How much do you trust the BBC as a source of news?

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My dh takes the BBC as gospel. I take it with a (large) pinch of salt, as I think it has baked-in biases. I value the BBC highly, and think we are lucky to have it, by the way.

I'm interested in how other people view the BBC's reporting.

When it comes to getting accurate news I only trust the Guardian and Owen Jones.

Yes, this.

Some people might not like the BBC news all that much, but it is the best we have, and I would trust it over any newspaper or privately controlled news source.

🤣🤣

Well played.

People read one story they don’t agree with and see an “agenda”.

Good journalism challenges our world view, if you agree with every single thing you read on a site, you are not on a news site, you are in an echo chamber.

that is to say.. I think they’re doing a decent job, working with what they have and navigating a really fucking weird time.

I actually work for a large news organisation myself and it makes me roll my eyes when we’re accused of bias or an agenda - we’re literally flying by the seat of our pants, held together with rubber bands.

I'd love to know what this "agenda" is.

I don't think it's perfect, obviously. But I think it does try to be be measured. I still shout at The World at One and PM but Any Questions and Any Answers do provide opportunities for challenge. It's less aggressive and shouty than some other news outlets, which I like, with thoughtful reporting - Gary O'Donoghue and Daniel Sandford.

Sometimes catch ITV news and that feels far more openly biased and judgemental in it's reporting. Well, Tom Bradbury. I know they have lots of old school reporters as well - the guy who reported on the storming of the Capitol.

Channel 4 news definitely provides high quality reporting but, and I'm aligned with their biases, I can see that more clearly as well. It's covering of really "unfashionable" global news stories is commendable.

I can't comment on channel 5 as it simply wouldn't cross my mind to watch it. Don't have Sky so rarely watch Sky News, so can't really comment.

why did they take away the laugh reaction-made for posts like this!!! 😂

I trust the BBC. The PM programme on radio 4 is particularly good. I also trust Channel 4 News

Lool! good one!

They were literally showing graphs which showed how risk changed with age and various health conditions. And of course they were promoting vaccines because the vaccines worked. Who were we supposed to believe? Medically trained professionals who’d spent years training in immunology or Cyril from Facebook who got a rash from a tetanus jab in 1982?

I view it much like you do.

Close to zero.

They intentionally fail to cover certain news items and have demonstrated partisan reporting on certain topics they do deign to cover.

I think the thing that really pisses me off is that an era of fake news and fox network&friends that had a huge HUGE opp to be a global renouned news outlet that set the gold standard in reported news. A trusted, impartial and accurate news source people could go to and sift through the garbage pushed out designed to polarise then monetise societal division.

But noooooo they just couldnt help themselves.... And so they started pushing their agendas via their news.
And now the brand is just fucked and in slow irreparable decline.

Slow hands clap - good job guys.

Well , yes but the Far Left-of which there are many and many of them are mouthy-think that The Guardian is a mouthpiece for Reform so really, their thoughts count for nought and shouldn't really be considered by thinking people in this, or indeed, any discussion.

What is the agenda?

Hi again, Debbie!

I know you posted this as a joke but, to many, it is exactly what they believe and they will certainly believe too that the BBC is impartial, because it reflects their world view back to them.

Those who read The Guardian are delighted with the BBC. Those who read The Daily Telegraph are appalled by it and should not have to pay for something which raises their blood pressure. That is simply not fair.

I don’t think it’s true at all that all those who read the Guardian are delighted with it - you hear plenty of people on the left constantly complaining about right wing bias in the BBC.

I think it’s the closest thing we have to an impartial news source, and we’ll miss it if we allow ourselves to lose it.

Erm, what bubble are you in whereby you haven’t noticed the left wing decrying the BBC as too right wing?

That is exactly my point.

To repeat, in plainer language: The Left Wing decry almost everything as too Right Wing.

Therefore, if the Left Wing say that the BBC is too Right Wing, it means precisely nothing because they say that everything is too Right Wing.

I hope you get the point this time but, if you don't, I'm at a loss as to how to say it more clearly.

But that is precisely the criticism the left makes of right wingers, i.e. they decry many non left wing matters as being left wing bias. So again, both sides. I’m not the person struggling to comprehend the point being made…

But really they can’t think it otherwise they’d be happy for the BBC to go for being too right wing.

The recent survey was so skewed towards a levy or getting more money out of people to survive it was laughable, a Labour backed survey. Plus the idea some should subsidise others on the fee.

The BBC as good as people say its content is, and as a non-political or agenda free trusted source of news can go subscription instead and thrive due to how it meets those aims.

But isn’t the point that in reality most people in this country don't define or divide themselves along clear left/ right lines? And they don’t want their news to, either.

Most people in this country don’t read either the Guardian or the Telegraph. Most people in the country get their news from the BBC, and overwhelmingly trust it above most other sources: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/bbc-under-scrutiny-heres-what-research-tells-about-its-role-uk

The left wing call everything too right wing
the right wing call everything too woke

BBC seems to sit roughly in the middle and I’d believe it over random internet hero’s revealing the truth to me

I used to trust the BBC completely and would defend them when people complained about the TV licence etc, until they reported on the news that the ‘milk’ produced by fetishistic men taking a cocktail of lactation inducing drugs was just as nourishing as mother’s milk. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, on The News, stated as fact.They have since had to apologise and say that it’s not true, but that was the end for me. I will never trust them again as they are obviously a completely captured organisation.

Less than I used to - they have baises in what and how they cover stories.

The counter to that is trying to take news from a variety of sources - some of the foreign digital channels are much more informative on world events than any UK based ones.

There are even apps that try and look at news biases - Ground News, AllSides, and the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart.

I think it’s ok. Most people are now used to seeing only what the social media algorithm sends them. This is defined by what you normally interact with so I can see why people on the left think it’s right wing and people on the right think it’s left wing.

It’s a big organisation and you’re going to get some journalists more biased than others.

I think it’s got a bit more sensationalist over the years to compete with other news outlets. I’m not sure what else they could do though.
I don’t believe there’s a specific agenda or they’re trying to push anything in particular. I suspect most of their editorial decisions are based on what gets them the most views without outright lying.

Probably similar to you. I used to trust it but recently I think they have lost their way and have made mistakes.
They’re still my go to for a quick look at the headlines and live coverage of events but I read other sources too.
I still think the BBC is important but they need a major shakeup, and I’m not sure if they can continue as they are with the license fee.
They have lost the public’s trust I think (mostly their own fault).