According to one former executive of BBC, some young journalists are unable to understand impartiality because it isn’t ‘imbued in’ them like previous generations.
Roger Mosey (ex-head of BBC TV News) appeared today before the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee to talk about impartiality in journalism.
In evidence Mr Mosey mentioned Sir Nicholas Serota’s October report, in which he noted that there was an “opportunity” for the BBC leadership to address impartiality.
He told the committee: ‘It’s quite interesting to work back from the Serota report, to the question which I think Tim Davie as director general is rightly addressing.
‘So the challenge to impartiality is the fact that some younger journalists don’t understand it in the way it was classically imbued in BBC journalists over the years.
‘There’s no particular reason why they should, because they haven’t in some cases had the right training.’
Roger Mosey was the former head of BBC TV News,
Mosey claimed that modern journalists have found it more challenging to determine impartiality due to social media pressures.
He added: ‘The external definition of due impartiality has broadened, so Ofcom seems to have allowed originally LBC, which is a great radio station, but now GB News [also]to be impartial with an interpretation that is slightly different to what they might have done 10 or 15% years ago
‘The other thing is there has unquestionably been some impact in the BBC from identity politics and the absolutely proper concern about diversity within the BBC, which then sometimes rubs against diversity of opinion externally; and provides more challenges for journalists.’
Richard Sambrook (ex-director of global news) also presented evidence today before the House of Lords Digital and Communications Committee
An ex-executive at BBC Professor Richard Sambrook, now director of journalism at Cardiff University, outlined the challenges around impartiality earlier in the hearing.
Prof Sambrook said: ‘It’s widely misunderstood in public debate of being about false balance or covering up your opinions – a bland he-said she-said journalism.
‘But actually impartiality properly employed is the reverse of that – it’s a set of professional disciplines to elevate your journalism beyond personal bias and beyond those kinds of problems. But that’s not very well understood generally.
It becomes easier and more enjoyable when it is broken down into its components; this is what we mean with impartiality. Accuracy? Fairness? Evidence-based? Different points of view Transparency?
“When these are broken down, you will be able to start engaging with them …’
After Lord Dyson’s damning report on Martin Bashir’s interview in 1995 Panorama with Diana Princess of Wales, the BBC Board commissioned the Serota Review.
The BBC received 10 recommendations from the review, which included the expansion of impartiality training within the company.
It recommends that the BBC’s board oversee impartiality by monitoring metrics such as editorial complaints.
In a statement, the broadcaster stated that it had accepted all the findings of the review and announced “sweeping changes” to improve standards throughout the organization and contest claims of bias.