BBC Bias - Collecting Examples here

[Wanderabout]

The lack of representation of the impact on women's rights on Newsnight last night while the clear problems were dismissed was ridiculous.

This thread is collecting examples of BBC failing to provide balance in representing women's concerns.

Here's one BBC response to my complaint over the Pride/Get the L out article:

**Thanks for contacting us regarding the following BBC News article:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-44769118

We’ve reviewed the article and note that it’s the behaviour during the protest by the group Get The L Out, at Pride in London, that’s described as “anti-Trans”. This is in the context of noting that the organisers of Brighton Pride have said that behaviour such as that seen by the group at Pride in London wouldn’t be tolerated at their event in Brighton.

The article also notes Get The L Out saying their protest in London was "on behalf of all the lesbians intimidated, threatened and silenced by the GBT community."**

For context, I had complained about describing the Get the L out protestors as 'anti trans' rather than a group of females standing up for lesbian rights.

The way in which the producers of Woman's Hour have instructed participants and presenters to avoid any discussion of the elephant. Several times recently I have noticed that many topics discussed seem to be a little awkward ...I believe when actual women's issues are on the table. Despite many women wanting the elephant looked at as part of listeners week, this has been ignored.

I agree, there is definitely something going on with Woman's Hour. I'm curious to know what's happening there- something is.

I think it may be worth keep contacting them with items to discuss. I wonder what the team meetings are like.

Just run across this takedown by mrkhtake2 of a BBC News article on "I'm a 10 year old non-binary kid" via glinner on twitter :threadreaderapp.com/thread/1028589955621289984.html

Doesn't sound like any ten year old I've ever worked with

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1028589955621289984.html

Link fail, sorry.

Have you listened to the interview silent?

There's, also by coincidence the BBC CBBC 'I am Leo' (different child!) from 2014:

Have you listened to the interview silent?
Yes. It's very polished, there's a lot of confusion about toilets (if Leo is non-binary, why the desperate need to use the boys' toilets? Non-binary suggests third space), and zero mention of consideration for when this child hits puberty. It is not uncommon for Y5-6 girls to be starting their periods. No mention of counselling, just "school has to do this". I'd need to know a lot more about where this child has picked up all the vocabulary from. It's presented as relentlessly positive and entirely in the moment.

I do think it's unbalanced reporting, particularly given that video too. Where are the "children breaking stereotypes" pieces? Or is the BBC finding that Billy Elliot and Bend It Like Beckham just don't generate enough clicks these days?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-45097050

May be extreme prudish language but chests do not need support.

Yes. It's very polished

I thought the same, its all said which such absolutism.
Leo's mums= 'Leo is definitely not a girl'

Also about the toilets Leo comments on being asked so is she neither? 'I am both (boy and girl). I should be able to use the boys loos. I really want to. Its more right, also that's there where the conversation is'

Interesting that Mum describes Leo as 'Trans plus' and her reasons why the school should allow Leo to use the boys' toilets are very questionable. Using Leo's logic, should Leo have access to both toilets, boys and girls?

I'd be very very surprised if a ten year old actually wrote that magazine story. Very odd indeed

I'd need to know a lot more about where this child has picked up all the vocabulary from.

Youtube would be a likely starting point.
The offer to direct Grandad to websites... Mermaids?

BBC3 Things Not To Say To A Non-Binary Person

Fox and Owl, 'This is what non-binary looks like'

R0wantrees agreed. I'd be very interested in the school's position and what work they've had to do. In one of my jobs (I have the annoying situation of having multiple part-time posts), I have responsibility for curating books for a primary school, and when one of those "brilliant women in history"-type books arrived with trans and non-binary entries, I took it to the pastoral lead to get her opinion. She very wisely said "why sow doubt at this age?", and I always stick with that. We have some amazing kids who are truly pushing boundaries with their talents in areas previously dominated by the opposite sex - why on earth should I stock a narrative that tells them their bodies are fundamentally wrong, not that society can change?

We have some amazing kids who are truly pushing boundaries with their talents in areas previously dominated by the opposite sex - why on earth should I stock a narrative that tells them their bodies are fundamentally wrong, not that society can change?

Exactly.

Its also really odd that the catalyst is described as being drama (with boy roles and girl roles- h/t Theresa May!) as there is such a long and rich history of challenging and playing with norms etc.

BBC 'How many transgender inmates are there?'
By Reality Check team

'critiques' Fairplay for Women's study of transgender prisoners.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42221629

Issues with the BBC article discussed:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3334473-BBC-reality-check-on-trans-prisoners

Fgs we must complain and when we get fobbed off we must escalate. This is shocking bias.

Woman's Hour R4 discusses adult bullying with expert from 'Ditch the Label'

cf Liam Hackett (CEO)
targetting of Prfessor Kathleen Stocks:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3299191-A-new-member-of-the-Leftie-Misogynists-club

Liam Hackett's targetting of a breast screening clinic which had a single sex waiting area:
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/men-ban-breast-screening-clinic-waiting-area-hospital-brighton-anger-a8243666.html

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3334491-Womans-Hour-discusses-adult-bullying-with-representative-from-Ditch-The-Label-providing-expert-advice

Some focus should also be given to interviews with Bejamin Cohen from PinkNews. He has made numerous assertions which have been largely unchallenged on a number of BBC programs (both TV and radio)

Collection of examples here by AlfredBelpaire Twitter

"Thread on how the BBC has played a crucial role in pushing transgenderism in the past five years, especially on children.
All About Trans founded 2012, initially funded by BBC & Channel 4.
Transactivists 'educated' BBC Comedy, Drama and Talent, BBC Radio BBC Commissioning, BBC Editorial Policy, BBC Complaints, BBC News Online, BBC Cambridgeshire, ... (continues)"

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1028807563880656896.html

This is an old piece that I found while looking for a piece on prisons.

Don't even get me started on this piece. However, what struck me was the links in the story to transgender prisoner stories.

In true BBC style it links to the tales painting a very one sided story of trans prisoners. Here's the main story btw but scroll down for the links to the prison stories.

Gender identity: What do legal changes have to do with women's rights? - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40713645

Now, while some of the stories regarding preadatory violent TW prisoners have featured lately, when the BBc ran this story - with links to vulnerable TW in prison - there were plenty of examples of the other side, the violent and sexually charged side, the Ian Huntley links, that they conveniently left out.

Try it. I bet any story relating to trans - including the ones that claim they are about women's rights (yet feature a main pic of TW and opening paragraphs focusing on TW's 'plight') only feature other links to sympathetic tales.

Once you see it at the BBC you can't unsee it.

So glad James Kirkup sees what we see.

James Kirkup Spectator article, 'Is the BBC scared of the transgender debate?' focuses on two articles discussed on this thread The Reality Check article about statistics of trans women and the prison female estate and BBC coverage of Cllr Gregor Murray's resignation:

James Kirkup concludes:
"Since I started writing about this issue here, I’ve spoken to several BBC journalists who say that the Corporation’s output in some cases fails to apply proper journalistic scrutiny to the issue, or to air a full range of opinions. (I should also say that I’ve appeared on BBC outlets a couple of times talking about this; sometimes it seems easier for a man to get on air talking about the silencing of women than for actual women to do so…) Some of my friends at the BBC say the BBC is institutionally scared of criticism by vocal and eloquent trans-rights groups, and so there is a tendency to shy away from the potential disagreement and tension that commonly arises when journalists do their job and put pursuit of the truth above the comfort of their subjects. This isn’t always the case, of course, and some BBC output is first-rate here. It’s possibly invidious to single out individuals, but Nick Robinson has, for example, done some outstanding work on the transgender issue.

The examples of failure I’ve given here, by contrast, are all about timidity; instead of applying proper journalistic scrutiny and scepticism to the information at hand on sex offenders and Cllr Murray, the BBC treated the transgender issue more softly, more cautiously. That is no small matter, and its importance goes beyond the narrow issue of the BBC, in these cases, falling short in its journalism.

The transgender debate, as I’ve argued repeatedly here for several months, is a story of political failure, where people in positions of authority and power are failing to scrutinise fully matters of public importance, and where some people (mainly women) are not being allowed to speak freely about such matters. The BBC is not, of course, responsible for the conduct of political debate, but its coverage and approach of an issue such as this does contribute to the wider political climate. It can, and should, do better here.

Like so many others, the BBC should be braver in talking about transgender issues. The truth is nothing to be afraid of."

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/08/is-the-bbc-scared-of-the-transgender-debate/

Liverpool ReSisters newest blog post, The BBC and transgender children.

We should remember that the BBC has voices whispering in its ear (with access that feminists can only dream of) saying 'if the bigots are complaining, you're doing it right'. The more complaints from us there are, the better, we need to overwhelm those voices.

See also Victoria Derbyshire's more recent program, aired July 2nd 2018

There were many issues with this program, discussed in the thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3294478-Victoria-Derbyshire-show-today-transgender-children-buying-time-by-delaying-puberty