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BBC accused of institutional 'trendy left-wing bias'
Last updated at 17:52pm on 18.06.07
Bob Geldof: The report singles out the way the BBC allowed itself to be used
As part of the report's research the BBC's own controller of editorial policy admitted that people felt that the corporation was guilty of a "bias of omission" by not covering their views.
Authors of the report called on the corporation to be more "open-minded" in the views it reflects and warned against "bias of elimination" which it branded "offensive".
The report noted that the BBC had "come late" to several important stories in recent years, including Euroscepticism and immigration , which as it happens, were "off limits" in terms of a liberal-minded comfort zone".
Research for the 80-page report showed that viewers were "frustrated" by political correctness at the BBC and feel the corporation is dominated by a London-centric bias, reflected in its programmes, presenters and coverage.
The report, which was commissioned by the BBC and written by independent programme-maker John Bridcut, also warned that if the BBC's viewers did not feel that the corporation was reflecting their lives and attitudes people would lose faith in it.
Their review hit out at programme-makers for misjudging where "cultural mainstream" opinion stood and for wanting to "swim" against popular opinion.
Staff were told to avoid imposing their own liberal assumptions on the audience and told to "embrace a broader range of opinion".
In the report, a news and current affairs producer recalled an instance where he had proposed a Newsnight investigation into the subject of "abortion on demand" but had been accused of being "anti-abortion" for even suggesting the idea which was not pursued.
Roger Mosey, former head of television news at the BBC, now head of sport, is also quoted as saying the corporation displays "fairly overt support" for multiculturalism.
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He also admitting having some sympathy with claims of a "liberal/pinko" agenda at times.
He recalled a news item about ethnic communities becoming the majority in parts of east London, where a reporter had told him that they had "worked really hard" to find a white resident who was happy with the situation.
Research in the review also found that even ethnic minorities felt that political correctness had gone to far and others said it was diluting comedy and entertainment at the broadcaster and complained of a "restrictive mind-set".
Authors of the report called for a "periodic reality check" on shows like The Archers and Casualty as well as news programmes.
The Archers has at times come under fire for losing its rural culture with increasingly metropolitan storylines.
It suggested that the broadcaster had been late in picking up on "pavement politics" such as concern over the loss of weekly rubbish collections and had been "caught on the hop" by the success of UKIP in the 2004 elections.
It warned of the dangers of an "institutional bias" in favour of stories generated by parliament rather than stories with populist roots.
The report also urged the BBC not to "close down the debate" on climate change, despite the corporation admitting that it no longer felt it necessary to justify equal space being given to opponents of the consensus on the issue.
The broadcaster's Oscar's coverage also came in for criticism over the presenters who were "transfixed by the glitz" in an "impartiality free zone' and called on the BBC to clamp down on its journalists becoming "opinion merchants ".
It also faced claims of political correctness over Muslim terrorist suspects who were arrested last summer. One member of the public surveyed for the report claimed: "I think the BBC is too politically correct. The BBC were saying '21 men have been arrested' and I thought 'what's happening?' So I flicked over to Sky and it says '21 Asian men have been arrested." The report claims that the BBC's editorial advisory department and its recently formed College of Journalism need an extended role so that impartiality is addressed much earlier in the production process.
It claims that impartiality should remain the "hallmark" of the BBC and said the balanced natureof its reporting was an "essential part" of the BBC's contract with its audience.
The report singled out hit sitcom The Vicar Of Dibley and a season of programmes on Africa.
An episode of The Vicar Of Dibley featured Dawn French promoting the Make Poverty History campaign.
"The implication was that the cause was universal and uncontroversial, whereas the Make Poverty History website made clear that it had contentious political goals," the report said.
Nowhere in the episode was it pointed out that the writer Richard Curtis was himself spearheading the campaign.
The report also quoted a senior BBC executive as saying that impartiality in the Africa season was "as safe as a blood bank in the hands of Dracula".
The report makes a series of 12 recommendations, or "guiding principles", which have been approved and adopted by the corporation.
Reader views (20)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Is Michael, above, watching the same BBC as the rest of Britain?
How much more obvious a statement of support for a pluralist, multicultural agenda does one need than the BBC Asia channel's mere existence?
To many, Brown's government is more extreme than the BNP: so when did the BBC air both sides to this particular argument then - or invite the latter on to Newsnight? Regarding Europe, so when did the BBC draw attention to the death penalty clause in the Lisbon Treaty? In international policy, when did the argument get made that many of Africa's woes are down to bad governance, during TV appeals, rather than alluding to capitalist oppression and Western neglect? On international matters, why is the attention on American war crimes, and not the systematic, mass scale war crimes of the Iraqi soldiers? On law and order matters, why does the BBC never report the disconnect between the wishes of most, for greater punitive measures, and a true picture of current sentencing, crime and its impact? Whatever one personally believes, all of these arguments are the populist ones, as one can readily see if visiting (e.g.) YouGov’s site. However, they are rarely if ever spoken by the BBC.
Sorry Michael, but to call the BBC centrist is utter sense-shattering claptrap. I personally resent paying for a party political broadcast for the British Communist Party, and believe they ought fight for their money in the marketplace now.
- Dave, watford, uk
Perhaps if someone could highlight where the BBC calls for the dictatorship of the proletariat and the establishment of workers' collectives across the nation I might be more inclined to believe claims that it's "left wing".
My own impression is that it's broadly centrist, generally conservative on social issues and classically liberal on political ones.
- Michael, London
Watch regional London news on BBC or ITV and you'd assume the whole of the region was populated by young asian women. Why?
- Squiz, Islington
So can we now refuse to pay the licence fee on the basis that the BBC's output is non-partisan? I choose which newspaper to read and which Party to vote for. Why should I be forced to fund an organisation that doesn't represent my views or political affiliation?
- Marc, Harrow, UK
I would much rather something had liberal bias than a right wing agenda, like our government.
- Dave B, United Kingdom
"I, for one, won't be holding my breath!"
But will you be challenging your own assumption that nothing's going to happen, Rogan M?
- Ben Traynor, London, UK
It is high time the BBC funded itself! It would have to listen to public opinion when it profits depended on it, and only when the BBC is privatised, will it broadcast unbias programming and news. I refuse to watch ANY of their programming now, as for ages it was obvious they were far left and pro multicuturism.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
Supporting charities is not left wing. It is the right wing that believe the needy should be supported by the benevolence of individuals. The left wing believe that the needy should be supported by the state, making charities unnecessary. New Labour's polices are not left wing, they have been adopted from the conservatives. The BBC is predominantly middle class, pro establishment and conservative. Whatever your social or ethnic background, you don't get to read the news unless you've got the right accent.
- Mick, London, England
Celebrities like Geldof and Bono get far too much coverage. Shami Chrakrabarti is 'consulted' on every topic. These people should enter politics and run for office if they feel so strongly about issues. It is very easy to pontificate without actually having to deal with the problem. The BBC does allow itself to be used.
- Beatriz, London
Remember the indigenous Anglo-Saxons, 92% of whom fund the BBC?
- Frank, Home Counties, England
At last the BBC have been rumbled. If you listen to Radio 4 you'd think that all comedians/entertainers in this country are members of the socialist worker's party.
- C Miller, Tonbridge, England
Of course the BBC is biased. It recruits predominantly from the left-leaning liberal arts degree educated middle class. How many in the BBC read anything other than the Guardian or Independent while feeling self-righteous as they sip their fairtrade skinny lattes looking down on the rest of the world? Surrounded by identikit similarly opinionated people, prejudices are reinforced rather than questioned. But the arts world is full of such people. Why is anyone surprised?
- G, London
Heads should roll and I demand resignations. They have become complacent and sneer at middle Britain. We pay their wages - they work for us!
- Paul, Bromley
It's about time this sort of ingrained bias at the BBC has been pointed out.
- Rob Wolf, Rochdale
This has been going on for years. Earlier reports have said the same thing, but nothing gets done about it. Endless criticism of the US and President Bush and anything else that doesn't fit in with the leftist bent at the BBC.
- Phil Jones, London UK
The BBC comes across as just another extension of the Labour Party.
- Jose, Wales
What this report does not mention is the BBC's anti-Israel bias reflected by its slanted reporting on Palestininian matters.
Also the BBC seems to be in denial about the real reasons for Islamist terrorism in UK. Its stance is politically correct, blaming British foreign policy i.e. the war in Iraq rather than examining the evidence of tension within the Muslim community.
- Keith, London
The BBC in my opinion are run by left wing organizations and sympathizers, for it has now out done its usefulness and must be now dismantled.
- John Winston Beatson, Sheffield
I am having some difficulty in picking out the themes of this piece. Since when have "liberal" and "left wing" been the same?
Multiculturalism was established by the Treaty of London in 1641, when King Charles I agreed to stop his armed efforts to impose the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and Bishops on the Church of Scotland. It pre-dates the Union by 66 years. It was so obvious by then that protection of the distinct and separate character of the Scottish Church did need need tobe included in the Treaty.
To be British is to be multicultural.
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate
"The report, parts of which were leaked yesterday, is believed to recommend staff challenge their own assumptions" - yeah! Like that's going to happen! The politically correct 'correcting' themselves? I, for one, won't be holding my breath.
- Rogan M., USA
