The Big Questions

BBC Internal Communications (prop Valerie Hughes D'Aeth) are in full-on New Year, New Messages mood. Principal organ Ariel, an internal website, has been relaunched, and staff have been asked to be reporters, as part of an "Ariel Network".

The first interviewee is BBC DG Lord Hall - or 'Tony', to our fearless reporter. First question: "So come on Tony, what’s it like to be Director-General?"

With the DG still on the ropes, the second question piles in: "In your opinion, what unique qualities do you think you need to be Director-General?"

The meat comes at the end. Reporter: "Can you believe Ariel has been going since 1936? Today’s Ariel is all about giving people like myself a platform to tell and share stories. So what makes a publication like Ariel so important ?"

'Tony': I really love what you’re doing with the relaunch of Ariel and people like yourself joining the Ariel Network and becoming, in news gathering terms, correspondents. I love it and I think you are a vital part of what glues this place together. I really think this is an extraordinary organisation full of little pockets of people doing amazing things but you also need the glue which binds it all together. It’s part of the One BBC that we always speak about. You’re part of that. Equally I think celebration is important and it’s important that when group in the organisation does something amazing then a group in another part knows about it. And I hope the Network that you and others are part of will help do this."