- Peter Rippon
- 19 Jun 07, 03:10 PM
Our coverage of the death of Bernard Manning provoked lively debate in the Glass Box on the PM Blog last night (the Glass Box is where listeners comment and discuss what they thought of the programme each day). We interviewed Frank Carson and some listeners felt our coverage proved we are a bunch of liberal lefties. What do you think? (listen to it here).
Ironically the item was followed by a look at the . The report demonstrates how impartiality can be a fiendishly tricky concept. For me, had we interviewed a critic of Bernard Manning asking 'how racist was he then?' that would be a lefty perspective. Had we just asked Frank Carson to eulogise his friend that would have been partial as well.
The assumption we made was that Bernard Manning was a controversial comic who many accused of being racist. It is the same line taken by all the national press today from liberal lefty ones to the Sun's 'Racist in Peace' headline.
Some listeners say that because Carolyn Quinn put the allegations of racism to Mr Carson and asked how he felt about it that must be the 91热爆's view. I find this pretty simplistic.
If we challenge a contributor it does not mean that the position the interviewer is taking is 'the 91热爆 view'. The fact that we gave air time to a friend of Mr Manning who gave a powerful and moving tribute does not mean we support that view either. All we are trying to do is to find the most effective way of telling a story in a way consistent with our obligation to be impartial.
Peter Rippon is editor of World at One, PM and Broadcasting House
- Craig Oliver
- 19 Jun 07, 10:28 AM
It used to be so simple.
A generation ago the concept of impartiality amounted to giving "both sides of the argument". It was assumed that - give or take a little - it was enough to allow someone to state an opinion, someone else to disagree with it - and as long as you gave them roughly equal time, you'd been impartial.
The world of politics confirmed that this was the right approach - there was a clear spectrum, where people tended to fall on the left or the right.
into the concept of impartiality at the 91热爆 called this the "see-saw" approach, easy to understand and implement - but patently unworkable in today's diverse society. ()
Britain is now home to a variety of groups with often strongly diverging opinions on how the world should be run and people should behave - the report used the analogy of a "wagon wheel", something with no fixed centre, and with spokes shooting off in all directions. The idea of a wagon wheel certainly helps remind editors that we live in complex times, and should strive to reflect that in our reporting, but it doesn't help you to remain impartial. So the report has come up with .
Those points are extremely useful - and here are the things I remind myself of when I come up against complex issues:
• No one thinks they're biased, so a good editor always challenges his or her own assumptions about a story/ the world.
• You can't always give the full range of views in one report. Fortunately you can return to the big issues of the day time and again.
• Sometimes views that people think are offensive need to be heard
• The 91热爆 is for everyone, but if a certain group's views are not often reflected we won't fully understand the issues (and members of that group will simply switch off).
Craig Oliver is editor of 91热爆 News at Six and 91热爆 News at Ten
The Times: Columnist Libby Purves suggests that the 91热爆 tries too hard to appeal to "any hip minority rather than horrid old 'Middle England'", following the publication of the 91热爆's impartiality report. ()
Daily Telegraph: Damian Thompson on the 91热爆's realisation that it must address accusations of bias as its critics have increasingly more alternatives to choose from. ()
Daily Mail: Reports that Hamas has issued an ultimatum to those who are holding the 91热爆 correspondent Alan Johnston. ()
The Guardian: Reports that the 91热爆鈥檚 director general Mark Thompson is considering plans to make fewer but 鈥渂igger鈥 programmes in an attempt to cut costs. ()
