BBC Director Says He Didn’t Censor Language During Network Coverage of July 7th Attacks

The Director-General of the BBC denied accusations that he told journalists not to use the word “terrorist” during BBC coverage of the July 7 attacks on London buses and subways. Mark Thompson said however that reporters might have been aware that network guidelines do require them to “think carefully” about language. But he pointed out that the extremity of the situation made clear that terrorism was a likely conclusion for anyone watching the coverage. Thompson’s comments were made in the context of the BBC’s renewal before the House of Lords. See Jason Deans’ story here.