BBC

The BBC's denial of Mark Thompson meeting with Downing Street ministers to discuss spending cuts and the 'compromising' of its independence is an interesting one.

According to the BBC News website Mr Thompson was seen 'walking into Downing Street holding a memo from BBC's head of news, describing its new season of programmes about the government's spending review.'

Mr Thompson's spokesman said the director general 'discussed the possible participation of ministers in programmes about the spending review.'

Artist Gunter Demnig makes brass cobbles he calls stumbling blocks that are set into the pavements of Berlin. Most have engraved in them  the word, "ermordet" - murdered. Others say, "Flucht in den Tod" - "killed whilst trying to escape." Each marks the home of a victim of the holocaust. Joanna Robertson, the BBC's Berlin correspondent, wrote about them in a compelling edition of From Our Own Correspondent in which she described the physical and psychological legacies of history that surround and influence residents of the German capital, including her own four-year-old daughter.  It is one of the finest FOOC's I have heard.  

The BBC is launching its Blast Reporter scheme for 2010, which it describes as "an opportunity for budding reporters to learn the tricks of the trade in hands-on work experience that will enable them to build on their knowledge of the media along with providing fresh and exciting opportunities in Sport and Music."

The BBC is the neighbour at the end or your garden with a giant leylandii. He smiles at you and is a nice enough bloke. But the problem is his tree. It’s too big. It greedily sucks in nutrients from the soil and blocks out the sunlight. It’s an impressive tree by any standards, but it casts a massive shadow. And in that gloomy, publicly funded shade, other peoples’ plants struggle to get a foot hold. Some wilt and die. For years the community’s been talking about what should be done. Some people want the eylandii to be severely lopped.

BBC Director General Mark Thompson thinks the current generation of journalism students will be entering a world that is full of opportunities.

Last night Thompson delivered the second Bob Friend Memorial Lecture at the University of Kent, which awards a scholarship in the former Sky News presenter’s name to a first-year undergraduate student every year.

The BBC should be given credit for being decisive about its goals and future direction, says Director General Mark Thompson.

Thompson, who delivered the second Bob Friend Memorial Lecture at the University of Kent last night, defended the corporation's decision to axe 6 Music and the BBC Asian Network.

The BBC can improve its journalism in a number of areas, Director General Mark Thompson said at the second Bob Friend Memorial Lecture last night.

The BJTC and BBC run a scheme for students to do work experience in local and national radio and TV, including BBC South East.

Take a look at details of what is on offer, and what they are looking for, https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc03.asp?newms=jj&id=29606).">here.

Second year students who think they are ready for this should register online and clear their application through a member of staff.

No spelling mistakes, be clear about what you have to offer and include a couple of ideas for stories.

The National Publishers Association has launched a scathing attack toward the BBC, just hours after it announced that it would be launching three mobile applications. 

At a time when mobile platforms are being explored for commercial news models, this announcement  deals a crucial blow to advocates of paid content. 

Mark Thompson, the Director-General of the BBC, is to deliver the second Bob Friend Memorial Lecture at the Centre for Journalism in March.

At the same event one of our first year students will be awarded the Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship by Rob Kirk, Sky News's editorial development manager.

Both the lecture and scholarship were established in 2009 in a partnership between Sky News, the University of Kent and the Friend family, to provide a lasting memorial to the life and career of Bob Friend, who became the original face of Sky News after a long-standing career with the BBC.