Bhutto, BBC and the public – who to trust?

Peter Horrocks, the head of the BBC Newsroom, has given a fascinating speech about BBC editorial policy regarding public interactivity. It didn’t get much notice, partly because it was given to Leeds University rather than a London media correspondent but is well worth reading in full. In it Peter gives a typically thorough and thoughtful analysis of how the BBC dealt with a flood of texts and emails after the assasination of Benazir Bhutto. Horrocks reveals that at one point the BBC considered cutting off public access to the comment facility. Now to someone like me who believes in public access to BBC platforms this sounds horrendous, but read on.