Does the BBC have a left-wing bias?

Flex Your Head · Apr 12, 2015

I've seen it mentioned here more than a few times recently, an apparent left-wing bias at the BBC which is seemingly staffed by 'lefties' and 'pinkos'. Even though so many of the political reporters, editors and commentators have right-wing links, and many leave to go and work with the Tories and (C)conservative institutions, the myth of a left-wing BBC is perpetuated by some. (Especially Daily Mail readers).

Has anyone got any proof that the BBC is manned by 'reds', or is it in fact far more right-leaning and actually just another pillar of the establishment?

Del Fenner · Apr 12, 2015

A study carried out at Cardiff University found a very different and more complex story, that the BBC is in fact biased towards the government of the day. Interestingly the bias almost doubled in 2010 when the current government came into power.

More details referred to here:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-06-25/peston-is-right-left-wing-bias-at-the-bbc-is-a-myth

tigertim68 · Apr 12, 2015

Flex Your Head said:
I've seen it mentioned here more than a few times recently, an apparent left-wing bias at the BBC which is seemingly staffed by 'lefties' and 'pinkos'. Even though so many of the political reporters, editors and commentators have right-wing links, and many leave to go and work with the Tories and (C)conservative institutions, the myth of a left-wing BBC is perpetuated by some. (Especially Daily Mail readers).

Has anyone got any proof that the BBC is manned by 'reds', or is it in fact far more right-leaning and actually just another pillar of the establishment?

Just watch there agendas it is all about equality to all minorities forgetting about the majority of people who live in this country .they Are also so PC it is ridiculous . The sooner The BBC has its license fee stopped and they have to raise there own income the better .

DavidinSouthampton · Apr 12, 2015

We were listening to the BBC programming for Sunday morning driving down to Cornwall this morning, and my wife actually commented how even-handed and balanced it is. Isn't Nick Robinson, the chief political correspondent, known as being a conservative sympathiser. Anybody who sees them as overly PC must be somewhere approaching Attila the Hun as far as I'm concerned.

Napper · Apr 12, 2015

Bbc conservative bias

Eeyore · Apr 12, 2015

Claims on the BBC's bias depends on which party you are a member of.

Flex Your Head · Apr 12, 2015

tigertim68 said:
Just watch there agendas it is all about equality to all minorities forgetting about the majority of people who live in this country .they Are also so PC it is ridiculous . The sooner The BBC has its license fee stopped and they have to raise there own income the better .

Doesn't everyone deserve equality, or are some people better than others?
What is their agenda and how are they going to benefit from it?

DavidinSouthampton said:
Isn't Nick Robinson, the chief political correspondent, known as being a conservative sympathiser.

Errr.. just a little bit:

at Oxford University, where he was also President of the Oxford University Conservative Association. Starting out in broadcasting at Piccadilly Radio, after a year as President of the Conservative Party youth group ... His history of Conservative affiliation has been controversial, particularly when allegations of bias were made during his coverage of the 2010 general election.

Hampster Gull · Apr 12, 2015

Mustafa said:
It does seem to be very supportive of left-wing values such as environmentalism, equality and political correctness though - but equally it does report without bias right-wing concerns such as immigration, the EU, globalisation and multiculturalism too..

As is the norm you mske very important and incisive points then let yourself down with sweeping generalisations which dont hold. I dont accept those are right wing concerns particularily, just concerns of parts of the population. The same for equality.

Hampster Gull · Apr 12, 2015

Mustafa said:
Right-wing politics almost by definition is the belief that social inequality is necessary, inevitable or desirable.

Additionally nationalism, conservatism, [British] unionism, Euroscepticism and economic liberalism are all typically right-wing ideological beliefs, which apply to the examples I made in that post.

Immigration is a concern beyond politcial leaning. According the the guardian ukip voters lean more left than right. I wont go on

Diego Napier · Apr 12, 2015

tigertim68 said:
Just watch there agendas it is all about equality to all minorities forgetting about the majority of people who live in this country .they Are also so PC it is ridiculous . The sooner The BBC has its license fee stopped and they have to raise there own income the better .

Good grief, skipped off school a lot did you?

Flex Your Head · Apr 12, 2015

Mustafa said:
State owned, public funded organisations are typically a left-wing concepts and I am sure its journalists and staff would object to the privatisation of it as a company - and more likely to be left leaning.

Why are they more likely to be left wing or left leaning?

Mustafa; said:
In regards to its journalistic bias, it is the most unbiased mainstream media outlet in the world, bar none.

It does seem to be very supportive of left-wing values such as environmentalism, equality and political correctness though

You've just contradicted yourself there.

Giraffe · Apr 12, 2015

Too all parties neutral, gives the lefties a level playing field that they don't deserve.

If the BBC were reporting accurately they would say it how it is, vote conservative or you are brain dead.

looney · Apr 12, 2015

The BBC has always had issues with political biases. Since the 1960s internal surveys have placed the ethos as being somewhere to the left of the Soviet Politburo.

Problems came to a head in 97 when Blair came to power ad they found they were unable to critic Labour from a conservative perspective and from what I hear all their journalists had to go on courses to find out what conservatives beleived.

The problem still remains with a liberal/left townie bias. I remember seeing a dodgy programme on channel 4 about Israeli international politics. What it showed was the BBC in lockstep with the guardian newspaper conserning views and the umber of annual complaints by the israeli embassy.

I feel sorry for someone who is so politically insular they dont even pick on it. Most is by omission, or Propogenda. The website does use smear tactics like using a prefix of "so-called" on inverted commas.

Some of it could be lazy piss poor journalism but they are in the habit of beautifying old articles when it suits them like the oppression of non-muslims in Indonesia which they chose to edit out.

Then there iis there part in the current smear campaign against Nigel Farage. ie not showing him if he says something controversial as it gains support but not resisting the chance to make him look foolish.

Superphil · Apr 12, 2015

Mustafa said:
The BBC's philosophy is to be unbiased, ethical and to serve the British people.

Is it ****. The mandate might be to be unbiased, but for as long as I can remember it's consistently failed to achieve that. The philosophy has been whatever the DG and other senior executives have driven it towards. To be fair, right now it's quite unbiased, but in the past it has not been. Of course, you'll disagree, but there you go, a differing opinion.

beorhthelm · Apr 12, 2015

i think theres a misconception based from not seperating BBC News from the institution as a whole. the Beeb is very clearly (imo) left leaning in a Liberal Democract, left of centre fashion, its not red flag waving as some would have it. BBC News is very careful to be neutral, and i think pretty much is on home politics. it does let the veil slip a bit on foreign matters, not necesaarily to the left or right but does follow editorial agendas.

HH Brighton · Apr 12, 2015

Giraffe said:
Too all parties neutral, gives the lefties a level playing field that they don't deserve.

If the BBC were reporting accurately they would say it how it is, vote conservative or you are brain dead.

Wow incredible naivety and lack of intelligence at its best. BBC obviously has a left wing bias as this is the intelligent side of politics..
Of course the sun is the best selling newspaper so say no more about the voting public. Surely an IQ test should be put in place to avoid idiots like you being able to vote.

ThePompousPaladin · Apr 13, 2015

HH Brighton said:
Wow incredible naivety and lack of intelligence at its best. BBC obviously has a left wing bias as this is the intelligent side of politics..
Of course the sun is the best selling newspaper so say no more about the voting public. Surely an IQ test should be put in place to avoid idiots like you being able to vote.

Are you inferring that the more educated you are the more likely you are to be a leftie?

Hamilton · Apr 13, 2015

No it doesn't. People mistake left wing bias with just being fair to all sides. The BBC is one of the best institutions we have,

Gilliver's Travels · Apr 13, 2015

ThePompousPaladin said:
Are you inferring that the more educated you are the more likely you are to be a leftie?

No, but he's probably implying this. From your post I might infer that the more educated you are, the less likely are you to confuse imply with infer.

W.C. · Apr 13, 2015

Makes me laugh when people accuse the BBC of being left wing. Oh look, Looney's written a long post all about it!

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