Gilligan Abandoned on an Island

Gilligan Abandoned on an Island

Andrew Gilligan, the BBC reporter whose slippery tongue let a lie escape, and initiated a cascade of events that crescendoed with the suicide of weapons expert Dr. David Kelly, has been hung out to dry by his bosses. He has apparently sunk below the journalistic standards of the BBC - by which they mean he was caught lying I suppose. One could chronicle quite a number of lies at the BBC for whom no one has been called to account.

"Richard Sambrook, the BBC's director of news, said Gilligan failed to appreciate the "nuances and subtleties" of broadcast journalism, casting his reports in "primary colours" rather than shades of grey.

Both admitted it was a serious error of judgment for Gilligan to email members of the foreign affairs committee (FAC), suggesting questions they might ask of Dr Kelly and effectively outing him as the source for reports by the BBC Newsnight journalist Susan Watts. Dr Kelly's body was found three days after appearing before the FAC, apparently after taking his own life, leading to the setting up of Lord Hutton's inquiry."

If you have not followed this story, go here to get the flavor. Recall that Dr. David Kelly committed suicide shortly after being outed by Gilligan as his "confidential source."