BBC accused by ex-boss of dumbing down its news website for clicks
Roger Mosey, who was editorial director, said setting targets for traffic has meant the news organisation is covering 'nonsense'
THE BBC has been accused of dumbing down its news website — by an ex-boss.
Roger Mosey, who was editorial director, said setting targets for the number of clicks it gets has meant it is covering “nonsense”.
He said: “News is at the sharp end of the social media revolution, and the BBC has to fight to be heard amid the torrents of twaddle.
“It also has audience targets set by itself, and by the Government for overseas services.
“That edges the corporation towards ‘stories’ like cuddly animals born in foreign zoos and the escapades of Instagram celebrities.
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“Nonsense put on to social media by correspondents — with a transparent hunger for likes and retweets — puts at risk the corporation’s authority.”
Mr Mosey also told The Sunday Times that the BBC’s coverage of Brexit was “woeful” with its 10pm TV bulletin shortened “when anyone could have spotted it might be a decisive period”.
The Sun Says: Bloated Beeb
EVEN BBC lifers can see the writing is on the wall unless Auntie modernises, quickly.
In a world of subscription services, the licence fee is increasingly out of date.
And when the Beeb fills its schedules with endless cookery shows and wastes bucketloads of cash on a new podcast app that barely works, you can hardly blame the increasing number of people refusing to pay.
Online isn’t much better, with the BBC creeping ever more into areas of journalism that commercial providers are already covering without its massive public subsidy.
The corporation has spread itself far too thin. It must get smaller, and get better.
Or it could be the end of the Beeb as we know it.
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