BBC bias, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Although you may wish to substitute ‘eye’ for ‘shouting mouth and sweaty face’.
Tory MP Theresa Villiers was poking the BBC yesterday while appearing on the BBC (how kind of them). On Radio 4’s Broadcasting House, my favourite listen of the week, she said we needed a wider spread of opinions on the left-wing BBC, or some such flapdoodle. Thus undermining her own argument by freely expressing right-wing opinions on the BBC.
Accusations of BBC bias come from both ends of the muddy field. Plenty of Jeremy Corbyn supporters still blame the BBC for their hero’s demise. This is a dead argument and one not worth pursuing, except to point out that Corbyn surely shares some of the blame for two election defeats.
Mostly, the anti-BBC voices are now from the right. This vendetta, never dormant for long, was revived with the arrival of Boris Johnson and his basement demon, Dominic Cummings, who have long had the BBC in their sights.
The corporation had a ‘good’ pandemic early on, providing the quality journalism needed at a time of crisis. Unless you persist in believing Covid-19 is a put-up job and a conspiracy, in which case you may blame BBC news for reporting deep-state propaganda, or something equally potty.
At a time of crisis, the BBC is still seen as the national broadcaster, so Johnson and Cummings stepped away from the fight. Rumours that two former right-wing editors may be appointed to prominent broadcasting roles suggest they are back on the attack.
Charles Moore, former editor of the Daily Telegraph, is being touted as a possible BBC chairman – a worrying choice as reportedly he doesn’t watch television and won’t pay his TV licence fee.
Paul Dacre, former editor of the Daily Mail, made that newspaper especially right-wing, and served up endless hostility about immigration, while forever bashing the BBC. His reward is to be touted as head of Ofcom, the media regulator. If so, a flagrantly biased man would be in charge of determining bias in others.
Culture wars secretary Oliver Dowden said in media appearances yesterday: “I think everybody is getting a bit ahead of themselves with this.”
Dowden is right in that applications for both jobs aren’t open yet. But his accompanying remarks about “genuine impartiality” and his insistence that the BBC should represent all parts of the nation, “not just narrow, metropolitan areas – London, Bristol, Birmingham and so on”, suggest such appointments may well be made.
Representing the nation is a no-win game for the BBC as every time it reaches out to the regions, somewhere else pops up on the map to moan that it is being neglected (What about Little Piddle On the Wold?).
Have I Got News For You, the BBC panel show that is attacked for being anti-Tory (despite helping to promote Boris Johnson early on), fears it could be a victim if Moore were appointed, tweeting that today is the anniversary of its first show.
“So that’s 30 years then, but if Paul Dacre and Charles Moore take those jobs we’re unlikely to see another five, and nor is the BBC.”
Thirty years is a long run and that show is tatty on the edges now, but I still watch, through habitual fondness.
Also on Twitter, the writer and director Armando Iannucci tweeted: “The BBC isn’t perfect but it’s one of the most successful British inventions ever, enhancing our profile round the world and bringing quality drama, comedy, knowledge, analysis and comfort to millions at home. Seeking to destroy it is political self-harm.”
Sounds on the money to me, but Iannucci was pebble-dashed with abuse from the usual right-wing suspects.
BBC News will always face accusations of bias, sometimes fairly, sometimes not. Mostly, for all its occasional faults, it sticks to the middle of the road, with a tendency to tip to the right/establishment view.
At least, that how this beholder’s eye sees it.