A WHILE ago I had a letter published in the Evening Press in which I lamented that many senior figures in broadcast journalism have in the past decade moved from a position of healthy scepticism about politics to an unhealthy and corrosive cynicism, opting for "a new journalism of arrogance."

This sees its main goal as exposing politicians as the two-faced, hypocritical liars they are. Or, more accurately, as presenters and journalists believe them to be.

One of the programmes I accused of being particularly culpable was BBC Radio Four's flagship news programme, Today. So I was not surprised when it emerged that John Humphrys, the senior presenter, had been filmed articulating views which bore out exactly my criticisms.

According to opinions he expressed on the film, Humphrys really does conduct interviews on the jaundiced premise that he is being lied to. He maintains that despite a number of enquiries saying the BBC got it wrong in the Andrew Gilligan affair he still believes the BBC got it right, and in a public forum he feels perfectly at liberty to engage in a little character assassination on the side, especially of leading Labour politicians.

Bullies can dish it out but they can't take it. So, like a Victorian virgin bride on her wedding night, those areas of the media who share Humphrys warped view threw their hands up in shock horror that he should, for once, be on the receiving end.

The BBC rebuked Humphrys for his remarks, which it found "inappropriate and misguided", but added that no further action would be taken. Had a democratically-elected representative been caught out in this way the issue would certainly not have been allowed to drop so easily.

Snow, Wark et al would have devoted hours of air time to the issue, acting as cheerleaders for the inevitable clamour for a resignation.

Stephen Dalby,

Irwin Avenue,

Heworth, York.

Updated: 11:00 Friday, September 09, 2005