Government lays down law to BBC on reporting news

[Briar]

Government lays down law to BBC on reporting news
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor

The Government is facing a dispute over the BBC's new royal charter which will, for the first time, lay down tough new standards of impartiality and accuracy in news and current affairs.

The wording of the charter - to be spelled out in a government Green Paper in the new year - is expected to emphasise the BBC's "freedom from bias", The Independent can reveal.

Tessa Jowell, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, is braced for a row over claims that it is an attempt to shackle the BBC following the furore over the death of Dr David Kelly and the Hutton report which led to heads rolling at the corporation.

It is certain to provoke anger within the BBC and fuel claims that ministers want the BBC's current affairs output to be less critical of the Government in return for allowing it to keep the licence fee as its primary form of funding.


http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=587260

I suspect that what the government wants is for the BBC to be even more biased towards the "establishment" view!