The BBC has failed to promote proper debate on major political issues because of the inherent liberal culture of its staff, a report commissioned by the corporation has concluded.
The report claims that coverage of single-issue political causes, such as climate change and poverty, can be biased - and is particularly critical of Live 8 coverage, which it says amounted to endorsement.
After a year-long investigation the report, published today, maintains that the corporation’s coverage of day-to-day politics is fair and impartial.
But it says coverage of Live 8, the 2005 anti-poverty concerts organised by rock star campaigners Bob Geldof and Bono and writer Richard Curtis, failed to properly debate the issues raised. [...]
The report concludes BBC staff must be more willing to challenge their own beliefs.
It reads: “There is a tendency to 'group think’ with too many staff inhabiting a shared space and comfort zone.”
A staff impartiality seminar held last year is also documented in the report, at which executives admitted they would broadcast images of the Bible being thrown away but not the Koran, in case Muslims were offended.
During the seminar a senior BBC reporter criticised the corporation for being anti-American. Read more
Sunday 17 June 2007
Report identifies BBC bias
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This is a diversionary soft ball they BBC have lobbed themselves to distract attention from real criticisms. The Live 8 shindig was really of no consequence and has probably made no difference to Africa. The real issue is the pervasive hostility to Israel and the United States that comes through in BBC reporting, where the difference between news and political commentary is regularly obscured. Israel is regularly denigrated by the likes of Orla Guerin and John Simpson, while Islamist and Islamic crimes (e.g. 'honour killings') are often obfuscated.
The real scandal is this:
The BBC has spent £200,000 of licence payers' money to suppress the BALEN REPORT which concluded there was anti-Israel bias in its reporting.
The BBC is in no sense representative of the British people who must pay the TV poll tax: overwhelmingly its editorial and journalist staff are on the liberal-left side of the spectrum, with a disproportionate number of ethnic minorities, Muslims, gays, and secularists. I really wouldn't care about this, any more than I care who works for the Guardian, except that if I don't want that paper, I don't buy it. The licence fee has to go. It makes no sense today.
Remember also how the BBC showed 'Jerry Springer the Opera', while censoring the Muhammad cartoons.
See the website 'Biased BBC' for many egregious examples. I do believe the BBC has a lot to do with the cultural and spiritual malaise of the UK (not exclusively - Channel 4 is vile).
LT
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