Global Courant
The UK’s new Culture Secretary has accused the BBC of being biased, but failed to provide a single example of where the broadcaster has broken its commitment to impartiality.
Appearing before the British Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, Lucy Frazer was questioned in detail for the first time on the media brief she inherited in February.
Asked by Conservative lawmaker Simon Jupp if the BBC is biased, she said: “The BBC is, on occasion, biased.” Pressed for an example, she said: “I’m not going to give any specific examples of bias.”
She added: “It is really important that the BBC takes its responsibility, in terms of editorial standards and impartiality, very seriously. We should ensure that the BBC, as a public service broadcaster … which is meant to be there to provide impartial news to the public, fulfills that duty. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always get that right.”
Labor MP Clive Efford appeared incredulous that Frazer was unable to point to a specific example of partial output. “I didn’t say which way it had been biased,” she responded. “I don’t think this is a forum for me to go into particular details … if I think the BBC has been biased and I want to raise it with them, I’ll speak to the Director General about it.”
Frazer joked that she had “lots of views” about the scandal that engulfed the BBC over a tweet from Gary Lineker, who compared the government’s immigration rhetoric to 1930s Germany. Lineker was suspended and then swiftly reinstated as the host of Match of the Day amid protests over his treatment.
Frazer declined to detail her views on the Lineker saga while the BBC is carrying out a review of its social media guidelines on impartiality. John Hardie, the former ITN CEO, is leading the work.
Frazer restated that the government intends to review the BBC’s license fee funding model over the coming months, but said she was not a supporter of the “defund the BBC” campaign. “I’m definitely in favor of a vibrant BBC, how that is funded is something we need to look into very carefully.”
