Re: BBC "evil malice Linux zealot" article

> > > Chris wrote:
> > > > But I expect the BBC are still reeling from the response their article
> > > > got when slashdot found out about it:
> > > >
> > > > http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/05/0818229&mode=thread
> > >
> > > Despite this they still haven't issued a retraction. I put in a
> > > complaint as did quite a few members of the local lug.
Andrew replied:
> > It took a Public Enquiry and a critical report from a senior judge before
> > the BBC would apologise over Andrew Gilligan's "sexing up" (of a pretty
> > sexy story in the first place, the fool). Why would you expect them to
> > apologise because a bunch of geeks get their knickers in a twist over poor
> > science and technology reporting. 
Tom followed up:
> The BBC's habitually bad S&T reporting aside, there are other ways we proles 
> can kick up a fuss that are more productive than trolling on slashdot. Some 
> people in the FSF Europe are considering writing up a letter to Ofcom. 
> Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea for groups like the FSFE, the AFFS and 
> the UKCDR to write a formal letter, or organise a barrage of letters, 
> complaining about the general inadequacy of almost all of the Beeb's 
> reporting on FS/OSS issues, putting emphasis on misleading or innacurate 
> reporting rather than on the BBC's implied position?

Writing to OFCom wouldn't do any good at all. They don't regulate the BBC. 
That's one of the discussion elements up for grabs in the current charter 
renewal review. The BBC Governors have the duty to regulate the BBC although 
they also act in many similar ways to the Board of Directors, so it's a 
strange arrangement. The lack of regulatory control exerted during the 
Gilligan affair was one of the significant criticisms by Lord Hutton and 
which led to the resignation of the Chairman of the Board of Governors. The 
resignation of the Director General was over the separate criticisms of the 
management policies.

At the current time it would actually be really worthwhile writing to 
Patricia Hewitt, the Culture Media and Sport Minister who is therefore in 
charge of the Charter Renewal Review (which happens every ten years). There 
is a public consultation going on at the moment. You can find it at:

http://www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/


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