Inquiry called into 'pro-Brussels bias' at BBC

Telegraph Article

Originally Posted by :
Allegations of pro-Brussels bias in the BBC's coverage of the European Union are to be investigated by an independent panel, the corporation announced yesterday.

The board, under Lord Wilson of Dinton, the former cabinet secretary, will consider complaints from eurosceptics that "anti-EU, pro-withdrawal voices" are routinely marginalised by the BBC.

It will also look at criticisms that too much of the broadcaster's EU coverage is seen "through a Westminster prism", and that it has contributed to public apathy about Brussels by failing to explain European issues and their impact on British life.

The study is the latest in a series of reviews set up by the BBC board of governors on contentious areas, including religion, rural affairs and the Middle East.

But, in a new departure, the EU review will be wholly independent of BBC management. The corporation has hired consultants to provide the panel with material, including broadcast analysis and focus group research.

In addition to Lord Wilson, who is also a non-executive director of Sky, the panel is made up of two eurosceptics and two europhiles.

The pro-Europe pairing consists of Sir Stephen Wall, principal adviser to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and a board member of Britain in Europe, and Lucy Armstrong, a business consultant. Representing the antis are Rodney Leach, chairman of Business for Sterling, and Nigel Smith, chairman of the No-euro Campaign.

I thought that the BBC was showing an amazing lack of balance when I listened to their description of the constitution on the radio a few days ago. The entire report was positive and no mention was made of the criticisms or future consequences.

[Rep]

The BBC definitley puts a left leaning slant on most of the things it "reports". However, they are nowhere near as bad as Fox news, who define right wing.

UKIP should set up their own satelite channel!

[Rep]

I like the idea of a UKIP satellite channel. However, I think a pirate radio station operating from a battered Transit van somewhere in southern England would be (a) more realistic in view of the likely budget available and (b) more evocative of the gritty glamour of old-style samizdat.

It's a nice thought. Sadly, though, pirate radio stations are by definition illegal, and I know we as a party would never condone illegal means of campaigning. :-)

[Rep]

or, currently, any legal means of campaigning............ :cry:

[Rep]

If some of those dodgy channels that have "babes" wiggling around while mugs phone in their messages can exist on satellite, I can't see why we couldn't put a channel on. Of course it couldn't be an official party channel, but we could call it UK news or something and be as biased as Fox or the BBC in our agenda. The difference being, we would tell the truth!

I don't think is is that expensive to have a channel. Look at that Game Network channel, they run it all off a laptop it looks like to me.

[Rep]

OK, lets go for it. A suitable programming schedule could be:-

'Baywatch' - As it happens - news on illegals arriving on the south coast.
'B Liar' - an adaptation of the waterhouse classic!
Tonights feature presentation - 'Last Quango in Brussels' - say no more!
'Country File' - very short programme, 'cos we ain't got much left.
'Kilroy' (of course!)
'I'm an insurgent - get me out of here' - new game set in Fallujah.
'Big Brother' - Update on the latest Blunkett proposals
'Keeping up appearances' - Knapman pretends nothings wrong (repeat)

I could go on (and on and on...)

[Rep]

Much enjoyed the previous exchanges.

Non-humorously I regret, let me add a thought. The pro-Brussels bias in the BBC perhaps just follows because they only hire people who express 'progressive opinion', and they simply have no idea there are other perspectives. Stranger really is the lack of willingness to confront the Brussels monster head-on by the Telegraph which would claim to be on the side of Britain and able to think for itself.

In one issue last week were two articles by Philip Johnston, one sensibly hostile to and suspicious of the Labour government storing more and more personal information about us all, and the other critical of the government's regional agenda, but neither mentioning anything about he EU in relation to these issues. We know that the EU is dictating what happens on both these issues (and just about everything else) and the government will drive through what the EU wants regardless of what the people may unambiguously say. Why isn't that the central thrust of Telegraph articles? Their journalists aren't that stupid are they?

[Rep]

Indicative of the biased BBC approach is the composition of Question Time.

If it were to reflect the views of the public there should be at least half the panelists EVERY week who are of the view that Britain should leave the EU. Instead what iwe see is the odd token anti-EU panelist.

We don't need an enquiry it is plain for everyone to see already.

PS Anyone ever noticed how the BBC corporate colour is red (News, adverts of Tap dancers, balloons etc) with a smattering of LibDem orange?

No sign of Tory blue.

[Rep]