BBC ‘let actress mislead viewers over climate change’

THE BBC must not let on-air guests bamboozle viewers with inaccurate statistics, the BBC Trust has warned, as it said Emma Thompson was allowed to deliver climate change inaccuracies without challenge.

The Trust, which monitors the BBC, found the Oscar-winning actress was permitted to make “inaccurate statements” about temperature rises during a Newsnight appearance, without being properly interrogated.

A report into the BBC’s impartiality found that presenters and journalists should do more to challenge statistics and statements by celebrities, politicians and spokesmen on its shows.

The paper, which examined how the BBC uses statistics, said it found “many examples where statistics were used erroneously or in misleading ways by guests on programmes and were not challenged by presenters”.

Audiences, it said, endured “considerable frustration” when statistical claims are pitched against one another in a “he said, she said” format without “any kind of ‘refereeing’ voice”.

Noting that nearly three-quarters of statistics from political figures come from the Government, it added: “It does make it vital that those statements are challenged where necessary, so that the impartiality of the BBC’s coverage of political affairs is not affected.”

The report, led by statistician Dame Jil Matheson, said: “More should be done to ensure that all BBC presenters are able to confidently challenge misleading, inaccurate statistical claims made by interviewees.” Among the examples listed was an episode of Newsnight last September, in which Thompson was invited to speak about her climate change campaigning.

In an interview with Emily Maitlis, she said: “If they [oil companies] take out of the earth all the oil they want to, you look at the science. Our temperature will rise 4C [7.2F] by 2030, and that’s not sustainable.” The Trust noted research had showed that the rise was more likely to occur over a longer period – “by the end of the century”, according to the World Bank – but was “not challenged in any way”.

Dame Jil said: “The public trusts the BBC to [present statistics] well, and we found that they often do a very good job – but it is frustrating that they don’t do this consistently.””

Responding to the report, BBC News confirmed it would bring in new guidance on statistics and review progress every six months.