Alcopop’s future hangs in balance

Being a firm believer in high journalistic standards, the Diary thinks that giving balanced coverage of issues is essential. But last week, the BBC took the issue of balance to new extremes.

The Diary was asked to take part in a round-table discussion on Radio 5 Live’s Drive Time programme about alcoholic colas and lemonades, and particularly a new alcoholic water called DNA.

On arriving at the studio, where the other panel members were congregating – Andrew Ward of agency TBWA and a woman from Alcohol Concern – the Diary was most miffed when a BBC researcher came into the waiting area.

The researcher explained that the brewers had been unable to send anyone to take part in the discussion – and ordered the panel members not to criticise the brewers too much, because they could not defend themselves.

This tawdry attempt at balance by the BBC looked more like censorship, although the Diary did not, of course, buckle under the pressure.