NationStates Jolt Archive

Considering the nature of the BBC as a public-funded corporation would it be right to assume that the people who work for the BBC are generally left-leaning? I mean, when it comes to news reporting the corporation generally suceeds in it's mandate to be balanced, I think, but what about it's editorial content. Shows like The Late Edition which is a bit like The Daily Show with crap sketches is quite left-wing. I think the latest episode is still on the BBC iPlayer (pure awesomness with a stupid name).

Obviously any left-wing bias is cancelled out by Jeremy Clarkson but has anybody noticed any editorial bias? Does anybody think the BBC manages to remain completely impartial?

Oh, and before anybody offer any documentaries on global climate change as evidence of left-wing bias just shut up.. seriously.. just don't..

No idea, but I hate the way in which people accuse Auntie of being biased.
Particularly on climate change. If I had a penny for every time a sceptic has tried to tell me the Beeb is biased on the issue...

No idea, but I hate the way in which people accuse Auntie of being biased.
Particularly on climate change. If I had a penny for every time a sceptic has tried to tell me the Beeb is biased on the issue...

Surely, t's biased to acknowledge reality?

Considering how Sky is going these days, I wouldn't mind the BBC if it were left wing.:p

Considering how Sky is going these days, I wouldn't mind the BBC if it were left wing.:p

I read an interview recently wth that Murdoch fella where he did say he wanted Sky News to be more like Fox..

I'm torn.. Being slightly left-wing myself I'm not sure whether I'd approve of an obvioulsy left-wing BBC or a BBC that tries to be balanced. I think I'd prefer it to be balanced since I like to make up my own mind but considering how many people don't bother with that and get most of their opinions from The Sun I'm not so sure..

Satire shows are generally a bad place to consider a left or right leaning bias, since they seem to be, above all, anti-establishment/anti-authority, but the very nature of satire.

In all honesty, I don't know. I'd guess the reporting staff is somewhat left-leaning, because a lot of reporters are (which is not to say there's necessarily a left-wing bias in the media), but once you get higher up, probably not so much as the BBC is also part of the 'establishment' in a way.

Yeah.. To be fair, I was struggling to find intances of bias.. Perhaps it was just Markus Brigstoke.. He's quite an angry leftie..

Considering the nature of the BBC as a public-funded corporation would it be right to assume that the people who work for the BBC are generally left-leaning? I mean, when it comes to news reporting the corporation generally suceeds in it's mandate to be balanced, I think, but what about it's editorial content. Shows like The Late Edition which is a bit like The Daily Show with crap sketches is quite left-wing. I think the latest episode is still on the BBC iPlayer (pure awesomness with a stupid name).

Obviously any left-wing bias is cancelled out by Jeremy Clarkson but has anybody noticed any editorial bias? Does anybody think the BBC manages to remain completely impartial?


Satire shows are generally a bad place to consider a left or right leaning bias, since they seem to be, above all, anti-establishment/anti-authority, but the very nature of satire.

In all honesty, I don't know. I'd guess the reporting staff is somewhat left-leaning, because a lot of reporters are (which is not to say there's necessarily a left-wing bias in the media), but once you get higher up, probably not so much as the BBC is also part of the 'establishment' in a way.

I find that the BBC is usually accused of bias from both the right and the left, suggesting it is getting its balance about right.
There are possibly shows with a 'leftist' bias, and shows with a 'rightist' bias - but on the whole the BBC provides balanced, reliable coverage.

Considering how Sky is going these days, I wouldn't mind the BBC if it were left wing.:p

Ah Sky... does anyone actually consider them as a serious factual news source?

Of course could be worse:
In other evidence, Mr Murdoch said Sky News could become "a proper alternative to the BBC" if it acted more like his US Fox News station.

"He stated that the only reason that Sky News was not more like Fox News was that 'nobody at Sky listens to me'," the minutes read. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7110532.stm

I'm torn.. Being slightly left-wing myself I'm not sure whether I'd approve of an obvioulsy left-wing BBC or a BBC that tries to be balanced. I think I'd prefer it to be balanced since I like to make up my own mind but considering how many people don't bother with that and get most of their opinions from The Sun I'm not so sure..

A balanced BBC definitely, after all if we want our left-wing opinions, we have The Guardian :D

Actually the BBC's reputation as being as balanced and fair as possible is pure gold. It's a very well-respected news source around the world (although I believe Fox likes to paint it as unamerican and liberally biased, but that's Fox). If it is seen as 'left-wing biased' then it's easy to dismiss it. If it's perceived as more fair and balanced, it's less easy to reject the evidence it provides.

A lot of left-wingers accuse the BBC of having a right-wing bias, while a lot of right-wingers accuse the BBC of having a left-wing bias. I think it's pretty objective myself.

I don't know of any more objective English language news source on the planet, but maybe that's because I haven't looked. And since it's British journalism, it's always hilariously obvious when there is editorial bias.

A few months ago the BBC itself actually admitted that there was a strong tendency towards left-wing bias amongst its staff, in an internal report that got out, although they held that this tendency was based a lot more on on subconscious assumptions than on deliberate policy.
Sorry, I don't have a link handy, but it was reported in more than one British newspaper at the time.

Yeah.. To be fair, I was struggling to find intances of bias.. Perhaps it was just Markus Brigstoke.. He's quite an angry leftie..
Can't forget Jeremy Hardy. You want angry leftie; try listening to "Speaks to the Nation".

Epic.

One does tend to note that the BBC is accused of bias from those who find a story disagreeable, either from left or right. Equally, given that it is nominally a "public" entity, and therefore to my understanding rather more pure, and less commercialised, than other broadcasters, it seems only reasonable that it would be left leaning to a degree.

However, I have rarely found the BBC to be particularly biased. Admittedly, given that I read either the Telegraph ir Guardian, anything seems objective, however, the BBC online strikes me as being centrist rather than left or right leaning. The broadcasts can, however, strike one as being anti-government for the sake of it, but since I am as well, this doesn't really concern me at present.:D