Thread by @docrussjackson

#THREAD

After last night's appalling episode of #bbcqt, today I've emailed @BBCR4Feedback to express my concerns about Fiona Bruce's inability to properly or fairly chair @bbcquestiontime panels, & about the disproportionate number of right-wing panellists.

Full email below:

"I'm a @BBC supporter & appreciate that @BBCr4Feedback makes an important contribution to society in helping to maintain the BBC's public service ethos & hard-won reputation for providing impartial, high-quality & distinctive output & services which inform, educate, & entertain."

"I'm writing to raise concerns - articulated and shared by thousands on social media - about @bbcquestiontime.

My concerns are twofold:

First, Fiona Bruce's chairing of BBC Question Time is, at best, unacceptably poor."

"As an example of this, I want to bring to your attention the hugely disproportionate amount of time Conservative MP Robert Jenrick was given to answer the audience question on the controversial issue of immigration on the 16/02/2023 episode."

"I've just timed how long she allowed each panellist to speak on #immigration:

Ruth Wishart - 30 seconds
Ian Hislop - 2 mins
Lionel Shriver - 2 mins
Stephen Kinnock - 3mins, 30 seconds
Robert Jenrick - 10 minutes.

This is totally unacceptable."

"My second concern is about the political balance of #bbcqt panellists.

As the graphic below shows, there is a clear and well-evidenced bias toward panellists from right-leaning media organisations."

(Graphic credit: @Steve__Paxton)

"It is unacceptable that @bbcquestiontime has a hugely disproportionate number of panellists from foreign, non-dom, or overseas based billionaire-owned or multimillionaire-funded explicitly right-wing media organisations, including:

...Rupert Murdoch's Times, TalkTV and TalkRadio; Frederick Barclay's Telegraph and Spectator; Jonathan Harmsworth's Mail; Dubai-based investors' GB "News"; and the opaquely funded Spiked (totalling 27 panellists during 2022 - 23)."

"In stark contrast, during 2022 & 23 there have been just 6 panellists from 'centrist' or left-leaning media organisations (Vice, Private Eye, Guardian, Mirror, and Novara Media)."

"It is also notable that despite widespread industrial unrest, just 6 representatives of Unions have appeared during 2022 - 23, compared to 13 business people."

"And when we look at non-Westminster, Holyrood, or Senedd politicians, we see 10 right-wing panellists, including former Conservative Party MPs, Advisors and peers, and former Brexit Party MEPs, compared to just 3 Labour Mayors and one former Labour Party Advisor."

"This demonstrable and deeply concerning right-wing bias comes at a time when the @BBC is already struggling with widespread perceptions of bias, & suffering significant reputational harm due to the controversial appointment of Rishi Sunak's ex-boss & Tory donor Richard Sharp."

"Richard Sharp had zero media experience prior to his appointment, and there is understandable concern over his decision to not declare his role in facilitating a loan of £800,000 to Boris Johnson, prior to his appointment."

"There are also concerns about the appointment of Tim Davie, who stood as a councillor for the Conservative Party in 1993 and 1994 and was deputy chairman of the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative Party in the 1990s."

"There are also concerns over the recent appointment of ex-GB News Editorial Director John McAndrew to the role of Director of @BBCNews programmes."

"There are also significant concerns over the influence of former Director of Comms at No.10 for Theresa May, Robbie Gibb, a BBC Non-Exec Director since 2021, who helped found GB News, & who sought to block Jess Brammar's appointment to a role overseeing @BBCNews channels."

"At a time when political polarisation is harming UK democracy, when grotesque "invasion" rhetoric is being shamelessly normalised by Senior @Conservatives and other right-wing politicians, and when there has been a steep rise in UK far-right activism and terrorist incidents...

...the @BBC has a vital role to play in ensuring it does not fuel polarisation further by giving a hugely disproportionate amount of airtime to right-wing panellists on @bbcquestiontime."

"Given there are hundreds of thousands of articulate, well-informed, considered, nuanced, & expert voices, I find it both depressing & absurd that the same small pool of often deliberately provocative & entirely predictable voices are continually invited onto @bbcquestiontime."

"The desire to drive audience figures and engagement is now overly dependent upon inviting guests who specialise in generating polarising controversy."

"The sixteen non-MP panellists with the highest number of appearances on #bbcqt in the twenty-first century, evidences a preference for outspoken, provocative, divisive, controversial, & often ideologically extreme right-wing guests (12 of the 16 are explicitly right-wing):

Rod Liddle 9
Max Hastings 9
Camilla Tominey 9
Kate Andrews 11
Tim Stanley 12
Isabel Oakeshott 13
Fraser Nelson 4
David Starkey 12
Bonnie Greer 13
Ian Hislop 14
Julia Hartley Brewer 17
Janet Street-Porter 19
Peter Hitchens 23
Piers Morgan 24
Melanie Phillips 28
Nigel Farage 35

"The @BBC's mission is "to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality & distinctive output & services which inform, educate & entertain".

These foundational principles are honourable and as needed today as ever before."

"Britain needs the @BBC: along with the #NHS, it is one of the few genuinely unifying public institutions we have left. The BBC helps hold the country together, especially in times of crisis, and Britain currently faces multiple crises."

"Please accept my comments in the spirit they are meant, and please try to get responses to my concerns from the @bbcquestiontime Director, and Producers, Editors, and production companies.

Best of luck with the new series,

Cheers,

Dr Russell Jackson."

Thank you for all the kind & supportive comments. 🙏

I've received just *two* critical comments - one from an anonymous far-right account which has a @YouTube channel posting Oswald Mosely speeches!

This morning I've also submitted a formal complaint to the @BBC about #bbcqt.👊

Will keep you posted!

Each week, Fiona Bruce claims the #bbcqt audience "reflects electoral support for political parties", but this is highly ambiguous eg does it reflect CURRENT voter intention, or last GE voting? If the latter, does it 'reflect' that in 2019, just 29% of the electorate voted Tory?

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1627106492745654272?t=py5NywACkOjaEvqOIOCPYg&s=19

Of course, right-wing bias on @BBCNews & @BBCPolitics shows hasn't happened overnight.

Here's an old thread collating evidence of @BBC bias from the run up to the 2019 general election.

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1206992886841192451?t=WdwyuJTggV727Tk9SHrKMw&s=19