How do you really feel…BBC

I trust the BBC for an overview of news stories, but I tend to check several different sources for news stories now. For instance, in the US-Israel war I follow Al Jazeera because they have the deepest insight and coverage in the Middle East. From watching Al Jazeera during this war I've noticed how dumbed down other UK news sources are. For instance, Al Jazeera will seek quotes from respected academics in specialist subjects, but you don't get much of that in UK news where it's more pundit opinion and personality based. The BBC seeks balance, but does it by giving equal weight to people of opposing views rather than interrogative journalism to weigh up the value of those views.

I think it depends on the presenter(s) same with most broadcasters. There’s a few things/topics I know very well or have personal experience of that people on tv will get simple facts wrong on and it never goes corrected so I find it hard to trust off the cuff things being said now. I don’t know the background of how these things work and if it’s from poor research or what but it is off putting because it’s almost never corrected.

As someone who now lives outside of the UK it has highlighted how hugely important the BBC is.

It is essential to have an communications institution that is not privately or government owned as it sets such a high standard.

The fact that the BBC has to be transparent about the issues that face i.e. the staff demonstrates that it is a high-trust organisation. I guarentee that there are the exact same issues at Fox, CNN, Channel 4, ITV but they don't have to be transparent because they are not publically funded.

Being publically held accountable for breaches in public trust is a strong motivator for the Beeb to have the best processes in place and therefore produces the best content.

We need it.

I think the BBC does an excellent job at being neutral between political parties. But when there is something that the parties all agree on, I think they do an awful job of presenting both sides.

To give a concrete example: Whoever has been in power, every government in my lifetime has increased government spending faster than inflation. There isn´t really a strong anti-spending party. Of course, different parties have differing opinions about how to increase spending, and by how much, but they all want to increase spending. I don´t think the BBC really gives a fair shake to the contrary view.

I do dislike the way they allow people to make statements that are never clarified for the sake balance.

Few months ago i remember there being an interview with a labour politician and they stated they had sent more migrants home than the previous year. The next day a conservative was on and said the opposite was the case. Which was it then?

I mean they are allowed to state facts surely? But i feel sometimes they dont challenge the right things in an interview.

They seem to employ a lot of shall we say dodgy people

Where do you think does it better than the BBC, out of interest?

YABVU

It's obviously not perfect but I agree with PP, the fact that both sides believe it to be biased towards the other side suggests it is at least trying for balance.

TBH it is the only channel I would really trust for news.

They’ve definitely made some mistakes recently that have hurt their credibility (what were they thinking with the dodgy Trump edit?), but overall I think they’re still one of the more balanced news sites. Certainly in terms of anything not behind a paywall.

YABU

I think on the whole it’s balanced and reasonable.

Its telling that the right think it’s too left wing and too woke and the left think it’s too right wing and small-c conservative.