to ask if anyone has ever had a BBC Complaint upheld?

[Nachorancho]

Just that really and this is really not intended to be a "BBC bashing" thread.

On the odd (less than ten over past six/seven years) occasions I have raised a complaint it has always been dismissed and the reasoning is always the same: "we have acknowledged what you say but we think you are wrong (to paraphrase)"

So my question is has anyone ever made a complaint and the BBC have held their hands up and said "yes I think to are right OP"?

Yes twice. Once was when a friend of mine had died in a high profile accident - they’d labelled the photos wrongly (mixed up which name and which photo went together). The other was about a news story re: a man who had killed his wife then committed suicide. The coverage initially included a weirdly positive headline and lots of quotes about what a lovely man he was - like he’d sadly been run over or something rather than murdering an innocent woman before choosing to end his own life. I pointed out that perpetrators of these crimes usually have a long history of domestic violence and either way they were writing an apology for a wife killer - they did change it! Bet lots complained though, it was horrible.

@Macncheeseballs

It's never occurred to me to contact a TV station about anything good or bad

They’re not just a TV station. They also report news. I made a complaint about a victim blaming headline in a news article. They acknowledged their fault and changed the headline.

Never complained to the BBC (although should've done about various things over the years I'm sure) but I did once complain to the ASA about a massive billboard in my town which was advertising some sports brand but the tag line and the photo made it seems as if the model had been attacked and enjoyed it. Can't remember the words or the brand now, must've been about 10 years ago. They were very dismissive and said that after investigating, they found that wasn't the intention of the advert. Er no, but that's certainly what it looked like!

@Taliskerskye

You’ve complained 10 times in 6-7 years! What the fuck for. I can’t think of anything that gets me upset on the bbc, that is genuinely worth a complaint. An eye roll maybe.

Aye. They've probably got a special file for "disgruntled of Tunbridge Wells" people.

I've complained about the lies told by Dr Hilary whatsisname on ITV. He did issue a statement not exactly retracting what he'd said, but at least doing a grovelling yeah but no but statement. I think thousands need to complain about something openly wrong for it to be upheld though. (his was about breastfeeding being only for mothers after 6 months iirc)

I complained about a factually incorrect report covering a government information gathering exercise. The complaint was upheld, but not until after the deadline for submissions had passed.

Yes, I had one upheld - regarding the number of people in intensive care beds with COVID - they changed the article and corrected the figure (which was something like 100 x over what the actual numbers were...)

They never responded to me though.

I complained once when an online news article referred to 'child porn'. It was subsequently changed to 'images of child sexual abuse'.

My last complaint was about the changes to the iPlayer that made it really clunky and harder to use.

The reply was "We know. Get over it."

Laugh ? I nearly paid my licence feel.

OFCOM were on sky news the other day & said out of tens of thousands of yearly complaints, 48 had an investigation opened & 16 were upheld.

So I doubt the BBC cares any more than OFCOM would.

Honestly, if I see something I dont like I just change the channel. I wouldnt complain, a waste of energy

No, not that for me the issues were as serious as some raised above.

[quote Nachorancho]**@thinkningaboutit* @Nachorancho*

A complaint less than once a year is excessive?!

For varying reasons - dismissive attitude to BAME issues, poor reporting, inaccuracies, misogyny, stereotyping, typos, lazy journalism, bias, unconscious bias ... I think I have been fairly conservative in my complaints

Not that it matters as none have been upheld![/quote]
Well as I've NEVER complained in 40 plus years of being alive, yes 10 in 6-7 years is very excessive. You need more to do.

If I'm said tens of thousands of complaints - but that is unlikely to be ten thousand different complaints.
It's better than nothing - I doubt you can pick up the phone to the boss of Netflix etc

Ofcom

Well as I've NEVER complained in 40 plus years of being alive, yes 10 in 6-7 years is very excessive. You need more to do.

Holding publicly funded bodies to account is important. I'd rather someone complain occasionally, than roll over and accept that people are being manipulated by biased coverage.

Complained once about a chat show host. Host was interviewing an older gentleman and made sexist and ageist comments about the man's wife. Then cut, without giving the guest a chance to respond on camera, to the Green Room where his wife was, who had clearly heard these things and went on to make derogatory comments to her about being upset.

Apparently it was ok as the guest (the husband) wasn't upset and viewers should know that the host was edgy and shouldn’t watch if they were easily offended.

I complained about a news article concerning young children being used as 'suicide bombers' by radical groups- literally referred to as child suicide bombers as though a ten year old has the agency to decide independently to murder a lot of other people and themselves!

Pointed out to them that these children are just as much murder victims as those killed by the bombs and that it was not appropriate to brand them murderers just because of their race/ religion- after all, if a white child had done this in a market in London, there would be a very different slant to the coverage.

Anyway, they first said they stood by it, but would mention it to their 'Africa Desk' (I was told on here at the time that there isn't any such thing) and when I replied that I wasn't satisfied with their response they said they weren't going to reply further. That paints a picture of me having sent multiple sweary, lunatic rants I know, but I promise that wasn't the case at all. You can probably still search the thread I made on here at the time for verbatim responses.