The 2000s

Since the Coronation in 1953, the power of major events, seen live on television, was demonstrated many times but never with such shocking effect as on September 11, 2001, with the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. In the years following, world headlines became dominated by the global terrorist threat and by Afghanistan and Iraq. And it was an interview about the invasion of Iraq that would bring the BBC and the Government into conflict, leading to the Hutton Inquiry and ultimately to fundamental changes in the way the BBC is governed.

In the latter part of the decade, news would concentrate on another global issue – the economic crisis. Its effects were felt no less in Northern Ireland where the local news agenda was shifting in other ways. Devolution became a reality and with it a power-sharing Executive, providing government for a changing region and with it a new focus for BBC journalism. The BBC grew the range and volume of its network programming from Northern Ireland and made increasing use of new technologies to facilitate audience involvement in all aspects of its work.