BBC One Scotland’s news report on the impact of Brexit broke the corporation’s fairness rules after a viewer complained it only focused on firms ‘damaged’ by the new arrangements
- Scotland program reporting last year included reports about the effects of Brexit
- Viewers complain BBC only focuses on negatively affected firms
- The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit said there should have been another broadcast in a ‘reasonable time frame’ which explored the other side of the debate
The BBC has admitted it broke fairness rules after a viewer complained that a program on Reporting Scotland presented an ‘unbalanced view’ on the impact of Brexit.
The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that reporting on BBC One Scotland’s national news program ‘should reflect areas where its impact was less negative’ last December.
The program for 21 December included a report by Douglas Fraser, BBC Scotland’s business and economy editor, on the impact The new trading regime on exporters and businesses in Scotland following the UK’s exit from the European Union.
The introduction states: ‘It has been almost a year since the UK government and the EU ended a very long negotiation on the agreement with which Britain left the European Single Market.
‘Supporters of Brexit say there will be long-term economic benefits, but it has been a tough year for some of the worst-hit Scottish businesses,’ says our business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser.
One viewer complained that by focusing only on firms ‘obviously damaged’ by the new arrangements, it had conveyed an unbalanced view of the impact of Brexit.
BBC One Scotland broke the rules of objectivity by offering an ‘unbalanced view’ on the impact of Brexit. Image: BBC Scotland headquarters in Glasgow. (stock image)
The corporation has now upheld the complaint, saying the broadcast fell below the corporation’s standards on fairness.
The ECU said it was ‘legitimate’ for Mr Fraser’s report to focus more on Scottish businesses most affected by Brexit, but said there should be coverage of the other side of the debate within a ‘reasonable time frame’.
The ruling said: ‘The ECU said the BBC’s editorial guidelines on objectivity say, “We can produce content at any point on the spectrum of debate about any topic, as long as there is good editorial to do so.” There are reasons”, and considered it valid. The report took this opportunity to limit itself to “the Scottish businesses most affected” by Brexit.
‘However, programs adopting such an approach must maintain objectivity by exploring other aspects of the subject matter within a reasonable time frame, which did not happen in the case of Reporting Scotland.
BBC Scotland’s business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser, talks about the effects of the new trading arrangement on exporters and businesses in Scotland following the UK’s exit from the EU on Reporting Scotland. (stock image)
ECU noted that the reporter had researched all sectors of the Scottish economy in preparing the report, which had led them to conclude that the improved performance in some sectors was due to factors other than Brexit.
‘While it is generally accepted that Brexit has had a differential impact, the report showed small businesses were hit hardest, so there was a need to at least reflect those sectors where its impact has been less negative, whether on the occasion or at an appropriately connected event.
‘The finding was reported to the management of BBC Scotland and discussed with the relevant programme-makers.’
It comes after the BBC saw a complaint of ‘pro-SNP bias’ last week over the broadcast of an extract from Professor Devi Sridhar’s book, which discussed the handling of the pandemic by the UK and Scottish governments.
