It was The Conversation (article and data HERE) which sounded the warning with the headline “BBC Question Time: analysis of guests over nine years suggests an overuse of rightwing voices”, going on to tell “Like most public service broadcasters worldwide, the BBC believes that impartiality is a core tenet of its approach to covering political debate”. There was more.
“Coverage should be unbiased, balanced and objective, with no favouritism towards any side. This is monitored by the UK’s media regulator, Ofcom … our researchers compiled a dataset of all editions of the programme from September 2014 until July 2023 - a total of 352 programmes with 1,734 guest slots across the nine seasons, filled by 661 different people”.
Some people get to go on rather more than just once, then. But do go on. “Given the format of Question Time, it is not surprising to find that both Labour and Conservative politicians were well represented throughout the nine seasons”. There is a table showing how many appearances some politicians racked up. But then comes bad news for the Beeb.
“Removing politicians from the list of most frequent guests shows that several high-frequency panellists are being used, most of whom come from the political right … [these are] typically opinion columnists who contribute to rightwing press outlets such as the Mail or the Telegraph, or who make appearances on right-leaning broadcasters like GB News and TalkTV”.
Isabel Oakeshott. Well, knock me down with a feather. And flap mouthed bigot Julia Hartley Dooda. Both on 13 appearances. Before we (eventually) get to the most-featured left-leaning voice, who is Ash Sarkar of Novara Media on six invites, we pass Kate Andrews of the IEA on 12, Tim Stanley also on 12, and Camilla Bloody Tominey on a mere ten shows.
The right-wing supporting cast also includes, all on seven appearances, the Speccy’s editor Fraser Nelson, Melanie “not just Barking but halfway to Upminster” Phillips, Peter “droning on and on and on and on and on” Hitchens, and former Screws and Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan.
What say The Conversation to that? “The regular appearances of panellists such as Isabel Oakeshott and Julia Hartley-Brewer - the two most frequent non-politician guests in our analysis - raise questions about how producers choose guests”. Liz Gerard observed “You know it ‘feels’ like this, but the statistics are stark. There are no voices from the left in this list. Does it mean there are lots of left wingers appearing once or twice? Apparently not”.
As to that party favoured by one of the BBC’s own board, the name in that frame would be Robbie Gibb, a “Thatcherite Conservative”. As Angela Rayner has already called or him to resign, it’s highly likely that a Labour victory next month could see him sent Down The Road. And an overhaul of Question Time - to represent voices from across the political spectrum more evenly.
Question Time was for a time, but not necessarily for all time. That is all.
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9 comments:
Unfortunately hard evidence such as iron clad data cuts no ice with the right. They will still claim the BBC is in the clutches of the tofu eating, woke guardianistas regardless of what is put in front of them. Our cuddly right wing bunch is in increasingly Americanised, where 'gut feeling' is held in far higher esteem than anything as ephemeral as concrete evidence...
"SUSPECTED right-wing bias" at the BBC?
Oh my aching sides.
That's the propaganda unit fronted by far right tory goons like Kuentssberg*, Robinson, Wark, Coburn and other assorted creeps.
*Kuentssberg is deteriorating by the day, makeup a centimetre thick, mouth even more right-crooked, eye bags, bad hair and increasingly warped scripts. A total wreck.
Lest we forget lady Fiona babbling-pissbucket, married to a hedgefund manager and large scale Torydonor - who’s never happier than when interrupting some measles mouthed socialist. Kuenesberg in tighter trousers as I see it.
I didn't know your resident Tankie crybaby was such a misogynist, Tim.
Haven't watched Question Time since Nick Griffin got pulled apart on it many years back. Before that it would have been the early 80s when still at school. It was crap then too.
In the old days when I used to work at the BBC, discussion programmes usually balanced a government politician with a trade union leader, of which there were about the place, fairly well known and established in the public eye, and generally left wing. I wonder where they all are now?
Nobody with a modicum of decent common sense takes that ranting rightie programme seriously. It's only use is for raucous laughter at elecuted-to-death Bruce and her single eyebrow. Far right Murdoch slugs MacFilth and Neil were almost resident on it at one time. Now it's other flagshaggers like Farage and Quisling "Labour" apparatchiks.
There are left wing union leaders, despite the best efforts behind the scenes to prevent them from be becoming leader, but for some odd reason they only ever get invited on tv if their union should have the temerity to go on strike. Still, the govt has seen fit to clamp down on that foolishness! Inconvenience the public! Whatever next!?
Tsk, tsk, Tim.
Are you misogyny-ing AGAIN.
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