BBC staff instructed to stop giving time to science cranks for the sake of editorial balance

[DonViejo]

By Tom Boggioni
Friday, July 4, 2014 20:51 EDT

Journalists at the British Broadcasting Corp. have been receiving instructions from the BBC Trust to stop inviting unqualified ‘experts’ on their shows in an effort to provide ‘editorial balance’ on contentious subjects.

According to The Telegraph, the BBC Trust released a report card on its efforts to curtail what it called giving “undue attention to marginal opinion,” on topics where the contrarian viewpoints have been widely dismissed.

“The Trust wishes to emphasize the importance of attempting to establish where the weight of scientific agreement may be found and make that clear to audiences,” the report states. “Science coverage does not simply lie in reflecting a wide range of views but depends on the varying degree of prominence such views should be given.”

In April the BBC was accused of misleading viewers about climate change and creating a ‘false balance’ by allowing unqualified skeptics to have too much air-time.

more
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/04/bbc-staff-instructed-to-quit-giving-time-to-science-cranks-for-the-sake-of-editorial-balance/

[Wounded Bear]

1. K & R

If only we had something like this in the US.

[Jefferson23]

2. Smart. K&R

[Fred Sanders]

3. Balancing informed argument with righteous opinion is NOT journalism, it is entertainment

disguised as debate, and it is doing great damage to finding real solutions.

[pinto]

4. I think all media should maintain due diligence and vet science "experts" before giving them a spot.

Or at the least, ask for peer reviewed evidence to support their opinions.

[Uncle Joe]

5. I agree with your point of view, pinto.

[BrotherIvan]

6. They should have a fact checker bar at the side of the screen

So every time a politician or fake scientist says something stupid, a flashing ticker goes off.

[wyldwolf]

9. THAT is a brilliant idea.

[BrotherIvan]

10. It will never happen but it would be nice

People should just turn off tv news for a start. Might as well watch some reality tv because they're the same.

[niyad]

7. k and r--US media whores, please take note.

[wyldwolf]

8. except, of course, when it comes to GMOs

then, of course, the cranks are correct and scientists are being paid off by Mansonto or something like that.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

14. This +1,000,000 n/t

[AlbertCat]

11. Huh.....

..... just the opposite of Fox News.

[Flatpicker]

12. Now if only the US media would do the same. n/t

[calimary]

13. FINALLY!!! SOMEONE in broadcasting shows good sense.

FINALLY!!!! Rachel Maddow first posed this - "WHY do we feel compelled to invite the Flat-Earth Society to sit at the table and have the same weight of voice and attention when we're talking about something regarding NASA or space science?" Because that gives THAT side the same weight. The same level of credibility and recognition. A seat at the table - positioning them as equals, when their "ideas" and "theories" are nothing but complete and total bullshit and deserve NO attention or elevation whatsoever.

It's like with the so-called "Rapture." I call it "Crapture." Because it's nothing more or less than a concept somebody simply MADE UP, extrapolating one passage out of the Biblical curb-side out to the level of the ridiculous and fantastical (as in FANTASY) during the 1800s.

This is also an attempt by the Dark Siders to legitimize some of their bullshit bunk into something that seems to deserve equal standing with REAL scientists and REAL scientific findings and studies and theories - based on informed logic and investigation that doesn't have an under-agenda of reinforcing religious beliefs.

Science doesn't take anything on faith. Faith is something separate and, if you will, "Other." Faith isn't part of this discussion and has no influence here. Faith doesn't enter into it anywhere here. Faith is BESIDE THE POINT - IRRELEVANT, HERE. In THIS Case. Maybe that's why the Bible-thumpers reject science. Because there's nothing faith-based about it. Science believes in TESTING. Testing theories, seeing if you can match the conclusions somebody else tested out and attempted to prove. Seeing if you get the same results separately, which would reinforce the conclusions somebody else test-drove and verified.

[Personal Damon]

15. Hear hear!

+ K&R

[EEO]

16. "Balance" is, and never has been, good news. The truth does not require "balance."

[wryter2000]

17. Let's hope they can shame US media into doing the same

Not likely.

[City Lights]

18. Kudos to the BBC. Too bad it'll never happen here. nt

[pansypoo53219]

19. the john oliver effect.

but NOT HERE!