| Submit your comments on this article |
| Britain |
| BBC buys up ’Hutton inquiry’ Google links |
| 2004-01-26 |
| BBC enters CYA mode. EFL: Just 48 hours before Lord Hutton delivers his verdict on the controversy surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly, the BBC has begun an advertising experiment that involves buying up all internet search terms relating to the inquiry. Despite being one of the main players in the drama, anyone searching for "Hutton inquiry" or "Hutton report" on the UK’s most popular search engine Google is automatically directed to a paid-for link to BBC Online’s own news coverage of the inquiry. Where they will no doubt find the BBC’s version of the truth. No other news broadcaster or any newspaper has paid Google for this facility, leaving the corporation’s move even more conspicuous. Yes, isn’t it. As one of the chief "interested parties" in the Hutton inquiry into the apparent suicide of Dr Kelly, the move will strike many as worthy of comment, not least because the BBC’s online news pages will not be the most obvious place to go for the most comprehensive coverage, which is bound to include painful criticism of the corporation. It will also raise questions about the use of licence payers’ money at a time when the corporation faces criticism for spending so much money online from private rivals including the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Times newspapers. This should be fun. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #7 I must have missed something all these years using google. When I google for 'hutton inquiry' I get 115,000 hits and the first one is not the bbc. In fact, the bbc doesn't show up until number three. What's this story really about? (Answer: clueless journalists.) I don't see a paid link to the bbc, did I miss it? (Answer: No, dummy, you didn't read the article first...stop panicking and go to the link!) Or is this only happening in UK? (Answer: You should be glad Angie is on the job and posting at Rantburg.) Oh...wait...Angie just explained it...whew! Thanks, Angie. (Man, you can really tell what trips my trigger, caintcha? Doan mess wif mah google...) |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-1-26 8:14:16 PM |
| #6 When you google "Hutton Inquiry", the very first link that shows up is the official UK government site for the inquiry. The BBC, Guardian and Times links show up as well. Whatever the BBC is doing, it isn't working. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-1-26 5:17:06 PM |
| #5 The Guardian article leaves a little something to be desired (I'm shocked, shocked). It says that searches will be "automatically directed to" the BBC's page, leading the naive to believe that they will be, well, automatically directed to the BBC's page. Instead, in the sixth paragrph you learn that the Beeb has just bought one of those right side ads. Kinda weird, but not exactly flushing embarrassing facts down the memory hole, which is how the first paragraphs make is sound. |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2004-1-26 3:50:17 PM |
| #4 well, I guess I can stop using google then. Shouldn't this make the British taxpayers a bit angry to see their tax dollars being used in this fashion! |
| Posted by: B 2004-1-26 3:40:54 PM |
| #3 I'm gonna use Yahoo search for this one, then. |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2004-1-26 2:10:44 PM |
| #2 If the BBC wasn't such a paragon, I would speculate that they were engaged in censorship. In reality it would have been improper for anyone else to profit from a news story that was wholely a creation of the BBC. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-1-26 1:37:52 PM |
| #1 bloody typical of the bbc this is ,i hate the bbc! |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-1-26 1:30:10 PM |