BBC Audience Council Scotland Report

Priority 2

'Continue work to ensure that coverage of devolved and reserved issues on BBC network news output is accurate and comprehensive, and that reporting of devolved issues is given due weight.'

The Council welcomes the BBC College of Journalism initiative on reporting a devolved UK, and believes that there has been some improvement in the accuracy and 'labelling' on network news from the perspective of the audience in Scotland; however much remains to be done.

Journalist training via the College of Journalism seems to have had some effect in raising awareness, but does not offer specifi c guidance on (a) the different structures and terminology used in devolved sectors across the UK or (b) the need to ensure that the statistical base of surveys (the source of a significant number of news stories) is made clear. Further training or support is required to address these issues.

International coverage, and much of the coverage of UK matters, continues to meet the high standards audiences expect of the BBC. However the Council remains unconvinced that network coverage of Scottish affairs is always sufficiently accurate or comprehensive, or given due weight. Although some services perform better than others, coverage of UK affairs still fails too often to take due account of Scottish perspectives; while in coverage of devolved matters, there is relative over-provision of stories from England compared with the smaller nations; and there could be more comparative reporting on issues of common interest to the four nations.

Across all services, labelling of content in relation to devolved issues, whilst improved, remains confusing or absent in a significant number of cases. For audiences across the UK this can lead to confusion about the workings of devolution and uncertainty about which stories actually pertain to which part of the UK.

The Council believes that the BBC's role in providing comprehensive, balanced reporting of all nations of the UK is essential to deliver its public purposes of sustaining citizenship, and representing the UK and its nations. Nearly ten years after the opening of the new Scottish Parliament, and despite evident effort and some improvement, BBC network news, in its reporting of the UK, still too often addresses an English audience rather than one composed of licence payers from across the whole of the UK.

Going forward

The priority remains unmet.

• There was progress on the issue, however shortcomings in network news coverage remain and the issue continues to be a priority. Journalist training has brought some benefits, but has not resolved the key issues. It is not clear whether the issues can indeed be resolved by behavioural changes within the current structure of the schedule, or whether the opt-out structure itself needs to be addressed.
• In the light of the Nations' Impartiality Review, and the continuing process of devolution in the UK, the BBC Executive should bring forward proposals to ensure that the BBC's public purposes and journalistic remit are fully achieved with regard to reporting Scottish affairs across a devolved UK; considering the range of options available if the current schedule is deemed to be a constraint.

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