Journalistic Standards; and the lack thereof.
BBC News, 18:00 hours on this, the eleventh day of April, in the year two thousand and seven.

Making the national & international headlines at 18:00 today:
1) Captured Royal Navy personnel selling their stories to the press. Government admits it was wrong (to allow it).
2) Survey proves that families are breaking down and that single parenting is rampant. Thus community spirit is being eroded leading to more arguments amongst neighbours.
3) America says Iran has been arming Iraqi insurgents. Also, mass-wedding ceremony occurs in Baghdad.
4) In sport - Can Liverpool make it 3 clubs into the champions league final?
5) Expensive piano falls off lorry in Exeter.

I despair - I really do. I didn't count, but I would guess that in the first two stories the word "disaster" was used 10 times and I'm sure "crisis" was involved too. I may have heard "shocking" included in there for good measure. Where is the independant, unbiased reporting when such emotive words are used again and again? The BBC seem to be enjoying saying "I told you so". I can't say I recall them saying anything.

Story 3 has the capability of being a serious story. But no. We have some quick accusations and then straight into the wedding. Asking what sort of future will be in store fo all these newlyweds that have braved the violence - will it all be in vain? I believe this is called emotive journalism.

The fourth story was more of a gesture of sports news rather than anything worth reporting. But I did like how the BBC didn't shy away from the British media's role to pile the pressure on to our sportsmen immediately prior to their performances.

Now we come to story 5. The one that inspired this post. Why oh why is a piano falling off a lorry making national news? Why did the BBC feel the need to add a "lighthearted" story? Was the reality of the world a little bleak? Was it a little too dark for the producers? I don't need to know about some piano falling off a lorry.

Is it just me or is the news trying to become appealing? News is news. Report the news as it is - don't sugar coat it. How else is the country going to find out the reality of what's going on in this world?

While I'm here, I wish to complain once more about the Science and Technology pages of the BBC News website. To me, they are crappy stories written by people who seem to not give a damn about the topic they are writing about. Becasue they don't understand it, they miss the important details. Leading to stories that don't actually tell you anything.

Don't even get me started on copying and pasting from other websites.

The BBC is in existence to serve the public. It is founded by royal charter to educate, inform and entertain; a relevant excert of the charter is provided below. How does a documentary about the airport police at Heathrow airport do that? Viewing figures are irrelevant for the BBC. They don't have advertising revenue to make. It is the BBC's job to do what is not commercially viable - to give funding to new talent etc.

You know what - I can't be bothered to go on.

3. The BBC’s public nature and its objects
(1) The BBC exists to serve the public interest.
(2) The BBC’s main object is the promotion of its Public Purposes.
(3) In addition, the BBC may maintain, establish or acquire subsidiaries through which commercial activities may be undertaken to any extent permitted by a Framework Agreement. (The BBC’s general powers enable it to maintain, establish or acquire subsidiaries for purposes sufficiently connected with its Public Purposes – see article 47(3) and (4)).

4. The Public Purposes
The Public Purposes of the BBC are as follows—
(a) sustaining citizenship and civil society;
(b) promoting education and learning;
(c) stimulating creativity and cultural excellence;
(d) representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities;
(e) bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK;
(f ) in promoting its other purposes, helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services and, in addition, taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television.

47. The BBC’s corporate nature and powers
(3) The BBC shall have the capacity to sue and be sued and do anything appertaining to a body corporate. In addition, the BBC shall have all the capacity of a natural person.
(4) However, the BBC may use these general powers only for the purposes set out in articles 3 to 5. The use of any of these powers for other purposes would amount to a breach of this Charter, with all the consequences that could follow from that (see in particular article 52). Subject to any overriding rules of law, such a use of powers shall, nevertheless, be valid: for example, contracts entered into by the BBC would be valid and enforceable against the BBC for so long as the BBC continues to exist, to any extent permitted by law.