Standards

The all-new BBC Editorial Standards Committee has published minutes from its first meeting, in March. 

It was set up after the previous Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee exploded last year under BBC Chair Samir Shah, with a failure to agree that a Trump/Panorama edit was wrong; the explosion led to the departure of News CEO Deborah Turness and DG Tim Davie. 

It's chaired by Senior Independent Director Caroline Thomson, with Shah no longer in attendance; Tim Davie sent apologies.  Four pages of minutes, which I'm sure will be shorter in future; here's one dangerous strand: 

5.2 Committee members discussed the most effective approach to the discussion of prebroadcast programme risk and assurance around their management. David Jordan and Rhodri Talfan Davies would discuss the matter offline and return to the Committee with a proposed approach.

I rather hope 'mind your own business' is the proposed approach.  Elsewhere this rather underwhelming proposal from interim News boss Jonathan Munro suggests he won't get the big job. Lower Trust is code for Reform UK and Restore voters...

8. Plan for Lower Trust Audiences

8.1 The Committee received a presentation from Jonathan Munro, Interim CEO of News and Current Affairs and Emma Theedom of News, Audiences, which provided an update on the News plan for lower trust audiences.

8.2 The Committee noted that the plan had three planks: Making Your Voice a core part of News across all platforms; rooting more journalism in local issues that matter to ‘harder to reach’ audiences; and re-establishing QuestionTime as a must watch direct audience engagement programme.

8.3 The Committee asked for an assessment of the plan’s effectiveness to return for consideration after six months.