Quick post about confidentiality

Obvious, I suppose, but as soon as I got my BBC staff pass I started to think differently about what I say here on the blog about the BBC. I’m not worried about upsetting the management or about getting the sack (I don’t really work here – I’m a freelancer) but I am seriously worried about messing things up for the people I speak to. For the record, no one has said anything to me so far that I would classify as inflammatory or mean or against regulations. It’s just that some people have said the kind of open, honest thing that you know might wind up a colleague, make a delicate negotiation more difficult or just be a bit embarrassing.

Meanwhile, the people I’m working with here – Nick Reynolds (editor of the BBC Internet blog), Tony Ageh (something important in BBC Future Media &Technology) and Jem Stone (from Monday something important at BBC Audio & Music) for instance – are urging me to be less timid. “To hell with them! Put the boot in! They can always get great jobs at Channel 4 or ITV or eBay!” (or maybe not). So, for the time being, I think what you’re going to get here will be robust and critical of the organisation and its policies, even of management decisions but probably quite polite about the individuals I meet and the things they tell me. So sue me.