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Leamington Letters #34: The use of research and evidence

12/11/2012

8 Comments

 
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Credit: the Guardian
Lord Patten is one of those people, so common in public life, whose inexorable rise defies the democratic process.

His success dates from the time he was rejected and ejected as an MP by his constituents; at which point his friends in high places gathered round and appointed him, successively, a European commissioner, governor of Hong Kong and, most recently, chairman of the BBC Trust. And yes, remuneration in each case is significantly more than the minimum wage.

Despite his conservatism, Patten has had a pretty easy ride from the left; principally, I suspect, because,  as Dr. Johnson would say, he has not merely read a book, but read it through. He is plausible, a tolerable dinner party companion, and – as one of the Dimblebores characterised him this morning – a “shrewd old bird”.

Clearly, not shrewd enough. His appointment of George Entwhistle, by all accounts a decent man, was a misfortune. His dismissal of George Entwhistle, careless. Literally so.

As so often these days, in the face of a crisis, the cry of the establishment goes up: “deputy heads must roll”.

Which is not to diminish the egregious offence of Newsnight’s allegations against Lord McAlpine. As the subject of a current false and defamatory statement on the internet, I know how much the sheer injustice hurts. I cannot imagine what Lord McAlpine suffered as millions believed for 72 hours that he was a paedophile. Compared with the Newsnight allegations, my problem was petty and trivial and I am humbled by the dignity with which McAlpine bore himself during those initial hours after the broadcast.

The false and damaging statement was made without research or evidence. Disgracefully, he was not even contacted to be given an opportunity to deny the charge, which had spread virally across the internet before being formalised in a Nationwide broadcast. In the fuss about Newsnight, we have ignored the importance of the internet, where more people garner their information than from hundreds of Newsnight broadcasts.

I have recently stumbled across the website of an organisation called CUREE, the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education. It is based, intriguingly, in Coventry - just down the road from where I am currently sitting. Its mission is to support and promote  “the use of evidence by building bridges between academic research and professional practice”.  

I am impressed by its objectives and its methodologies, and it occurs to me that the team at CUREE might establish similar organisations in other disciplines.

It is clear that Newsnight could do with a Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Journalism. 

We could perhaps introduce a centre for political appointments. 

And maybe there is also a role for a Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in restaurant reviewing. 

Any volunteers?

An edited version of this post appears on Wilde's Things: a restaurateur's blog at www.wildes.uk.com

Today’s listening: Brothers by The Black Keys. Don’t know why this has evaded my radar until now, but I will be making up for lost time.

8 Comments
parn123
12/11/2012 13:53:45

Agree with you Max.
As regards the Nov 2 Newsnight, BBC journalists weren't involved - the BBC News bureaucracy had farmed it out to an outside organisation (Something something for Investigative Reporting), and one of these "journalists" tweeted Mc Alpine's name in a pub after some beers. When it came to approving the report to go on air, apparently it was some Human Resources manager who OK'd it - not the news people, who had been sidelined (as Entwistle "was out"). Anyway, the whole ridiculous structure had been established during the 8 years that Mark Thomson was DG. We should be sorry for the New York Times who is now saddled with him as CEO.

Reply
Max
12/11/2012 23:26:19

Cheers Parn. Paxman has been pretty forthright about the ways in which the cuts have ruined the programme and the barriers of bureaucracy which were set up. Agree. The New York Times has big problems ahead.

Reply
CJ
12/11/2012 23:22:06

Isn't the use of research and evidence in education self-evident? Saw the TA review. It's risible. Obviously hasn't been to Wilde's at all.

Reply
Max
12/11/2012 23:29:07

Thanks CJ. Self-evident in every sphere one would have thought. TA? It's the injustice of it. But probably allowed myself to become unnecessarily exercised. Next blog on baseball!

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Andy
14/11/2012 05:11:50

CUREE is a weird organisation. Is it a quango? If not, where does it get its funding? But it should be fundamental that any statement on TV, in print, oron the Internet should be capable of being backed up by evidence. If not, pursue these bastards through the courts. McAlpine will. And so should all of us who have been gratuitously abused and defamed.

Reply
Max
16/11/2012 01:01:20

Thanks. Have a cease and desist letter but where do we send it? TA gives anonymity. And even if it is his real name, whose real name?

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myers
16/11/2012 02:27:13

The BBC is not Auntie but an authoritarian Uncle
and
Authority intoxicates and makes mere sots of magistrates
The fumes of it invades the brain and makes men giddy proud and vain
By this the fool commands the wise
The noble with the base complies
The sot assumes the rule of wit
And cowards make the brave submit

Reply
Max
17/11/2012 00:48:54

A great stanza. Even better when heard declaimed from memory by you. Thanks bro.

Reply



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     Max Smith

    European writer, radical, restaurateur and Red Sox fan. 70-something husband, father, step-father. and grandfather. Resident in Warwick, England.

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