Outcry over Newsnight Welsh language debate
FLAGSHIP BBC current affairs programme Newsnight has been criticised for its treatment of a debate on the Welsh language on Wednesday night.
A Welsh Government minister called on Newsnight to apologise, and accused it of displaying poor judgement and a lack of knowledge of the language.
Among the things singled out by critics were “a lack of research, lack of suitable guests and incorrect framing”.
The debate took place after the Welsh Government announced plans to change the way it promotes the Welsh language. The plans involve scrapping the post of Welsh Language Commissioner and replacing it with a new Welsh Language Commission, with the aim of reducing bureaucracy and improving its promotion of Welsh and regulation of Welsh-language services.
But Newsnight’s treatment of the subject has not gone down well. Even before it aired, its Twitter account raised questions by plugging what it described as “the Welsh language system”.
The tone of the debate caused further dismay. And questions were asked about the guests chosen to discuss the subject. One guest, Julian Ruck, has previously shown his disdain in newspaper columns for public funds being spent on promoting Welsh, which he has called “tedious”. On the other side of the debate was Ruth Dawson, Wales editor for The Conversation website and a non-Welsh-speaker.
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid Cymru AM for Anglesey, said programmemakers had “just made journalistic fools of yourselves” by choosing Mr Ruck as a guest, given his views.
Plaid Cymru later hit out further, saying Welsh people should not need to justify the language.
The party’s spokesman for culture and heritage, Sian Gwenllian AM, said: “The BBC Newsnight coverage marks a new low for that organisation’s treatment of Welsh. A lack of research, lack of suitable guests and incorrect framing enabled Welsh to be genuinely debated as being a hindrance to the nation. People who speak Welsh should not have to justify their language in any situation.
“This is not the first time such mistakes have been made by the BBC. It is one of the reasons why Plaid Cymru has this week called for the devolution of broadcasting policy to Wales.”
Host Evan Davis raised the question about whether the language was damaging to Wales’ economic development, questioning whether companies outside Wales might view the language as a “deterrent”, suggesting they would view “all these Welsh-language issues” to deal with. He added: “The classic liberal position here says no-one should be discouraged, everyone should be allowed to speak Welsh and we see how many choose to speak it.”
The Welsh Government’s Minister for Life Long Learning and Welsh Language, Alun Davies, also criticised Newsnight. He said: “Can you imagine the programme asking if the first language of any other group or nation was a hindrance? The tone was as if the Welsh language had to justify its own existence. Newsnight seemed to have no knowledge of the fact that Welsh is the first language of many people in Wales, and all those who do speak Welsh also speak English. Surely a programme such as Newsnight could have at least found a Welsh-speaker to talk about the language.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Whilst different perspectives were included in this item on the Welsh language, the discussion of such an important subject would have benefited from more thorough analysis and debate. We regret that, but believe it was important to look at this topic and we will do so again in the future.”