BBC boss rejects election bias accusations
Lord Hall claims attacks from all sides showed reporting ‘without fear or favour’
THE BBC’S director-general has rejected all claims of bias in its election coverage, insisting that the corporation has the public’s trust.
In his first public riposte to accusations of political bias, Lord Hall of Birkenhead said that provoking the ire of both the Conservative and Labour parties proved that the BBC is impartial.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Lord Hall said the BBC would improve if there was a need to do so, but he stands fully behind the corporation’s journalism. He said: “Around 27 million people in the UK came to the BBC website to find out about the election results. It was a reminder of the trust people place in the BBC.
“Yes, of course we faced some criticism. That is to be expected as the national broadcaster. Where we can and need to improve we will. But the fact criticism came from all sides of the political divide shows to me that we were doing our job without fear or favour.”
That assessment does not chime with comments made by Fran Unsworth, the BBC’S head of news and current affairs, who said earlier this month: “I don’t necessarily subscribe to the view that if we get complaints from both sides, we are doing something right.”
Downing Street was so concerned by the BBC’S coverage during the election campaign that Tory sources said they would boycott Radio 4’s flagship Today programme, and called for an internal review into impartiality. The corporation broadcast a monologue by Andrew Neil in which he savaged Boris Johnson’s refusal to give him an interview. The attack was criticised by Lord Grade, the former BBC chairman, who said it was wrong to use “humiliation tactics” in a bid to force the Prime Minister to take questions. In a two-week period during the election campaign, the BBC received a record 24,435 complaints.
At the same time, the Labour Party claimed that the BBC was biased against Jeremy Corbyn. They cited a clip of Alex Forsyth, a political reporter, talking about Mr Johnson winning the majority “he so deserves”. BBC sources said the remark was a slip of the tongue.
Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’S political editor, was accused of spreading fake news when she tweeted that a Labour activist had punched a Tory adviser outside a hospital. Video footage later that day proved the claim to be incorrect.
It was reported yesterday that the BBC is considering restricting journalists’ use of Twitter, asking them not to tweet breaking political news unless they are sure of the facts.
Lord Hall’s bullish defence of the corporation comes days after Mr Johnson suggested that the licence fee could be scrapped. The Prime Minister said he was “certainly looking at it”.
Improvements to political coverage are expected to focus on spending more time outside London and producing news content that will chime with younger viewers. The corporation’s priority for 2020 is to find ways to attract and hold on to a young audience that is turning its back on linear viewing in favour of Netflix and other ondemand services.
The secret to a great Christmas is simple: bring people together, and make sure there’s something for everyone. That’s always been the goal of Christmas on the BBC. And when it comes to TV, I believe we still set the gold standard.
This year, we’ve got a stellar line-up of British talent and creativity. Brand new drama like A Christmas
Carol and Dracula, alongside big favourites like Call the Midwife and
Doctor Who. TV to bring the whole family together like Worzel Gummidge, The Snail and the Whale, The Goes Wrong Show and our Strictly special. Comedy from Miranda and Michael Mcintyre, Mrs Brown’s Boys and brand new Gavin and Stacey. That’s all before you even get to the stack of box sets that we’ve loaded onto iplayer.
And if you prefer something to listen to instead, there is a whole host of content on BBC Sounds too.
It caps a year that has demonstrated once again the world-class creative firepower of the BBC.
For all the debate over how people are now watching and listening in different ways, we are showing that we are every bit as relevant to today’s audiences, and can offer even more value for money.
The iplayer is a great example. We’ve been working hard over the past year to transform it from a catchup service to a destination in its own right, with more box sets and more content available for longer.
And that is a strategy that is really working, for audiences old and young.
This year we have broken all records, receiving more than 4billion programme requests for the first time.
In November alone, we had more than 439million programme requests – iplayer’s biggest ever month.
Crucially, more under-35s are watching iplayer than ever before.
Commentators are right to suggest that the BBC’S future success depends above all on being able to reach these younger audiences.
However, what can often be overlooked is just how much progress we are already making.
There will always be more for us to do, but we are on track.
In the space of a year, iplayer’s reach to young audiences has increased by around 20 per cent. It’s been fuelled by exclusive content like Rupaul’s Drag Race, and blockbuster box sets such as Killing Eve (which alone had 100 million requests).
This is just the start. We will always be looking to innovate in new and different ways.
This is all part of a truly ambitious digital strategy for the BBC in the 2020s and beyond.
A year after launch, BBC Sounds now reaches nearly 3million adults weekly. The number of people using BBC News Online has also increased 26 per cent year-on-year. Around 27million people in the UK came to the BBC website to find out about the election results. It was a reminder of the trust people place in the BBC.
Yes, of course we faced some criticism for our election coverage. That is to be expected as the national broadcaster. Where we can and need to improve, we will. But the fact that criticism came from all sides of the political divide shows to me that we were doing our job without fear or favour. There is always debate about the future of the BBC. It is an important national institution and one people care strongly about. But one thing is certain: creatively, this country is the
envy of the world, and the BBC is at the very heart of that ecosystem. That’s why I have complete belief in our ability to compete and succeed in the new media age. It is born not from complacency, but rather confidence in our talent as a nation to innovate, create and inspire. More than 180 awards this year – including 16 Emmys – tell their own story about the BBC’S place at global television’s top table.
Of course, the huge global players have had a major impact on our media environment. We all have to continue to adapt – and fast. But as a country, we should be confident of our ability to compete globally. The power of our creative reach is going to be more important than ever for us as a country.
As streaming services proliferate, the challenge for all players will be to offer a confident distinctiveness rather than leaving everything to algorithm. A service that nobody else can provide. That is what I believe this country has helped to build over decades at the BBC as Britain’s creative champion
We must not and will not stand still. I will be announcing further far-reaching changes early in the new year. Our mission is simple. We must continue to make sure we deliver something for everyone in this country – at Christmas and throughout the year.