Cal Thomas: The biased broadcasting corporation
In a recent email exchange between two friends in London, a significant controversy regarding the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has come to light, centering on an editing scandal that resulted in the resignation of two high-ranking officials. The issue arose from a manipulated video that spliced together segments of a speech by former President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, creating the misleading impression that he was inciting violence against the Capitol. This incident has reignited discussions about the BBC’s credibility and perceived bias, particularly among conservative audiences. One emailer provocatively suggested that the first “B” in BBC should stand for “bias,” echoing sentiments from the past when CNN was derisively dubbed the “Clinton News Network” for its alleged partiality during the Clinton administration.
Critics argue that the editing was not merely an innocent mistake but a deliberate act intended to shape public perception of Trump negatively, likening it to propaganda. This incident is not isolated; it reflects a broader trend in the BBC’s reporting, which has faced scrutiny for its coverage of contentious issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and climate change. A survey conducted by David Pickering revealed that trust in the BBC varies significantly based on political affiliation, with stark contrasts between left-wing and right-wing viewers. The BBC’s credibility has further been questioned due to its establishment of an LGBTQ desk aimed at ensuring favorable coverage of transgender issues, leading some to claim that dissenting views are systematically suppressed.
The BBC’s funding model, which requires viewers to pay an annual TV license fee—currently £174.50 for color and £58.50 for black-and-white licenses—adds another layer of complexity to the debate. Critics argue that this compulsory fee, alongside the presence of commercials, raises questions about the organization’s accountability to the public. Tim Davie, the recently resigned director general, stated that the BBC “owns” its narrative, which highlights a troubling mindset among media organizations that prioritize their own perspectives over impartial reporting. To regain public trust, some suggest that the BBC should diversify its hiring practices to include journalists with conservative viewpoints, thereby fostering a more balanced representation of ideas. As the media landscape continues to evolve, the BBC’s ability to address these criticisms will be crucial in restoring its reputation as a reliable source of information.
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).
