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.

Not as extreme as other examples, but minimising language on this report on GRA reform.

Emphasis mine:

The concern is that the greater ease with which gender could be legally changed would give a tiny minority with nefarious motives greater opportunity.

Many of those commenting on Mumsnet fear that simply by choosing to call themselves women, "predatory males" - a minority who may want to abuse the system - could get access to those places and put women at risk.

BBC Radio 5Live bias in this 'debate' quite extraordinary...

OED definition of debate:
"A formal discussion on a particular matter in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward "

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3374512-trans-debate-bbc-5live-post-9am-today-mon-24th-sept

this biased report on Helen webberley

I've been away for a couple of days but am awareof threads based on BBC radio and TV which suggest considerable bias.

I think this thread is a useful resource for collecting and collating examples.

It woud be good to keep it updated whist things are moving so fast.

I've complained to the BBC this morning about the item on 'Butterfly' on BBC Breakfast (just before the programme ended, c.9.05 onwards) - blatant bias towards the 'if your kid says he's a girl, he is and you must entirely go along with it' stance, including the ever-present Greene and support from Juno Dawson.

Not a mention of the 80% who later decide they're not trans.

Has anyone mentioned Thought for the Day on R4 yesterday? I didn't hear it but read about it on other threads. Would be good if someone who knows more can fill in some detail.

It would be good to link to any threads here as they come up.

Nicky Campbell retweeting what was effectively an ad for Dr Webberley’s dodgy drugs service.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45810709

On the subject of the new term 'womxn'. (I hate even have to type that).

Two people officially quoted - one who writes from a perspective of queer theory, the other is the chair of Trans Media Watch.

All other people reduced to 'twitter quotes'.

No one quoted who may have an opinion on why 'people of colour' were cited by Wellcome as an excluded group from the original definition of 'women', even though that was a large part of the ire and discussion on twitter today.

Just the trans perspective. Quelle surprise.

Thanks R0wan - link below to thread on Thought for the Day: discussing a female rabbi talking about her trans child and, if I've read correctly, saying people just needed to understand better (I haven't yet had a chance to listen again).

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3389092-r4-thought-for-the-day

I've skimmed the thread and didn't see this so:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5905129/BBC-chief-stunned-secret-staff-sex-survey-reveals-417-workers-transgender.html

Apologies for DM link, but Times behind a paywall.

Over 400 BBC employees identify as trans, about 2% of workforce. This is disproportionately high, and the BBC have "said has now launched a major reform to make the Corporation more 'trans-friendly' following the findings."

(They also said they "did not regard the BBC as diverse enough, claiming more lesbians were needed")

This may or may not be relevant to the thread...

On the Wellcome spelling woman by using "womxn", Newsnight invites on trans woman Sophie Cook, who discusses this with a male presenter. I will not lie, the conversation sounded like two males saying "calm down, dear."
Not feminists available then, BBC? You couldn't muster up one woman who was born biologically female to explain why womxn was elitist, erased women, and outrageous?
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3390975-Womxn-controversy-on-Newsnight

Are there any plans to send the contents of this thread to Ofcom in the form of a complaint?

You can only take a complaint to Ofcom about the BBC when all official bbc channels are exhausted, apparently. So someone would need to collate all the examples (so, so many) send them to Complaints, escalate when fobbed off, escalate to Executive level when fobbed off again and go through the entire complaints process before progressing to Ofcom. The BBC would delay responses endlessly to try to put you off.

Newsnight interview with Sophie Cook (male) about Wellcome's use and then retraction of the word 'womxn' .
Male interviewer also so no females commenting or part of the discussion:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3390975-Womxn-controversy-on-Newsnight

Repeatedly referring to Karen White as "she/her'

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-leeds-45825838

BBC response to complaint:

We note your views on the use of ‘she’ to refer to Karen White.

As you can see from the following paragraphs from the article, the language used in the report is consistent with the terminology heard in court and reflective of what was said during proceedings; for example:

“Prosecutor Christopher Dunn told the court: "She [White] is allegedly a transgender female.

"The prosecution say allegedly because there's smatterings of evidence in this case that the defendant's approach to transitioning has been less than committed.

"The prosecution suggest the reason for the lack of commitment towards transitioning is so the defendant can use a transgender persona to put herself in contact with vulnerable persons she can then abuse."”

The context and detail of the crimes, the court’s proceedings and findings, and Karen White’s history are clearly set out in the article. And it is a standard of our journalism to refer to a subject by their preferred pronoun.

Bbc head of engineering Sam Hill involved in this
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3392364-Caroline-Farrow-s-Stalker-nightmare

Looking at this:
www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/external-relationships/partc

Is the BBC and it's relationship with Mermaids a breach of clauses 16.4.57 and 16.4.58? They certainly give the impression they are endorsing Mermaids and I've never seen anything remotely like balance.

Well there are bbc peeps on twitter who blatantly disregard the social media policy (can't link rn soz but IT'S googleable)

In promoting mermaids, self ID, gendered intell etc I mean

Arch Remoamer @atatimelikethis
I've just seen brand tracker data on the BBC, longitudinal study on Media brands.

BBC is suffering a decline in trust, impartiality and bias metrics. The attributed cause is Brexit coverage biased towards Leave.

I can't imagine refusing to cover the latest Met scandal helps.

Unfortunately I can't provide the data without identifying my source, which would compromise the person who works for the Media organisation but followers will know I normally cite sources so hopefully I get a pass. Maybe someone else can append data in the public domain.

Paul Sylva @paulsylva
Is the decline significant?

Arch Remoamer #FBPE #brexit thoughts @atatimelikethis
Yup. The BBC has been notable for its ability to buck the bias trend. At least in this study. That trend is now breaking.

Woman's Hour opening segment on the GRA (a few days before the consultation closes) includes a heavily biased panel of TRAs, males, Stonewall etc who all prioritise rights of 'gender identity'
Legal expert has links with Stonewall.
Only one woman Dr Nic Williams present speaking for the sex-based rights of women and girls, often interupted.
Jane Garvey reads out tweet describing women who are questioning trans-ideology as 'bigots'.

Interesting to see how the week's discussion progresses:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3395180-Please-email-Womans-Hour-today

thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3396993-Unbelievable-bias-on-BBC-news-website

BBC response to complaint about Sophie Cook Newsnight.

**We realise you felt it was not appropriate to have Sophie Cook as the sole guest in the section on the Wellcome Collection’s recent treatment of inclusive language.

Sophie Cook was invited to speak as a writer and broadcaster, with experience on the topic of inclusive language. Newsnight welcomes a variety of views and representatives over time. While some may not like what they hear or who offers the opinion, it’s important to consider all perspectives in due time. A broad range of contributors are regularly involved in our items on gender and inclusivity.

Some viewers have expressed concern over her comments on including women of colour, however at this point Sophie was referring to another alternative spelling - ‘womyn’ – and how this was seen by some females to be elitist and exclusive, not ‘women’.**