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BBC Editors on Climate Change
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by ScienceDave | August 30, 2007 at 06:46 pm
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The BBC has recently been charged by the producers of the Great Global Warming Swindle as taking "a line" on climate change - i.e. siding with yayers instead of nayers. This comes as the Producers themselves have received flack about their 'facts', even from scientists portrayed in the film itself (See MIT Prof. Carl Wunsch's rebuttal). However, in a bold move by the editorial staff, Harrold Horrocks, head of TV News, wrote the following in his blog.
Basically, the BBC isn't taking a line - just as they should.
BBC News certainly does not have a line on climate change, however the weight of our coverage reflects the fact that there is an increasingly strong (although not overwhelming) weight of scientific opinion in favour of the proposition that climate change is happening and is being largely caused by man.BBC news programmes and our website of course reflect alternative views but we do not balance these views mathematically as that is not our judgement about where the argument has now reached.
That is definitely not the same as us propagating a view ourselves about climate change. It's not our job to do that.
In the Edinburgh session the possibility of the BBC doing a "consciousness-raising" event about the subject, possibly called Planet Relief, was raised.
There has been no decision yet about whether there might be such an event, nor what its editorial purpose might be. However it is clear that all BBC programming about climate change - whether about the science itself or the potential policy response by governments - needs to meet the BBC's standards of impartiality.
It is not the BBC's job to lead opinion or proselytise on this or any other subject. However we can make informed judgements and that is what we will continue to do.
Peter Horrocks is head of TV News
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 07:05 on August 31st, 2007
My impressions from BBC World was that the latest episode of Our World Recycling in Austrai was very good. I dont see how they can be accused of taking a line. The BBC News is known for it's bland fence sitting articles.
I have heard this complaint before but as usual with Rightist attacks they never actually point to any specific examples, They just make an alegation over and over and leave the accused twisting in the wind, then demand an explanation or for the company to refute the claims, thus giving them validity.