BBC News | Chris Jackson

Inside Out blog moves to new home

Chris Jackson BBC News — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0000

As one door closes another opens, they say. So it is with my blog.

I am being absorbed into the BBC News family and just like Doctor Who is occasionally forced to regenerate, I am undergoing a bit of a makeover.

The new blog will continue to bring you behind-the-scenes information and background details of some of the stories we cover.

You will also be able to comment on the films we make.

This blog is now closed and is being archived. To follow my new blog just go to bbc.co.uk/chrisjackson

See you on the other side...

Do Northumberland's dolphins need more protection?

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:40:36 +0000

Whenever a boat sails through the Farne Deeps off Northumberland it seems you've every chance of spotting white beaked dolphins.

Kirsten O'Brien with naturalist Martin Kitching

Kirsten O'Brien joined naturalist Martin Kitching on a survey of dolphins in the North Sea, and when they appeared her excitement was obvious. Having them jump up out of the water alongside the boat or surf the bow wave can't do anything but leave you smiling.

Are we playing with them, or are they playing with us? If it's their habitat I guess we are the guests.

Not that we act like that though.

We humans are rather duplicitous as a race. As you can see in the programme (Monday, 20 October 1012, 19:30 GMT) we have environmentalists who are urging the government to create protective zones along the Northumberland coast and those who argue against it.

Fisherman, Michael Bold

Martin and other wildlife conservation groups warn that just protecting the sea bed is not enough, the whole watery habitat needs to be included.

Michael Bold is a fisherman in Amble, who worries his profession might become endangered if that's part of the proposed marine conservation zones.

He argues pilot areas should be set up to assess what impact it has both on wildlife and the fishing industry.

What's your take? Why not leave a comment on this blog and let us know?

Finally.... my blog is moving to a new home. After today you can follow me at bbc.co.uk/news/correspondents/chrisjackson/

Watching the detectives. What we learn when the police investigate their own

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Paul and Suzie Thompson talking to Chris Jackson

Be careful what you wish for. An old adage that many of us should heed, especially as your best intentions may backfire.

When Inside Out airs tonight (19:30hrs Monday, 22 October 2012) it will be the second case in which we reveal how a police force, trying to root out rogue officers, ends up shining a light uncomfortably brightly into its own affairs.

Back in 2010 we reported on the case of Maurice Allen. The Durham officer had been selling on guns handed in to the police for safe disposal. He was convicted, but in an exclusive interview with Inside Out he revealed how the force's internal control of guns and licensing was a mess. At his trial the judge branded Durham's firearms procedures as "extremely lax, if not chaotic".

In our latest episode we speak to Paul and Suzie Thompson. He was an undercover detective with Northumbria Police and she was a high powered exec on Teesside.

He stupidly ended up using cocaine behind his wife's back. His bosses meanwhile thought he was linked to a drug dealing gang and launched a big anti-corruption investigation.

When Suzie was arrested it all came out of the blue and she found herself accused of being part of this drugs ring.

At court, the couple were cleared on the dealing charges. They'd always denied conspiracy to supply and when the evidence against them was revealed it left them wondering how on earth it could ever have led to a prosecution.

The jury was told Paul Thompson had a conversation in which he said goods were to be delivered at the weekend as they had to be cut then. His wife had texted a friend saying they were celebrating with a "snifter to get in the mood".

However when the whole picture emerged at trial it was revealed his chat was in fact in a timber yard when he was buying wood, and Suzie was pouring a "snifter" of whiskey to celebrate the start of the festive season.

Paul Thompson accepts his police career was always going to be over. He admitted taking cocaine and he was convicted of possession.

But for his blameless wife the fall out of the police investigation was devastating. She lost her job because of all the adverse publicity.

Possessing a class A drug would have been enough to root out a bad apple from their own ranks; However the internal investigations team were adamant they had a drugs mastermind on their hands, even though the evidence as revealed in court just didn't stack up.

Northumbria Police told us: "The public rightly expects the highest possible standards of all Northumbria Police officers and staff. Where we suspect those standards fall below the required level, we will take action.

"Paul Thompson was a serving officer convicted of possessing a class A drug and misconduct in a public office - this was entirely inappropriate behaviour for any employee of Northumbria Police.

"We carefully consider each investigation we undertake, to make a decision purely on cost would be wrong, we are obliged to investigate thoroughly if concerns are raised to us and will continue to do so".

Northumbria Police confirmed that they'd had a complaint from Mrs Thompson which was investigated - but not upheld.

No one can doubt the police are right to fight corruption within their own force but cases like these are bound to be high profile. We shouldn't be surprised that no-one is perfect.

Those that have done wrong should expect to be punished, but those holding them to account should be prepared for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to be revealed about all those involved.

When it comes to care of the elderly are North East councils the meanest around?

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:00:18 +0000

The Beatles famously asked in one of their songs; "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, When I'm 64?"

Life expectancy has gone up since they penned the song, but the question hasn't gone away. Just who can we rely on to give us that extra bit of care when we need it?

When I visited a day centre for the elderly in Darlington for our Inside Out investigation into how budget cuts are affecting home care (BBC1 19:30hrs GMT, Monday 15 October 2012) it was clear today's pensioners felt they'd been paying their dues all their lives and they expect the local council to foot the bill.

However with an ageing population and tighter budgets it seems something has to give.

I've been told horror stories of vulnerable older people, some with Alzheimers, who are confronted with an ever-changing succession of carers. Continuity is the least they could hope for when memory is a challenge.

Others have carers who have four 15 minute visits to carry out, but without travel time being factored in it's a mathematical mission impossible.

Councils often employ private companies to carry out home visits for services like cleaning, bathing, and cooking meals for those who want to remain in their own homes, but who need a helping hand. Some of our local authorities are paying only just over £10 an hour - but that's not the carer's wage, it's the total amount a home care company has to recruit, train, pay and manage its staff, never mind the overheads such as carrying out criminal record checks.

The UK Homecare Association which represents providers carried out research that revealed that on average the North East paid less for home care than any other part of Britian (see page 26 of this report).

You can of course exercise your right to take control of the money the council would spend and find your own homecare, but how many people would be prepared to take that on at a time when they are starting to feel vulnerable?

When I spoke to Health Minister Norman Lamb he was suggesting the way to ensure that care is up to standard is to have the home care equivalent of tripadvisor.

People could add their own ratings to the public findings of the regulator, the Care Quality Commission.

Could there be other alternatives though? For our programme the BBC's Home Editor Mark Easton travelled throughout the UK to look at innovative ways of providing healthcare, including a project in York.

It's something that will affect us all in one way or another - whether it's looking after one of our older relatives or having someone look after us.

Care is something we should all care about.

Is Cumbria digging itself into a hole over nuclear waste?

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:30:54 +0000

Chris Jackson standing on top of nuclear waste storage facility at Sellafield

It is possibly the most important decision Cumbrians will ever have to make; should the county volunteer to become the home of Britain's nuclear waste?

At the moment 70% of the UK's high level waste is stored above ground at Sellafield. It's under cover in a special part of the site, but this is not the long term solution as some of today's waste will remain radioactive for up to 100,000 years.

When you look at the timeline of our planet you get a feel of just how long that is; a mere 30,000 years ago Neanderthal man became extinct.

In a special documentary on BBC1 at 19:30 GMT, Monday 08 October 2012 I will be looking at how Cumbria is considering putting itself forward as the place to build the UK's underground nuclear waste repository.

The government has been asking for communities to volunteer to have the store under their feet. So far Cumbria has been the only area to come up with a credible bid, but even so it has concerns.

Allerdale, Copeland and the County Council were all due to make a decision this week on whether to press ahead, but at the last minute they and the government agreed to postpone the decision while they thrash out the detail.

Questions that need answering include:

Can the councils get a legally binding clause so they could pull out at any stage in the future?
Just what benefits can the county expect in return for saying yes?

To some observers it seems odd that the UK is looking for volunteer communities first and only then checking out whether the geology is suitable.

For the programme I visited Finland

70% of the UK's high level waste is at Sellafield

where they shortlisted suitable sites first and then asked those communities if they'd like to volunteer.

Several towns said yes, and at Eurajoki close to an exisiting nuclear power station, they have already dug down to 420 metres and are about to apply for a licence to store the waste.

Hundreds of mini tunnels will be built and along each several copper cylinders of radioactive waste will be lowered into individual holes bored into the rock and will be surrounded by bentonite clay.

It's a triple layer of protection that is designed to keep it safe until it is no longer radioactive. Engineers are having to plan for all eventualities, including another ice age.

Interestingly the Finnish store is close to Rauma - a world heritage site, so it appears the Nordic approach is that you can have the nuclear and tourist industries cheek by jowel.

That is something those in Cumbria's tourist industry are having to contemplate - could the Lake District be compromised if the county gets a reputation as Britain's nuclear dumping ground?

The three councils in Cumbria will now wait until January to make up their mind whether to give the project the green light.

Romar Innovate supplies nuclear safety equipment

The benefits of saying yes could be 1,000 construction jobs and government money towards infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and schools. Local companies already supplying Sellafield see the project as vital to their long term prospects. With a £20 billion price tag the inward investment is certainly tempting.

Safety will be at the forefront of the concerns and the councils also want extra cash to promote Cumbria to offset any adverse publicity a nuclear waste store might bring to one of our most beautiful counties.

Faced with making a choice that will have an impact lasting thousands of generations there's no doubt that this is one the county will want to get right.

Here's a preview of tonight's film:

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Inside Out is coming back to your screens next month

Chris Jackson BBC News — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:00:12 +0000

Chris Jackson abseiling above Buttermere, Cumbria

The closer we get to coming back on air the quieter the office gets. It's heads down by all the production crew to get the stories we are working on to the wicket in time for transmission.

Jacqui, our Series Editor, has the unenviable task of using both carrot and stick to keep us all to our film deadlines. The closer they get the more stick that needs to be deployed.

Inside Out returns for its new run at 19:30 GMT on Monday 15 October 2012, although we will be on the airwaves with a prequel the week before. In a special edition of the programme we'll be looking at a story that will have a big impact on Cumbria. I'll reveal more nearer the time.

It's a bit of a shock to the system to realise that Inside Out has now been going 10 years. That's quite a landmark for any TV programme.

As you may know each English Region has its own edition of the programme, so if you tot up the number of films made for and by each part of the country that's quite a back catalogue.

Presenters come and go - although here in the North East & Cumbria, less so. I guess it's the quality of life that means regional faces on the box, whether on Tyne Tees & Border or the Beeb, don't change that much.

It turns out that I and BBC colleague Sam Smith from the South West are the only original presenters of Inside Out left. That may be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

Ten years younger?

As for whether I've aged on screen, I'll leave that for you to ponder, but on the right here you can see my original publicity still for Inside Out back in 2002.

Yes, the hairline has moved, if not disappeared, but I think the moisturisers have kept the rest of the head within acceptable bounds.

When the regions move to full High Definition I might have to think again. At least short, cropped hair means I don't have to do a Fiona Bruce.

I can certainly say it's been a privilege to be presenting the show since its inception.

In that time I have met a huge number of remarkable people and chased quite a few rogues along the street. We've even changed a few lives along the way - a boast I do not make lightly.

The job is nothing if not varied. Last week I was abseiling in the Lakes. And as you'll see in my previous blog I get to go really unusual places - some of which are out of bounds to the ordinary citizen. No wonder I've been clinging on to this job for a decade!

Plumbing the depths for Inside Out

Chris Jackson BBC News — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:10:24 +0000

My destination in Finland

As far as work assignments go - there are good ones, bad ones and ones you count your lucky stars to be sent on.

This weekend I get to go to a country I've never been to before - Finland. However don't expect me to come back with lots of tourist snaps of pretty landscapes because my mission is to go underground.

In fact quite a way underground - some 420 metres below the surface of the earth. It's not quite a hush hush mission, but I can't say too much about it at the moment. Obviously you'll see the end result on Inside Out when we return to your screens in the Autumn.

What I can tell you, is the Finns have been burrowing away at it for eight years or so and they won't be finished for another eight. What they are constructing is something Britain has been struggling with for decades and every single one of our citizens has a vested interest in it.

The joy of being a journalist is that your profession grants you an "access all areas" pass to life. You meet people from all sorts of backgrounds and get to go to places often off-limits to the general public.

And so it is that I'm going down a deep hole. Not that's the deepest I've been to. For a different programe I was lucky enough to go down Boulby potash mine in North Yorkshire. That is 1,400 metres below the surface, some three times deeper than the one on my current assignment.

At Boulby you are told not to shave that day and you get handed a frozen bottle of water. All becomes clear as you spend what seems like an eternity in the cramped lift. On arrival the heat hits you as if you've stepped off a holiday flight to North Africa.

It's not long before the ice in the bottle starts to melt and you feel the sting of the minerals on your face. If you'd shaved it would be like salt in a wound. Even then you have a six mile drive under the North Sea to the workface.

If you think too hard about all the pressure of the rock above your head you'd get yourself into a panic.

As I type this I'm starting to get nervous about the upcoming trip as the memories of Boulby come flooding back.

However I've seen the plans for the Finnish site and it should be a much less daunting descent into the depths of the planet.

So what's it all about? Well, as I say, I can't reveal too much, but suffice it to say that when all is said and done I and only a handful of others will ever have been down there before it is sealed up again for eternity.

High on life - the Olympic adrenaline rush reaches beyond London

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:20:00 +0000

I have been on a real high all weekend and I'm showing no signs of coming down any time soon. I am writing this blog entry as I take the bus to work.

As we bumble along, to my right a field with cows grazing, above a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Incredibly a bird falls to the ground. It's a kestrel swooping down on its prey by the roadside, undisturbed by the traffic.

As we head towards Newcastle an urban landscape unfolds. High rises, factories, the odd chimney, a gathering crescendo of the hustle and bustle of the city.

Danny Boyle

It dawns on me that this is my very own version of Danny Boyle's Olympics opening ceremony extravaganza.

It reinforces for me just how great that orchestrated vision of Great Britain was.

The uplift in national pride has been palpable in conversations, faces, glances, body language in people I have met, seen and brushed past ever since Friday night.

I don't think I'm prone to soft and squidgy sentimentality but soaking up that spectacle in the Olympic stadium left me a little doe-eyed.

It was our party and we invited the World. As Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web might say: "This is for everyone."

Unlike the Americans who fly their flag in every town, city, suburb and garden we Brits are more reserved in our patriotism, but we have been given licence to be unashamedly proud of being from these isles.

I am.

Industrial revolution

What vision of our country did we present to the world? A quirky, eccentric, self deprecating, mega-mix of cultural influences borne out of our unique development from rural idyll through the turmoil of industrialisation to political upheaval and ultra-modernisation.

Some questioned whether this would be intelligible to foreign viewers.

I have had personal reports from as far as the US, Norway and Australia, and it appears their home network commentators mostly talked all through the event.

Perhaps they felt they needed to add their own footnotes to the ever changing weave of the historical tapestry that was being rolled out to the globe. But that is precisely what I loved about it.

Boyle's production showed a nation so confident and comfortable in its skin that it didn't feel the need to explain itself to anyone. It hadn't been focus grouped to death so as not to offend anyone.

NHS scene

A subersively brief lesbian kiss was beamed into homes of nations where it might even be punishable.

To the ultimate free market of the US it brazenly proclaimed that health care doesn't have to be survival of the financially fittest.

It wasn't as sanitised or as formal as the Beijing games - as magnificent as it was four years ago. We had organised chaos.

A reflection of our sometimes dark past was revealed as satanic mills trashed the tranquil rural scene. Simultaneously ugly and exciting it was a roller-coaster ride through the highs and lows of our past - it even included the Jarrow marchers - and culminated in the forging of the Olympic rings.

The show itself reflected the inherently rebellious nature of British citizenry - something which those of any political persuasions could surely acknowledge.

I'm not sure any other country would dare stage such a warts and all account of itself. That in itself is something to be proud of.

When I mentioned this on Facebook I got a terse response: "Warts and all? Yeah, that slave trade montage was brilliant." My reply: you can't get all 2,000 years of history into an hour or two and even though we once embraced slavery we later led the world in abolishing it.

Opening Ceremony fireworks

Having recorded the ceremony I have watched it back a couple of times and it only improves with foresight and anticipation.

As a TV producer I marvelled at the beautiful craft that went into staging it.

As a colleague of mine put it: "it was like watching a live film." There will have been broadcast professionals all over the globe watching in awe.

Unlike the opener of the China games which revelled in the mass uniformity of its spectacle, with the London version we got loads of close-ups. It was about individuals and participation; the back story of NHS staff actually being participants in their scene, the construction workers forming a guard of honour for the arriving flame, the thousands of volunteers who joined forces to stage the mesmerising show.

There were all shapes and sizes, all ages, all abilities, disabilities, backgrounds - all had a place. Perhaps not a vision of how Britain is, but how it could yet be.

Caught up in that euphoria I downloaded the soundtrack and as I type these final paragraphs my ears are being swamped with the haunting whistling tune that punctuated Dame Evelyn Glennie's pulsating rythyms of that night.

The hairs are rising again on the back of my neck.

In a year of ever greater austerity I have found it is actually possible to get high on life once more. With more troubled times forecast all I now need to do is plug myself into my mp3 player and hop on the bus to work.

Thanks Danny!

Digging the dirt even before Inside Out returns.

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:10:00 +0000

You don't get a medal for devoting more than a quarter of a century of your life to the BBC, you get a bit of extra time off. It was during this bonus holiday that I was part of a team that unearthed the coin pictured above.

It's about as close as I'll get to a silver medal.

The coin had lain underground for some 700 years until I and a handful of others started digging around an archaeological site in Coquetdale, Northumberland.

I decided to use my extra few weeks away from work to start a fresh hobby. As you'll see from earlier blog posts of mine, my last project was to produce a history documentary and I finally decided I should get hands-on and do some actual archaeology.

As the presenter of Inside Out I'm used to digging the dirt on our investigations, but this is real dirt and real digging.

There are lots of community archaeology groups where enthusiastic amateurs carry out digs under the guidance of professionals.

Chris Jackson with trowel in excavation site

I had no idea that I'd be let loose with a trowel quite so soon after joining. There is a real thrill at the thought that each scrape could reveal a hidden treasure. But there is an awful lot of scraping!

The Coquetdale Community Archaeology group has been excavating an old fulling mill and this month we returned to see if we could take previous years' work even deeper.

As we unearth more and more stones, walls emerge and so do some mysterious lines and structures, changes in soil colouration. I leave it to the experts to see if they can made head or tail from it.

Every now and then we come across something a bit more tangible.

My first "find"

After endless small stones and pebbles coming out of the ground before me I caught sight of something very different.

A fragment of medieval pottery. From the curvature it was clearly a section where the pot wall met the base.

My imagination started to fill in the rest and of course you start to wonder who might have handled it centuries before I did?

This was my first ever "find" and whilst it was being bagged, numbered and filed, I was still in the afterglow of feeling connected with the past in an incredibly unique way.

Emotions can run away with you though. That high was soon replaced by serious "find envy", when a fellow volunteer only feet away from me let out a yelp as he unearthed something shiny and round.

What he'd found was a silver coin from the reign of Edward I. That much was evident as soon as the mud was cleared away because the coin was in fantastic condition.

With a bit of investigation it was narrowed down to having been minted in Durham between 1280 and 1281.

Such a great discovery helps date that part of the site and it fits in perfectly with the general feeling that this was a fulling mill from this particular period.

Sadly this dig came right at the end of my leave and now I am back in the office preparing for the next series of Inside Out which starts in October.

Digging in Coquetdale

As I look out over the urban skyline I ponder one of the best things about my new found hobby.

Archaeology gets you outdoors into some spectacular scenery and you can't do much better than digging amongst the sheep in Coquetdale.

As much as I love my job, it's hard to beat getting your hands dirty amongst the clarts, even in a British summer!

Helen Skelton reveals clues to our proud Northern past

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:57:58 +0000

Presenter Helen Skelton outside Durham Cathedral

Modern TV listings are pretty much automated these days and so regional variations often get missed out of newspaper TV guides. For that reason (and a bout of shameless self-promotion) I am coming out of blog hibernation to urge anyone with an interest in the history of where we live to tune in to a special documentary this week (Tuesday, 12 June 2012, 22:35 BST, BBC One - North East & Cumbria) called The Great British Story - From the Dales to the Sea.

Helen Skelton takes us on a journey through 1,500 years of history dipping into some fascinating tales along the River Wear.

Helen is first and foremost a northern lass, but best known for her amazing record-breaking adventures for Blue Peter, such as kayaking up the Amazon.

The Wear was a little less challenging, but no less interesting as you'll find out in the programme.

I produced and directed the film and it was great to uncover stories on my own doorstep that I simply had no idea about beforehand.

Helen and Gary Bankhead

For instance, we reveal a secret that was kept in a dales farmhouse for centuries, and unlock the past by diving into the river at Durham.

Underwater archaeologist Gary Bankhead has literally been immersing himself in local history and has come up with some amazing finds.

He's a specialist archaeologist of course, but Helen shows you how you can spot your own historical clues no matter where you live in the North.

Technically I am on leave at the moment, which is why my blogging has been on hold, but I simply had to get the word out on this one. I'm sure you'll enjoy watching it as much as Helen and I enjoyed making it!

On the trail of the Great British Story

Chris Jackson BBC News — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:25:58 +0000

Helen Skelton and Chris Jackson on location in Weardale

If I had been a spy behind enemy lines you might think I was showing off at how good I can be at maintaining radio silence.

I have not posted a blog entry for more than a month - not because I haven't been doing anything, rather I have been doing so much!

As soon as Inside Out finished its last run I was straight into a project making a history documentary with Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton. My role was not just producer, but researcher, writer, director and general dogsbody so I literally haven't had a moment spare until now.

I'm delighted to say we've had great fun filming with Helen. As a Cumbrian legend she's more used to record-breaking treks along the Amazon by kayak or South Pole by bike, but we had her rowing along the river in Durham.

She's the presenter of our special half hour documentary charting 1,500 years of our history. We cover the entire stretch of the Wear from Killhope all the way down to Sunderland.

In fact Helen's schedule was even more hectic than mine and the only time we could all get together was by working over the whole Easter break

I bought the crew an egg each which we devoured in solitary mode in our hotel rooms during the bank holiday shoot.

As I write, we haven't got a transmission date, but it should be later this Summer. We thought it would be fun to not only row along the river in Durham and cross over the stepping stones in Stanhope, but to zip up and down Weardale in an electric car. It proved quite a challenge as there are no charging points beyond Bishop Auckland.

More on that in a future blog.

We are putting the finishing touches to the documentary this week and then I am going to be away from the office for a couple of months. After a quarter of a century at the Beeb I'm taking some extended leave, but you'll be able to catch me at Woodhorn Museum on Saturday, 9 June 2012 where we've a public history event, and Inside Out should be back on your screens in the Autumn.

So this may be my last blog for another little while - it's back to radio silence until my next mission.

Elderly care top of the news agenda again

Chris Jackson BBC News — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:33:53 +0000

I woke up this morning to yet more shocking failures in care of the elderly in our country. I'm scared to say I'm almost immune to it now.

The latest Which? report catalogues a series of problems which to my ears are all too familiar.

You'll know that Inside Out over the past couple of years has been at this subject like a dog with a bone.

When we first uncovered serious and repeated lapses in the care of residents at Southern Cross homes we were deluged with complaints from others. They told us the lack of dignity and proper care afforded to their relatives was much more widespread than even we had reported.

In our last series we turned our attention to care of the elderly in one of our local hospitals and the same thing happened. As soon as our report hit the airwaves we received another rush of emails and letters raising yet more instances of poor care.

Now this latest report based on diaries kept by the elderly themselves shows there are similar common problems in the care provided to those still living in their own homes. Meals and drinks placed out of reach, people ending up soiling themselves, rushed or inadequate care. The same issues are cropping up in this sector too.

If it's been happening in care homes, in hospitals and even in people's own homes, it can't just be down to a few rogue nursing staff or health visitors. There has got to be something seriously wrong in how we as a society view the elderly.

A recent consultation document offered a way forward, although some of its recommendations bordered on blatant common sense.

We all have a vested interest in sorting this out. Those of us that make it to a ripe old age will be using these services. We will be the customers of the future so no wonder the Consumers' Association decided to investigate.

I recently received an email questioning whether our reporting of the problems in care of the elderly reflected the real scale of the problem. Today's Which? report would tend to suggest, if anything, we didn't cast our net wide enough.

Being held to account means answering questions in person

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:45:08 +0000

On Monday's programme (Monday, 5 March 2010, 19:30 GMT, BBC One) we are catching up with some of our recent stories to let you know what happened next.

Among them Southern Cross. We are proud of the fact we were exposing shortcomings at the care home provider long before it collapsed.

However because of a pending trial we couldn't tell you about the awful abuse of elderly residents at the company's St Michael's View home in South Shields. The home is now under new management.

The case followed a police investigation into the home back in 2010. The judge made stinging criticisms of the failures within Southern Cross, but the case also cast light on how "the system" didn't spot them.

We approached, South Tyneside Council's social services department, the local NHS Trust, the Care Quality Commission (the new body that absorbed the original inspection body at the time of the incidents) and a former Southern Cross regional manager - all declined to be interviewed about this specific case.

They did issue statements, but on a major story of such public interest it is surprising that not one of them was willing to answer questions in person. An independent review is being carried out so we await the outcome with interest.

With the care and dignity of the elderly in care such a hot topic I leave it to you to decide whether this anonymised response is acceptable in the circumstances.

On a wider view; I've been a journalist for more than 25 years and have seen huge changes in how services for the public good are run.

As a thrusting trainee reporter I was used to ringing the local water or electricity board, British Rail, health authority or council to set up an interview. Even though I was a young trainee, those who took my call responded as dutiful public servants with an innate sense of obligation that they should be held accountable.

Back then no one really knew what a spin doctor was, nor was there even a hint that public information was there to be spun.

Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson notoriously turned it into an art form - some say the dark arts. You can't turn the clock back, don rose tinted glasses and plead for a return to the "good old days". I certainly wouldn't want to.

If you go back far enough, journalists were to blame for a lack of public accountability. The profession was deferential to those in authority in the most cringeworthy manner.

Apocryphal or not it brings to mind an interviewer timidly asking "would the minister care to share his thoughts with a grateful nation" or some such nonsense rather than asking anything challenging with a view to unearthing the truth.

None of us are naïve any more. Journalists and press officers alike understand the power and influence of today's media. Our job is to probe, I'll let you decide what the others' role is but a clue is to be found in my contacts book. Some people who used to be known as press officers now bear the title "reputation manager".

'to call to account'.
Concise Oxford Dictionary definition: "require an explanation from (a person)".

Noticeable too is an apparent trend for public bodies to resist putting people up for interview to respond in person to criticism or complaint.

A statement, no matter how detailed, does not allow for such carefully worded responses to be further probed and tested face-to-face. If someone doesn't answer the question you can put it to them again, and the public can judge the integrity of the response.

Ironically some of the privatised services, such as water, electricity and trains seem in my personal experience to be quicker and more eager to put their Chief Exec or expert up for questioning when things go awry.

Perhaps the way to judge the state of public accountability these days is to spot how many times a real person is put before the cameras and microphones when it's good news and how many times when it's bad.

Why the Olympic dream may be a nightmare for Cumbria

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:00:45 +0000

Don't get me wrong, I think once the 2012 opening ceremony has been beamed into our living rooms we'll all be excited that the UK is hosting the biggest show on earth.

Of course I would have liked to have been there in person but my ticket application for any Olympic event failed to come up trumps.

So we are left wondering what the "London" games will actually do for those of us north of the Watford Gap.

When working on tonight's programme (Monday, 27 February 21012, 19:30 GMT, BBC One) it came as quite a surprise that the normally crowded Lakes would in fact lose visitors because of the Olympics.

Despite the assurances of government ministers that we'd all get a slice of the action in 2012, it turns out that the Japanese who flock to Cumbria because of their love of Beatrix Potter will be staying away.

The tour operators bring Far East visitors to Britain for a trip of a lifetime and that has to include London. With hotel prices rising six-fold during the games they have simply cancelled the entire itinerary.

Jonathan Denby

According to Jonathan Denby of the Lake District Hospitality Association millions of pounds could be lost to the county.

On the positive side the Olympic torch will be carried across Windermere on one of the cruise boats and will potentially provide one of the iconic picture postcard shots of the UK.

If it gets shown abroad who knows how much business it might bring in future years.

Several years ago I went to Newcastle, New South Wales to see how it benefitted from the Sydney Olympics.

Like our region, it was teased with promises of how the games (some two hours away by car) would bring enormous benefits outside the state capital.

One laundry company did pick up a lucrative contract and a construction firm also worked on the stadia. Some countries based Olympic teams in the city and that was welcome.

Truth is it was hard to find any long term results in that community. The Ozzies certainly warmed to the games as it was a global showcase, but few tourists put Newcastle on their itinerary as a result.

Some companies in the North East & Cumbria have won contracts on the 2012 gig, but it's hardly been shouted from the rooftops. With just a few months to go we don't yet seem to have caught the Olympic fever.

I wish the games every success, but I intend giving London a wide berth later this summer. The lure of a 2012 soccer match at the ground formerly known as St James' Park isn't enough to make me want to spectate in person.

I might pick up a great deal in Cumbria of course, and watch the games from the comfort of a hotel with glorious views of the lakes to boot.

What's your take on the Olympics? I'd love to hear your views - just add your comment to this blog.

The London Olympic stadium

Reflecting the region brings reflected glory for Inside Out & Look North

Chris Jackson BBC News — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:50:53 +0000

Inside Out's RTS Winners: Steve Paton (Camera), Maggie Latham (Producer: Mr Rich & The Terriers), Matt Bardo (Producer: Southern Cross)

We don't get let out that often, but last Saturday (18 February 2012) we were at the annual gathering of the region's media glitterati at the Royal Television Society North East & The Borders 2011 Awards.

It was a great year for the BBC!

Inside Out was named Best Current Affairs Production for our coverage of serious lapses in the quality of care at Southern Cross Care Homes. The company has since folded.

Our department also picked up Best Factual Production for our documentary on American billionaire Bob Rich who stepped in to save the Bedlington Terriers football team. In this category we were up against stiff network competition, so were delighted to be shortlisted never mind collect the title.

Steve Paton receives his award from Chris Jackson

Our regular cameraman Steve Paton picked up the craft award for Professional Excellence in Photography.

As well as filming lots of our Inside Out stories, Steve makes natural history films with Mike Dilger on The One Show.

I happened to be presenting that award category so was delighted to be reading his name out on the big night.

Our colleagues at Look North also picked up a raft of awards.

As well as winning Best Regional News Programme, Sharon Barbour was named Best Journalist, Adele Robinson was awarded Best Newcomer and Jon Roberts who works behind the scenes picked up a trophy for Best Production.

BBC Look North's Carol Malia and Jeff Brown along with Editor Andy Cooper (left) received the award from BBC Breakfast's Stephanie McGovern

Receiving recognition from your peers is of course a welcome honour, but the real delight is that we get praise directly from our viewers.

We get lots of emails and letters, and it's such a privilege when I'm out filming that people want to stop what they're doing to come up and say hello.

When people go up to collect their RTS awards, acceptance speeches aren't allowed, but at least here on my blog I am unfettered so I can say on behalf of the whole Inside Out team - THANK YOU to you for supporting us.

On tonight's show (Monday, 20 January 2012) your award-winning team bring you a personal story of a young carer, disquiet over how council homes are run in Northumberland and a monster mystery in the lakes.

Feel free to add your comments to the blog!