BBC constrained by need to avoid political bias, admits Lord Patten

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The BBC is unable to conduct investigations into some of the most important stories of the day – including phone hacking – if they could be construed as having a political bias, the chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, has admitted.

As the Leveson inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press begins on Monday, the former Conservative party chairman said the broadcaster has its hands tied by the regulator Ofcom and the ethics code of the Trust itself.

In a speech given at the Society of Editors' annual conference on Sunday, Patten said: "As a publicly funded broadcaster whose output is so directly intrusive, there are some areas where we ought to be particularly careful in our journalism or even decline to follow where newspapers or online journalism may properly lead," he said.

"Despite the BBC's tradition of investigative journalism, it could not have paid for the information on MPs' expenses as the Daily Telegraph did, nor pursued the hacking story at News International as remorselessly as the Guardian campaign did.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/nov/13/bbc-political-bias-lord-patten

[saras]

1. Apparently, their concept of 'politics' and 'political bias' is flawed.

Journalism is about the facts, it's not about giving certain individuals privilege because of their position. Perhaps it's the notion of left-wing and right-wing as some kind of binary opposites of equal moral value is the notion that will have to give way.

[T_i_B]

2. One major issue here....

is the the British right wing has an ideological dislike of the BBC as it is owned by the state rather then Rupert Murdoch and as such the British right wing likes to accuse the BBC of left wing bis at every available opportunity regardless of the facts.

Things are not helped by the current UK government being Tory and bearing something of an ideological grudge against the BBC. I'm fairly certain that the minister responsible for the BBC, Jeremy "rhyming slang" Hunt would love to privatize the whole thing.

[BiggJawn]

8. Same thing with NPR here.

The Teabaggers and anti-government Libertards hate NPR so much that the network bends over backwards to kiss the ass of the ReTHUGlican party and not offend them, lest their funding be threatened.

Doesn't help, the Right Wing still accuses NPR of "Liberal bias", even with their main anchors doing double-duty as "consultants" on Murdoch's FAUX NOYZ, and their endless description of Little Boots as "This Popular Wartime President".

[dipsydoodle]

3. Whose concept

The BBC or The Guardian?

[Ian David]

4. Remember, this is a country where the queen and prince can veto legislation...

... before it is introduced to parliament, on the basis of it having a negative financial impact on them, personally.

[dipsydoodle]

5. The issue regarding oysters to which you refer

has been overcome aside from which if you're not here then don't worry your little head about it.

[MichaelMcGuire]

6. BBC Bias

I tend to think its worse up here, for their bias. Anyway I'll need to bookmark this for future reference.


Thanks

[provis99]

7. "BBC constrained by conservativsm, admits Lord Patten".

Lord Patten, former Conservative party chairman is admitting nothing other than that the BBC won't investigate conservative foibles.