Kirsty Wark in hot water

PE

Pete Founding member 2 January 2005 9:08pm

boring_user_name posted:

But Marr did not choose his background. Therefore, it should not be held against him. Everyone has a unique background which has shaped them. Even someone raised in a liberal, tolerent family will not be impartial because they could either find people with more extreme views to be discusting or perhaps rebel against their background by becoming more extremist. No one is impartial.
However, the fact that Kirsty Wark decided to invite the Scottish first minister to her villa means that her facade of impartiality is now broken, and she will not be able to conduct an interview in the future without her impartiality being watched more than the interview.

So what you actually want is someone who pretends to be impartial because it's impossible to actually be it?

www.foxnews.com

CU

cummig20 2 January 2005 9:11pm

DVB Cornwall posted:

Doesn't the latest News24 advert for Welsh coverage show their reporter extolling the virtues of 'knowing' the Welsh Assembly leader Rhodri Morgan.

I think they mean that he can talk to him for information etc, but I don't know if they're saying he is a friend of his.

As for Andrew Marr, I'm sure I read that he used to be a member of the Labour Party up here in Scotland, not that it really makes a difference to how impartial his reporting is.

WH

whoknows 2 January 2005 9:21pm

The BBC doesn't ask its journalists to be impartial. It asks that their REPORTS are impartial. Journalists - like any one else - are of course open to influences (I don't by that mean bribes!). IMO I don't think they should PRETEND to be impartial, but they should always do their best to be objective. Journalists are different ages, different backgrounds, different religions (if any at all) so its fundamentally impossible to ask for them all to have the same ideology.

In Kirsty's case.... I think it's perfectly fine for a journalist to be friends with a politician. Infact, one of my journalist friends is married to an MP. She avoids politics in her work - especially in her husband's constituency - and makes sure everyone she works with is aware of her situation, so that she isn't ever in a position for it to be a problem. Kirsty should now do the same - and her bosses/colleagues should help her continue her work.

I don't think there's a call for her to resign.... but to declare her friendship more openly with those who can monitor/protect her from future accusations.

(January 2005)