Panorama and Me

Dennis Bardens: founding editor of Panorama

As part of Panorama's 50th birthday celebrations, the programme invited former members of staff, directors generals of the BBC, politicians and celebrities to squeeze their memories of the programme into a 100 word piece.

The remit was simply "Panorama and me".

Today is the turn of Dennis Bardens. He was the founding editor of Panorama and responsible for the first ever episode which aired on November 11, 1953. Mr Bardens has also been editor of the Radio 4 programme focus and has written more than a dozen books.

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Panorama does have a purpose. Its purpose is to make people think clearly and sensibly about the tremendous drama being played out around them.

They should know about it and know the truth from people who have no ulterior motive. In other words, no spin doctors, no politicians simply trying to ease their path to office.

In other words, if journalism means anything, it means the pursuit of truth for truth's sake and damn the consequences and to hell with popularity. That is what journalism is.

Panorama is an important programme. It has got an important job to do.