Secret BBC file released under FoI

Nearly 10 years after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Robert Verkaik, Law Editor of the Independent, has reviewed a secret BBC file about the 'Panorama' interview of November 1995.

Memos and letters released last month under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed how proud the BBC was with its scoop. A memo written by the then Managing Director of News, Tony Hall, praises Martin Bashir for his "interview of a decade - if not of our generation". Mr Hall later claimed in his missive that his colleague had "changed the way we report the monarchy".

Further documents showed there was also concern within the BBC about how to capitalise on the interview, in particular the question of whether they should sell copies of the interview to the public. After consulting the public the BBC Board of Governors decided not to release a video of the event.

Freedom Of Information: The Diana interview that changed BBC reporting (The Independent, 22 June 2007)

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