BBC complaints: Resources

[yetanotherusernameAgain]

Following on from the thread about the BBC upholding the complaint about Justin Webb on the Today Programme, I've found another online rabbit hole to explore: BBC complaints!

BBC Fortnightly complaints reports:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaint-service-reports

BBC Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) findings (for complaints that have escalated for review):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/recent-ecu

The ECU's outcome of the Justin Webb comment in relation to the Chess Federation Guidelines and saying that trans women are males:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/ecu/today-radio-4-22-august-2023

(and the section of the Chess handbook that sparked the discussion:
https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/TransgenderRegulations )

ECU outcome of a complaint about an article headline "We’re being pressured into sex by some trans women" in May 2022:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/ecu/newsonlineoctober2021

Response to complaints about the BBC referring to Scarlet Blake as a woman:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaint/scarletblake-0

which quotes guidance from the BBC News style guide about the use of pronouns for transgender people (very long document and I had to do a search to find the relevant section - it's under G for 'gender/sex'):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsstyleguide/all

Missed one:

Another complaint about Justin Webb, for referring to Kathleen Stock as being "falsely" accused of transphobia and people "abusing her":

https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/ecu/today-radio-4-13-october-2021

Thank you, saving for future reading!

My personal approach to a BBC complaint, not for everyone I know, is to tick the 'no email correspondence' box. That way I have registered my view, but it doesn't haunt me and rile me up for days afterwards.

just received their response to my complaint:

'Thank you for writing in - we note your concerns about our reporting of Scarlet Blake’s conviction.

Scarlet Blake was tried as a woman and the pronoun ‘she’ was used throughout.

BBC reporting in this area follows the publicly available BBC News style guide. It says: “We generally use the term and pronoun preferred by the person in question, unless there are editorial reasons not to do so.” In this case, we considered it editorially appropriate to include the fact that Blake is a transgender woman and did so across our output. We accept that should have been included in the report on the News at One on 26 February.

We greatly value audience feedback - complaints are added to our overnight reports and widely circulated. This issue has also been raised directly with senior editors in News.

This is our response at Stage 1a of the BBC’s complaints process. If you’re dissatisfied with this reply, a follow-up complaint may be considered at Stage 1b. You must submit a follow-up within 20 working days through the BBC Complaints webform. If you do decide to contact us again, please include your case number, and explain why you feel your complaint has not been addressed. We will then review your complaint.

Thank you again for getting in touch.'

well, I didn't hear them use the term 'transwoman' - maybe they did later, but not on the lunchtime news. Sleekit bastirts!

earlier today a newspaper said that only 25 complaints over the last FIVE years re BBC bias have been upheld. 🤷🏼‍♀️ what's the point?
I wonder how many complaints they have received - they don't give the number.

DH's letter to the BBC today:

Dear BBC. It is mandated that we pay our TV license fees so as to enable your service to run. I absolutely adore many of your drama productions, ie Happy Valley, Strike. But you are far more expensive than NetFlix.
So, in recompense for that, it’s fair that the news you impart is not just impartial, but truthful.
If you were to say that the earth is flat, or that climate chaos is a fiction, you’d find that we as unwilling consumers of your service would rebel.

Justin Webb spoke a truth, that transwomen are biological males. Of course they are. How on earth could they be not, otherwise they wouldn’t be trans.
In upholding the complaint against him you are repeating the same mistakes you made with the northern grooming gangs, pathetically cowering to a dangerous highly vocal minority which meant that for far too long children were raped.

After this, 1000s of us will refuse to pay a tv licence for what is now a failed media outlet, worse than the worst of tabloids. And yes, you’ll come for us that won’t or can’t pay, but you can’t jail us all, because as you once factually reported, there’s no room left in prisons.

Women say #nothankyou and #transwomenareconmen

And, BBC, we will never forget Jimmy Saville.

@yetanotherusernameAgain the rabbit holes you've uncovered seem more frightening than Birmingham New St Station's!