BBC staff told to stop inviting cranks on to science programmes

[Quixote1818]

BBC Trust says 200 senior managers trained not to insert 'false balance' into stories when issues were non-contentious


BBC journalists are being sent on courses to stop them inviting so many cranks onto programmes to air ‘marginal views’


The BBC Trust on Thursday published a progress report into the corporation’s science coverage which was criticised in 2012 for giving too much air-time to critics who oppose non-contentious issues.


The report found that there was still an ‘over-rigid application of editorial guidelines on impartiality’ which sought to give the ‘other side’ of the argument, even if that viewpoint was widely dismissed.


Some 200 staff have already attended seminars and workshops and more will be invited on courses in the coming months to stop them giving ‘undue attention to marginal opinion.’


“The Trust wishes to emphasise the importance of attempting to establish where the weight of scientific agreement may be found and make that clear to audiences,” wrote the report authors.

More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10944629/BBC-staff-told-to-stop-inviting-cranks-on-to-science-programmes.html

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Heh, now if only the American media would learn to follow suit.

We lost the 'Fairness Doctrine' long ago, but a perverted version of it lives on in 'fair and balanced' crapola.

[genwah]

3. I just e-mailed NPR's On the Media. Who else would give this some visibility?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. rachel maddow, joy reid, chris hayes, maybe?

Even possibly Ed whatsisname and the guy who as in an accident and came back with a beard?

Pretty much anybody on MSNBC but the Morning Joe crowd, actually.

[RufusTFirefly]

2. But, but, that's government-run media!! Godless, socialist propaganda!

If we ever decided to do such a thing in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, we might as well change our flag to a hammer and sickle while we're at it.
The heck with the BBC.
I say, let the market decide!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. I think some godless socialistic propaganda would be a nice change of pace

from all the god-filled capitalist propaganda we normally get...

[RufusTFirefly]

7. Who you gonna trust?

A news organization run by a friendly mega-corporation that lives out the American Dream each and every blessed day by tenaciously pursuing profit?
Or one run by Big Gubmint, which is solely beholden to that scary specter we sometimes euphemistically refer to as "the People"?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

9. Well, when you phrase it that way

neither, but it would still be a nice change of pace once in a while

[undeterred]

6. Americans, stop electing cranks to Congress.

[BillZBubb]

8. Good luck with that!

When nearly half the country are right wing loonies, your going to get lots of cranks.

[BillZBubb]

10. Apparently they limited their rule to "non-contentious" topics...

to allow the conservatives to still fill the airwaves with their baloney on the big issues.

Perhaps if they truly emphasize where the weight of scientific agreement is for the "contentious" topics, the guidelines will be a success.

The US media needs to follow the BBC's lead but with a stricter rule.