How do you really feel…BBC

[summergin]

Genuine question…how do you feel about the bbc…

YABU: BBC generally provides independent reporting, presenting facts from multiple sides so audiences can form their own opinions.

YANBU:
BBC is often one-sided and pushes its own perspective or agenda on issues.

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.

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.

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.

I do think that’s interesting (from a purely personal perspective) everything seems to end with an “answer” and you never really leave thinking ooh well I get x and z but y makes it not so simple

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

It’s not an attack on BBC, there’s no one I think “does it better”, I just feel like I’m not sure there’s anywhere you get genuine impartial news anymore.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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 don't think that pissing off both sides is a valid argument to say that the BBC isn't biased. It clearly is. Its totally converted to the truth of man made climate change for example, which is actually contested by many scientists. It was against Brexit. It has probably no Reform supporters in the news room and very few conservatives and that is clear in its output as you can tell what the presenters think. So I think if it had a bit more diversity of thought people might come back to it.

I've been furious with the BBC for years since they started putting Farage and his dog whistle on my screen and on the radio at what seemed to be any opportunity because 'balance', but failing to similarly platform any other 'fringe' or less mainstream political beliefs.

And then there's all the paedos and Egg Wallace and the rest of them...

All paid for by the licence fee 😁

I agree.

It's about as good as we can expect, human nature being what it is.

I have lots of beefs with yhe BBC, but their news and journalism isn't one of them. Long live this, and the World Service. My moans are there awful dumbed-down programming, based on celebrities, game shows and naff competitions and the lack of grown-up documentaries and current affairs programmed.

I think we only have to look at the US, where public service broadcasting is totally underfunded and suppressed and privately-owned agenda-driven news channels push their own narrative. And look where that's got the Americans. I seriously think Trump would not have been elected if they'd had the equivalent of the BBC there.

their dumbed-down programming, not 'there'. Too early!

I hate the BBC. The propaganda is through the roof. At least they’re getting caught doing it now

It’s so interesting to read confident statements that there are ‘very few’ conservatives (Conservatives?) at the BBC which is straightforwardly not true as even the slightest attention to events over the past few years makes clear.

Any organisation that has supported the career and development of people like Tim Harford and Nick Robinson is ok with me. I also tend to be unimpressed with some alleged superstars’ career and journalism choices outside the Beeb’s supposedly negative restrictions - Emily Maitlis is an example. Her work was better within the BBC’s constraints.

I really value what the BBC is supposed to do and the spotlight on it even if it often fails. The fact that the Beeb has so many guardrails also affects the rest of the media landscape - the amount of advertising on other channels is much more limited than it would otherwise be because of the BBC setup.

😂😂😂 ffs 😂😂😂 climate change "contested by many scientists"
It's ignorance like this that proves how essential the BBC is.

Is this the same BBC that has wall to wall coverage of one politician who leads a fringe party and it's acolytes ?

Or do you get Bahrain Broadcasting ?

It's not a new thing. The rot started at least 20 years ago.

I think the quality, range and volume of content they provide for the cost of the service is really poor.

i think there are structural problems within the organisation that make me quite uncomfortable with how junior staff are protected

if the news and impartiality are important I’d rather pay half the licence fee and only fund that rather than all the “entertainment” drivel they push.

I stopped my licence fee last year and don’t miss it at all as a channel

I agree.

I wish I could just pay for: news/current affairs/World Service/Radio 3 and 4 and possibly BBC4/serious documentaries on science and culture and children's programming. These are the areas they should focus on because commercial channels will not do them, or they will be financed by someone with a definite political agenda.

I know the BBC isn't perfect - I've got a list as long as my arm of moans about them, not least what they pay their execs and the tedious celebrities they seem to base their programming around. But I honestly think their journalism, while not perfect, is the best in the world and we lose it at our peril. If we lost the BBC, we'd go the way of America with the populist (dumb, ill-educated and unpleasant) vote sweeping the board.

I wish to God they'd stop trying to compete with the commercial channels on what the commercial channels do best: popular entertainment and with the streamers on what they do best: sensational drama and thrillers.

Why do people only focus on the news element of BBC and not all the other programming and services?

The BBC on most things seem balanced, except for two high profile political programmes, Question Time and Laura Kuennsberg's programme. Though the limited range of stories they now cover could be considered a form of bias, as not covering things can be bias in itself.

My main criticism of the BBC is that they continue shows well passed their sell by date. The Apprentice is one example.

Oh stop it. It's not fixed science. Whatever you might try and claim.