Feedback: BBC Radio Election Coverage
Roger Bolton
Editor's Note: You can listen to Feedback online or download it here.
We discussed political bias this week, in particular the coverage of the recent general election campaign. The BBC’s Director of News, James Harding, had already said that the electoral coverage had been “infected” by misleading polls and that as a result there had been too much “coalitionology”.
He also said that he was “astonished by the ferocity and frequency of complaints from all parties” during the election campaign. Well I am astonished that he was astonished. It has always been a tough period for the Corporation.
Party Chairmen often threaten the Corporation before election campaigns begin, darkly hinting about what might happen to the licence fee if the Corporation does not report fairly (which actually means favourably towards them!). Grant Shapps for the Tories did it this time, as Kenneth Baker did in the past on behalf of Margaret Thatcher. Labour’s Tony Benn also thought the Beeb was out of control and wanted to change its management structure.
I had assumed that in his previous post as Editor of The Times, Mr Harding would have been aware of what it was like. After all, he wrote some critical editorials about the BBC in his time there.
However the BBC’s political editor, Nick Robinson, has also expressed, if not astonishment, then irritation at the efforts of the parties to influence the Corporation’s news agenda this time.
In his recent book, Election Notebook, which is a diary of his election year, he writes: “Every story I report on has now become a contest between Craig Oliver and Tom Baldwin - Team Cameron and Team Miliband - over whose narrative wins.”
He goes on: “I’ve had enough. I tell Tom that if he really wants to decide what the BBC broadcasts he should apply for a job here, and Craig that if he wants to know what I’ll be saying he can watch News at Ten like everyone else.”
Ironically, Tom Baldwin used to work at The Times for James Harding, and Craig Oliver used to be a senior BBC News Editor telling Nick Robinson what he wanted on air.
Mind you if they think this election was tough for the Corporation just wait until the European Referendum Campaign gets going in earnest - with two sides passionate and emotional and no coalitions possible, only a winner and a loser. With what is pretty awful timing for the BBC, the debate over its charter and the licence fee will be running at the same time.
Will the Corporation play safe and follow the agendas set by the pro and anti campaigns and the press, instead of scrutinising the evidence and passing judgement on it?
In our Feedback discussion, Steve Barnett, Professor of Communications at the University of Westminster argued that the BBC’s general election agenda was too much influenced by the predominantly right wing press.
It was an argument rejected by the Corporation’s chief political flak-catcher, Ric Bailey, its Chief Political Adviser.
Now that we are back on the air please let us know what interests, enthrals and enthuses you about BBC Radio. We have the airtime. Please fill it.
Roger Bolton
