Cal Thomas: The biased broadcasting corporation
In a recent email exchange from London, two friends discussed the fallout from a significant editing scandal that resulted in the resignation of two high-ranking officials at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The controversy erupted after it was revealed that the BBC had spliced together segments of a speech by former President Donald Trump delivered on January 6, 2021, creating the misleading impression that he was inciting violence against the Capitol. One correspondent noted that the first “B” in BBC could justifiably stand for “bias,” reminiscent of criticisms levied against CNN during the Clinton administration. The other emailer dismissed the edits as a mere “mistake,” but the consensus among critics is that the manipulation was deliberate and indicative of a broader agenda to shape public perception of Trump negatively. This incident draws parallels to previous instances of media bias, such as the editing of a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting a consistent pattern of liberal bias in major media outlets.
The BBC, once a trusted source of information during World War II, has seen its credibility wane in recent years. A survey conducted by David Pickering revealed that trust in the BBC is significantly influenced by political affiliation, with stark differences in perceptions between left-leaning and right-leaning individuals. This editing incident is not an isolated case; previous internal studies have highlighted perceived biases in the BBC’s reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and climate change. Furthermore, a Wall Street Journal editorial pointed out the establishment of an LGBTQ desk at the BBC, which aims to ensure favorable coverage of transgender issues while allegedly suppressing stories that deviate from the organization’s liberal stance.
Compounding these issues is the BBC’s funding model, which requires viewers to pay an annual TV license fee—approximately £174.50 for a color license—regardless of their actual television usage. This compulsory fee has faced criticism, especially as many viewers feel burdened by both the financial obligation and the presence of commercials that often outshine the programming itself. Despite efforts by conservative members of Parliament to abolish the license fee, these initiatives have largely stalled, reflecting a reluctance among politicians to relinquish a steady source of revenue. The now-resigned director general of the BBC, Tim Davie, stated, “This narrative will not just be given by our enemies. It’s our narrative. We own things,” encapsulating a troubling mindset prevalent in media organizations that prioritize their narratives over impartial reporting. The call for reform is clear: unless the BBC embraces a more balanced approach by diversifying its hiring practices to include conservative viewpoints, its credibility is likely to remain in jeopardy.
Two friends email from London about the
editing scandal
that led to the resignation of two top officials from the British Broadcasting Corporation. The resignations followed exposure of the splicing together of two parts of a speech by President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.The edits made it look and sound like the president was urging his followers to violently attack the Capitol.
One emailer said the first “B” in BBC should stand for bias. That reminded me of what some conservatives called CNN during the Clinton administration (the Clinton News Network), because of their perceived bias.
The second writer said the edit was only a “mistake.” It wasn’t a mistake. It was deliberate and it was made with the intention of having viewers accept their desired negative opinion of Trump. In another country and in another era, this would be called propaganda. If this sounds like the editing of the CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris to make her sound articulate, it should. Both flowed from the same liberal worldview.
Kudos to the
London Daily Telegraph
for practicing real journalism and exposing the edit of the Trump speech.
During World War II the BBC was a trusted source of information. It sent coded information to the French resistance and took other actions in support of the war effort. This was accurately depicted in the film “The Longest Day.” In recent years, the BBC has seen its level of trust decline.
A survey conducted by David Pickering of
The Conversation
, a news organization that calls itself “dedicated to facts and evidence,” noted that “Trust in the BBC is heavily conditioned by political identity.” The survey of 11,170 people in the UK “showed striking differences between how people with left-wing and right-wing party affiliations felt about the broadcaster.”
The editing incident isn’t the first time the credibility of the BBC has been called into question. Several internal studies have found the organization to have reported unfairly on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The studies changed nothing as the pro-Palestinian bias has continued. It is the same when it comes to their reporting on “climate change.”
A
Wall Street Journal
editorial notes the BBC has had an LGBTQ desk within its London headquarters to make sure stories were favorable about transgender issues. Stories that did not reflect the BBC’s “liberal orthodoxy” were suppressed, notes the Journal.
On top of this, streamers and owners of television sets are required to pay an annual
TV license fee
of £174.50 (about $230) per year for a color license and £58.50 ($77) for a black-and-white license, a compulsory payment used primarily to fund the BBC’s television, radio and online services.
Does anyone still own a black-and-white TV? And on top of this, viewers must watch endless commercials, some of which are more entertaining and creative than the programs.
Efforts by some conservative members of Parliament to eliminate the TV license fee have failed. As in America, politicians are reluctant to give up money.
Tim Davie
, the now-resigned director general of the BBC said in a statement: “This narrative will not just be given by our enemies. It’s our narrative. We own things.”
Right there you have the reason so much of the media in the UK and the U.S. are held in low regard. They think they “own things,” instead of exercising a responsibility to serve the people fairly and accurately. As with other exposures of bias, I suspect little will change within the BBC unless it follows the example of the new president of
CBS News
and begins hiring reporters with a conservative worldview who will presumably report conservative ideas fairly and accurately.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at
tcaeditors@tribpub.com
. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
