Undercover journalist. BBC sinks to new low.

I am no fan of the BBC, I think some of you may have noticed that.

I am not using this to soap box I genuinely think the BBC have overstepped a line on this one. I think the LSE students have expressed the fact the entourage concerned were 'recruited' by the wife of the BBC journalist in the frame, John Sweeney, whilst she was a student at the LSE, I believe last year. They are adament they did not know there was to be a party of 3 BBC staff. They thought initially it was just them and the one journalist.

I am concerned having watched his performance on t.v. today to hear him say that he obviously had to lie to the North Koreans to get into the country. I think he 'did' use the students to get what he wanted and like a lot of jouralists didn't care who could have suffered for the sake of his own ends.

At the end of the day the students were put in danger by Sweeney and the BBC. It has done untold damage to the relationship between the LSE and N Korea. His arrogance now to say something on the lines of the Panorama show should go ahead 'For the Greater Good' is typical of the BBC and it's belief it is somehow a superior power for good.

Maybe there is more to come out on this matter but it has signalled a warning shot to the BBC it is in danger of further distrust by the public over how it handles it's affairs. That might be a good thing.

Good points, ej.

Wonder if we'll ever get to see the results of these students' research?

I have just heard on the radio that the BBC did a "risk assessment". The Students Union have said the students were not fully informed before they actually went into N. Korea

I bet we will never know it all !

Sounds intriguing.. the project was 'approved at the highest level' it just said on the Radio. But are we too precious? These students are over 18s and in the past such age groups were often recruited by secret services etc. If they did know what was happening (sounds like they did know what was happening) they had a choice to go or stay having been warned that they could be detained if the journalist and film crew were discovered. Acceptable risk??? That is for each to judge. Did it hapen before or after current N Korean tension..if before students probably thought it was OK..I guess now they might make a different decision!

Rather dubious goings on?

It is a troubling story, certainly, though I see the person in charge of the undercover arrangements says the students were fully informed of the risks beforehand. Hmm. I suspect that the college fears it will lose its tenuous links with N Korea because of the BBc's underhandedness.

Should read LSE. Kindle thinks it knows best again.