BBC says sorry over Heysel and Hillsborough slur

[Guest spk]

THE BBC today admitted breaching editorial guidelines twice in one programme over the Hillsborough and Heysel tragedies.

 

Liverpool fans were angered by comments made in the Politics Show on December 2 about the two disasters.

 

In a letter to one outraged viewer, Fraser Steel, head of the BBC’s editorial complaints, offered apologies.

 

He conceded a statement about the Heysel tragedy was “inaccurate”. Mr Steel also ruled the report on Hillsborough in 1989 was inaccurate and open to misunderstanding.

 

The BBC has promised to publish a conclusion of its findings and a summary of the action it proposes to take after the breaches.

 

Viewers complained that the show gave the impression that fencing was introduced at stadiums in England as a direct result of the Heysel tragedy in 1985.

 

The programme stated: “On the standing terraces of the Heysel Stadium in Brussels in 1985, running battles between Liverpool and Juventus fans left 39 dead and hundreds more injured.

 

“The Thatcher government ordered that in future fans must be segregated and caged.”

 

Liverpool fans, upset at regularly hearing misguided opinions on the disaster, pointed out fencing was in existence before that European final.

 

The second complaint, arising from the same programme, resulted after the BBC reporter said the Hillsborough tragedy, in which 96 Liverpool fans died, was caused by fans without tickets.

 

Mr Steel acknowledged that the Taylor Report, published to investigate the disaster, had found that the number of ticketless fans was not a significant factor.

 

The reporter Patrick Burns, when questioned by the BBC complaints team, admitted: “My script may have strayed too far in the direction of ‘precis’.

 

“I also acknowledge with hindsight that the use of the word ‘ticketless’ was contentious.”

 

Today, Phil Hammond, of the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG), welcomed the BBC’s findings.

 

But he said national tabloid journalists and broadcasters should contact them and other Liverpool groups to check their facts over Hillsborough.

 

 

source

[kop205]

THE BBC today admitted breaching editorial guidelines twice in one programme over the Hillsborough and Heysel tragedies.

 

 

The reporter Patrick Burns, when questioned by the BBC complaints team, admitted: “My script may have strayed too far in the direction of ‘precis’.

“I also acknowledge with hindsight that the use of the word ‘ticketless’ was contentious.”

 

source

 

What the f*** does the bold bit mean?

 

And try 'factually incorrect' rather than 'contentious'.

 

Good that an apology has been received though, even if the reporter himself seems a bit half-hearted about it and no doubt had an agenda all along.

[floyd]

So it's taken 2 months for an apology.

[reniformis]

Erm, I may be being over-critical here but Burns originally stated that the Hillsborough was caused by ticketless Liverpool fans. In his 'apology ' he says he shouldn't have used the word 'ticketless'. What about the word 'fans' as well you c***.

[Stanley Leisure]

So it's taken 2 months for an apology.

 

BBC is extremely beauracractic - everything is investigated and filtered through several layers of bullsh*t before it comes back to the public domain - 2 months is pretty good.

[John am Rhein]

Erm, I may be being over-critical here but Burns originally stated that the Hillsborough was caused by ticketless Liverpool fans. In his 'apology ' he says he shouldn't have used the word 'ticketless'. What about the word 'fans' as well you c***.

 

and the word 'Liverpool'

[matty]

What the f*** does the bold bit mean?

 

And try 'factually incorrect' rather than 'contentious'.

 

Good that an apology has been received though, even if the reporter himself seems a bit half-hearted about it and no doubt had an agenda all along.

 

What he means is that he couldn't be arsed to check what he was saying, so he's found a form of words that means he doesn't have to acknowledge that he's a prick.

 

See also:

"I may have been economical with the truth"

"I had a brief moment of madness"

"I'd like to spend more time with my family."