BBC admits bias over coverage of abortion in Northern Ireland
Precious Life have welcomed the decision from the BBC to uphold a complaint about institutional bias, a move the pro-life group say is “unprecedented.”
A viewer complained that BBC News failed to provide both sides of the debate when reporting on the House of Commons vote to impose abortion on the Province.
Earlier this year Precious Life and MPs said that the views of “many thousands” of people in Northern Ireland had been ignored. In September, up to 20,000 people gridlocked Belfast City Centre to protest proposed changes to Northern Ireland’s pro-life laws at the ‘March for their Lives’, organised by Precious Life and other pro-life groups.
Andrew Todd complained to the BBC after coverage of the parliamentary vote in July 2019 only showed interviews with people who were pro-abortion.
The BBC claimed they had not been able to source an interview to provide an alternative viewpoint.
However five pro-life charities, including Precious Life, have since confirmed they were not approached by the broadcaster for comment.
The Corporation’s Executive Complaints Unit ruled that “due impartiality” was not achieved.
Bernadette Smyth, Head of Precious Life said today, “We were contacted in August by a diligent member of the public who was holding the BBC to account over biased TV News reporting of the Commons vote extending abortion to Northern Ireland. We were able to assure him that we had not been contacted by the BBC for comment, and had we been contacted, we would have been available and more than willing to respond.”
Bernadette Smyth continued, “We thank Mr Todd for challenging the BBC on this and we welcome this decision which is by all means unprecedented. We are hopeful that this will set a precedent for press and media organisations to uphold the standards required for ethical, balanced and fair coverage.”
“As a tax-payer funded private broadcaster, the BBC have a very serious responsibility towards the members of the UK public – many thousands of whom are pro-life and feel enormously frustrated by biased and unfair coverage of the abortion issue. As an organisation in receipt of public funds, the BBC has a duty and obligation to be impartial and fair its reporting, especially in such a huge social issue as abortion.”
Bernadette Smyth concluded, “This decision should serve as a catalyst for ensuring that all future coverage is fair and unbiased. For too long, pro-life organisations and members of the UK public have had to endure coverage which is one-sided and fails to recognize the views of so many members of the UK public.
“It is quite obvious that the BBC have forgotten their duty to the public who fund the organisation to provide factual, informative and fair coverage, not to promote abortion. Its coverage of controversial issues such as abortion must reflect the views of all sides of the debate in a balanced way, and we look forward to seeing much more fair and ethical reporting in future.”