
  2005 Wall, 2005)
• Platform for accountability and transparency
  (Andrews, 2004 Glaser, 2004 Singer, 2003)
• Photo JKim1 (http//www.flickr/photos/jkim1)

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Methodology

• BBC public policy documents
• Internal BBC reports
• Blog content on BBC and personal websites
• Correspondence with senior editorial executives

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Newslog, BBC 2001
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Blogging the US election, BBC 2004
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Blogs?

• Dissemination of information is great, but how
  much of it is trustworthy? They are an
  interesting phenomenon, but I don't think they
  will be as talked about in a year's time.
• Mike Smartt, 2003

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Resistance

• The latest Internet phenomenon of which much is
  said and little understood
• Fears by some that a new openness would lead to
  embarrassing disclosures and uncomfortable
  headlines
• Lots of grappling with very practical problems
  and frustrations
• People who argued vehemently that it was not the
  route for the BBC to go down

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The Editors Blog

• Explain some of our editorial decisions, our
  priorities, answer criticisms
• Hopefully draw other parts of BBC News into the
  process as well
• Pete Clifton, 2005

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December 2005 - 1 blogNovember 2006 - 43 blogs
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Editorial values

• Same rules apply as on air impartiality is the
  watchword. Which means bloggers have to tread a
  careful line they can be engaging and
  judgmental, but must not take sides.
• BBC correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, 2008

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Journalistic voice

• It allows us a different tone of voice which,
  being less formal, can convey more of an insight
  into the perspectives, predicaments and
  personalities of our reporters (and editors)
• Rachel Nixon, BBC News website, World Feature
  Editor, 2006

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Repairing trust

• We do have an interest in hearing the publics
  views about our news coverage, so we run an
  Editors' blog and host discussions about that
  an essential part of a push towards greater
  accountability and openness and a way of
  enhancing and repairing the damaged trust in the
  BBC
• Peter Horrocks, Head of BBC Newsroom, 2008

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Limits of the conversation

• Few links to other websites, including blogs
• A one-way process
• Demands on time
• Unstable infrastructure

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Thoughts for discussion

• A new openness
• A more personal form of journalism
• Journalistic authority
• Questions over acceptance

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E-mail alfred.hermida_at_ubc.caBlog reportr.net
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