BBC impartiality and the problem of bias
Think tank: Civitas
Author(s): Dr Richard Norrie
August 25, 2023
This report from UK think tank Civitas examines bias and impartiality within BBC Bitesize and BBC Teach.
Dr. Richard Norrie (former director of the statistics and policy research programme at Civitas) examines bias and impartiality within BBC Bitesize and BBC Teach, the organisation’s educational output aimed at younger audiences. In this Civitas publication, Dr. Norrie uncovers examples of articles on the BBC’s educational websites that have potentially breached the corporation’s own Editorial Guidelines. According to Dr. Norrie, this content tends to ‘escape scrutiny since all eyes tend to be trained on its flagship news productions.’ These articles cover sensitive and often controversial topics such as Britain’s role in the slave trade, as well as race and gender issues. Dr. Norrie criticises the BBC for providing a platform for ‘activists’ whose views are presented without challenge.
