Reaction to the Hutton report

Madam, - I don't often agree with John Waters, but I'm happy to acknowledge his fine analysis of the media reaction to the Hutton…

Madam, - I don't often agree with John Waters, but I'm happy to acknowledge his fine analysis of the media reaction to the Hutton Report (Opinion, February 2nd).

Politicians are well used to being on the receiving end of media criticism, and most of the time it stays within normal limits of acceptability. However, when Andrew Gilligan launched that early morning attack on Downing Street - an attack which dominated the news agenda subsequently - the British prime minister's office had no choice but to have it retracted and refuted. The consequences of any other course of action would have meant, quite simply, resignation. As we know, the ensuing denials and attacks from senior people in the BBC led to massive controversy and huge pressures on the late Dr David Kelly.

Lord Hutton conducted a forensic examination - always in public - of all the evidence from all sides. He was not criticised during the inquiry, nor were his methods questioned. Since his report was published, we have had an extraordinary howl of rage from former BBC employees, who, even by their own admission, had failed to investigate the grounds of complaint against Andrew Gilligan. If they had, this whole sad episode would have fizzled out.

It has been alarming to see how the world of journalism, with very few exceptions, has joined this cacophony of rejection of Hutton because they don't like his conclusions.

READ MORE

The issue of whether or not war on Iraq was justified is entirely separate and it is sad to see too many organs of the media trying to muddy the waters by introducing it to this argument.

Public opinion in Britain - and of course, here - has naturally been heavily influenced by the concerted rejection of Hutton by most of the media. The mind boggles at what the media reaction would have been if Hutton had found against the Prime Minister, and if the British government and politicians had proceeded to reject his conclusions.

The BBC remains the finest broadcasting organisation in the world, and - for all our sakes - needs to get on with what it does so well. It was let down by its former leaders. Let's hope its new ones will restore it to its uncontested status as a world leader. - Yours, etc.,

GEMMA HUSSEY, Dartmouth Square, Dublin 6.