BBC bias

I have often thought that it would be a good excercise to record,interviewers questions, people invited on and their politics etc etc. I am sure a picture could be built up. But it would be an enormous task.

Could you find us an unbiased link please daphnedill?

I'm not sure what you mean.

The papers are available for everybody to read in Cambridge. The Guardian is just reporting some extracts from the documents.

Here's the link to the Margaret Thatcher Foundation, where you can read the original:

www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/1986cac1.asp

Thank you for that link daphne, fascinating read.

Alima

Not an unbiased link but an opposite view.

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3135408/DAMIAN-THOMPSON-Shock-Horror-BBC-boss-admits-s-biased.html

'Mosey, who also used to edit Radio 4's Today programme, confirms that Auntie leans so far Leftwards that she frequently topples over into propaganda.'

Not sure if the OP is concerned with left/right bias or more concerned with UKIP to be honest.

Is it not the case Paul Nuttell appeared before he declared his intention to stand in the Stoke Central by election?

I understand the point the OP is making , that Nuttall would have an advantage given the closeness of the by election date but what is the ruling on this, are there any 'purdah rules' for by elections?

But that's his opinion. My link was to actual memos and minutes. I'm surprised Mosey could stay in the job, if he thought that bias was so bad.

I'm not sure what people actually want from the BBC apart from fluffy sitcoms and game shows. Whenever it reports on politics, it's going to run into trouble. Should it be totally neutral or make sure that left wing is balanced against right wing?

Sometimes I think it's what the BBC doesn't report which shows its bias.

Bias is hard to prove and will be in the eye of the beholder to be honest..

I do struggle with the whole concept that some hold that the BBC is a paragon of truth, honesty and unbiased news. It is not even the case it covers 'breaking news' as quickly as other media TV stations.

Why does it show Victoria Derbyshire on the BBC 24 hour news station for heavens sake. Sky / Aljazeera can trash it for 'breaking news' stories.

I agree. I have a confession. I don't often watch news/current affairs on the BBC anyway. I watch Marr, Newsnight and the news, if I happen to be around, so I actually don't have a view about bias, because I don't know. I do read the BBC online.

I agree with you that it's slow on 'Breaking News'. I think it's a foolish person who doesn't realise that any media has bias and an agenda. It's just as interesting to realise that this is what left/right wing, Russian, Jewish (or whatever) media think, because it says something about their viewpoint. I still think the BBC is less partial than some other media.

PS. I was reading somewhere or other that UKIP think that one of the problems they have in Stoke is that people haven't really heard of Nuttall, so they're probably going to get him out there as much as possible. I'm sure the opposition parties will come up with stuff about his past, but in the current climate, I'm not confident that people care.

I agree [kittylester] with all you said

I have occasionally complained to the BBC when something particularly annoyed me, using their online complaints process, and have never, ever, received a satisfactory resolution/apology/constructive comment. They just go through the motions of responding to emails, without any thought that we are the customer and certainly should not be patronised. I am thinking of changing my name to something that would infer that I might take offence if they do not take my complaint seriously and see what happens................

What have you complained about?

You don't have to answer that, but it would be interesting to know.

To be honest, I've never felt strongly enough to complain about the BBC or any other channel.

My comment was based on my current observations not on 30 year old papers.

Fair enough! It just happened to appear as I was logged into GN and I thought iw was relevant. Just asying that complaints about the left-wing bias of the BBC aren't new.

I assume you know that Laura Kuenssberg has recently been accused by the BBC Trust of breaching impartiality over Corbyn.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/07/bbc-editor-breached-impartiality-jeremy-corbyn-report-reveals/

Above link is from the Torygraph (not the lefty Guardian).

Accusations of bias at the BBC are certainly not new and have been very varied including politics (often the EU), regional bias (including weather maps!) and religion.

The accusations have inevitably often come from people committed to the opposite viewpoint. There have been independent enquiries, not always conclusive, perhaps because deliberate bias is difficult to prove.

It was said in Parliament in 2002 that the BBC has subsequently admitted bias in the 1975 Referendum but I have not seen the evidence. I also remember bias in the BBC's coverage of the euro debate from 1996 but again, I cannot provide a link here.

I think this is an interesting article from the blessed Guardian (not the nasty old Telegraph). It is John Humphrys thoughts about the immigration debate in 2014. I also remember him writing about bias in the euro debate when he was on The Today Programme but that may have been in the Daily Wail (so even if I could find a link, I wouldn't dare say so).

www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/11/john-humphrys-bbc-immigration-debate-today-programme

The Laura Kuenssberg 'episode' to my mind was ridiculous from the start. Snowflake Corbyn and his followers.

Didn't a political activist GN poster put up one of her 'petition to sign ' posts to 38 degrees wanting to get rid of Laura Kuenssberg some time ago? (Can't be bothered to find it).

Looking at the date of your link DD , 7th Jan 2017, is this yet another attempt to 'get' Kuenssberg?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/11/the-laura-kuenssberg-petition-should-be-condemned-not-just-removed

"Posts calling Kuenssberg a bitch, a whore and a slag are not hard to spot on social media. Others refer to her as a cow and a cunt. Some people write that they’d like to kill her. One post included a picture of a scene from Return of the Jedi with Kuenssberg’s face Photoshopped on to that of Princess Leia in the famous gold-bikini scene and David Cameron’s face superimposed on Jabba the Hutt. It describes her as “Cameron’s slave girl”.

Hmm, nice people out there.

POGS: Sadly, such abuse is one of the downsides to the internet. It would be good if all conributions were moderated but I suspect that it isn't going to happen.

Returning to the original post, I suspect that the BBC is responding to its Charter which includes:

'...using the highest calibre presenters and journalists, and championing freedom of expression, so that all audiences can engage fully with major local, regional, national, United Kingdom and global issues and participate in the democratic process, at all levels, as active and informed citizens.'

The BBC has to respond to all audiences which, for better or worse, includes UKIP and should include UKIP because it has a significant following. I suspect that any programme including UKIP (other than election broadcasts) will include people differing opinions.

I also suspect that the BBC knows and will abide by the rules applying to by-elections.

I actually do think that Kuenssberg shows bias, but I wish people wouldn't go over the top with all the nasty stuff, because it just undermines the argument. It happens to (mainly female) politicians too and I really wish Facebook and Twitter would do something about it. Some sites moderate their comments better than others. It's why I don't believe in absolute free speech.

Laura Kuenssberg was found to have breached BBC guidelines on impartiality when she reported on Jeremy Corbyn.

Having said that, it was reported in the Telegraph,the online trolling is quite clearly inexcusable and I find it offensive to see it quoted here on Gransnet by someone with a right wing agenda pointing to the worst type of left wing trolls.

I am quite sure we all know that this type of offensive trolling on the internet is in no way confined to one political view or another. There are legions of offensive right wing trolls out there. Any woman who dares put her head above the parapet and express her opinion in public is likely to be targeted by these vicious trolls, whether of the right or left.

I will not quote any examples but I am sure I do not need to - we all know very well that they are out there - vile, inadequate creatures whose own lives must be very pathetic. Do not quote them. It is below the standard we expect on Gransnet.

Varian

"Having said that, it was reported in the Telegraph,the online trolling is quite clearly inexcusable and I find it offensive to see it quoted here on Gransnet by someone with a right wing agenda pointing to the worst type of left wing trolls."

That accusation against me is a bit sardonic coming from you! If we were all to be 'offended', as you say you were by my post, because of our politics then Gransnet might as well shut up shop. What the hell do you want , a cosy chat between you and yours. Yes I found your post trying to belittle me extremely unpleasant.

It is the case I found the 38 degrees petition a crock of at the time and to be honest I still believe the whole story is trivial.

I would remind people this is also quoted by the BBC

"It also said: "The breach of due accuracy on such a highly contentious political issue meant that the output had not achieved due impartiality."

"But the Trust found no evidence that there was a deliberate attempt to mislead audiences and noted that the full interview had been published on the BBC website."

"James Harding, director of BBC News said: "While we respect the Trust and the people who work there, we disagree with this finding.

"Laura is an outstanding journalist and political editor with the utmost integrity and professionalism. BBC News reported on the leader of the opposition in the same way it would any other politician.

"It is striking that the Trust itself said there was 'no evidence of bias'. Indeed, it also said the news report was 'compiled in good faith'.

"The process is now concluded and BBC News formally notes the Trust's finding."

The BBC said the complaint had been looked at on four other occasions and each time had been rejected.

PS

You called them left wing trolls Varian, I did not!

'Do not quote them. It is below the standard we expect on Gransnet.'

Have you the same opinion of posts on other threads Varian?

who is this 'we' you talk about varian? How presumptuous!

(not to mention pompous)

POGS you were clearly trying to make some sort of point that left wing trolls had attacked Laura Kuenssberg, but it was not necessary to quote them. We all know what vile language they use.

When you say "hmm, nice people out there" you don't seem to acknowledge that there are right wing trolls as well.

I like Laura Kuensberg and I think that after being found to have breached the impartiality guidelines she is likely to be even more careful in future.
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