Let me get something straight. There are aspects of the BBC which are wonderful.
However, I have had a very unpleasant experience with the BBC. The BBC ran a series of headlines about me in 2006, as an individual junior doctor very early on in his career with a severe alcohol problem. I needed support not derision. The BBC argue that they are right to report that I was accused of stalking in the GMC hearing, which led to my erasure. I have never had a conviction, warning, caution or reprimand for “stalking”, and I will continue to express my disgust at the BBC for continuing to report this. I do not see any point in having it persist on their website so many years on, with no subsequent follow-up on my progress since, and my perception unfortunately is that it feels like a very personal unpleasant campaign against me. They are damaging my professional reputation in a reasonable observer (the meaning of defamation in the law), through a daily Google search, meaning that rehabilitation for genuine alcoholics in recovery for me is unfortunately impossible, and their corporate arrogance never fails to amaze for me. I am extremely happy that their budget is being slashed in the Comprehensive Spending Review, as their journalism is ridden with editorial inaccuracies, imbalance and lack of partiality. Glyndebourne is not paid for purely from the tax payer.
And as for the Murdoch press. I happen to think that the Times is a brilliant newspaper. I was reading it at the weekend, and competition law should not stifle success. Murdoch operates across different genres, different micromarkets in business, so I find the pluralism argument exaggerated. And, as it happens, I think the Daily Mail is wonderful, despite me being a lifelong Labour supporter!
[Update: Please read this article in the light of my biography. My father passed away in November 2010. I love him very much, but still live with my Mother. I nearly died in June 2007 during a 6 week coma, but as of this day I have been in recovery from alcohol. At the beginning of 2012, this was coming up to 5 years. Since 2007, despite my many skills, I have not been in a regular salaried job.
Dr Shibley Rahman is a research expert in dementia and research lawyer by training.
Queen’s Scholar, BA (1st.), MA, MB, BChir, PhD, MRCP(UK), LLB(Hons.), LLM, MBA FRSA (updated since time of the article)
Member of the Fabian Society
