The BBC Must Be Mutualised to End Its 'Pro-Establishment Bias' Warns Report
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The BBC must be "mutualised" in order to end its "pro-establishment bias" a new report has found.
The Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is currently exploring "mutualising" the BBC in order to make it democratically accountable to the public.
Under the plan the corporation would become effectively owned and held accountable by its license fee payers.
A new report, which is published by the thinktank Common Wealth and the Media Reform Coalition, calls for the BBC to be mutualised from 2027 when the government is required to renew the corporation's Royal Charter, in order to end what it describes as its "pro-establishment bias" arguing that "BBC news reporting is driven by the statements and actions of leading politicians, state officials, and sources from business and finance.
How the BBC's Flawed Impartiality Scuppered a Podcast About a Heating System
Former BBC producer and reporter Patrick Howse explores the latest worrying sign of the BBC's flawed interpretation of 'impartiality'
Patrick Howse
As a result, the BBC presents a narrow range of, and exhibits a lack of balance, on important political issues" the report states.
The report states that the BBC's reporting "has reflected the interests of the UK state, rather than assuming an impartial position" on issues like Israel's genocide in Gaza, as well as a general orientation of political coverage towards Westminster rather than the effects of decisions on the country as a whole.
The report suggests that this bias stems partly from the BBC's funding model leaving it unwilling to challenge the Government, on which it ultimately relies for financial security.
They argue "In its current form the BBC has been unable or unwilling to address the often-contradictory claims of its critics and to assess their relative merits. The organisation that emerges under the new Charter must be able to do so, and in a manner that secures the respect of those who fund it".
The authors of the report argue that mutualisation is the necessary remedy for a BBC struggling with accusations of bias, declining public trust, and competition in an international market of streaming services.
The report proposes that citizens become "members" of a mutually owned BBC with democratic input into how the BBC operates.
This, the authors argue, would operate through "members panels", which would be advisory bodies made up of members of the public who would counsel parts of the BBC on what the public wants from their broadcaster.
How a 'Populist' Media Has Mainstreamed the Far Right
Right-wing daily papers in the UK do not represent 'public opinion' - they simply reflect the radical right views of those 'who own and run them', argues Julian Petley
Julian Petley
Under Common Wealth's proposals, every BBC member would have the right to allocate a share of the BBC's budget to support independent public interest content.
While the report does not endorse any particular funding model for the BBC, the authors argue that a mutual BBC must adhere to its founding principles of universality, so that it responds to the concerns of all those who fund it, including by taking into account individual's ability to pay, as well as independence so that the BBC is not responsive to political interference and is instead accountable to the public.
Thomas Chivers, one of the authors of the report told Byline Times "With far-right politicians and Big Tech billionaires threatening to tear up our national institutions, we need genuinely democratic media that's owned, controlled by and accountable to the public.
"Mutualising the BBC will restore the BBC's place as a vital public s...
To support its work, subscribe to the monthly Byline Times print edition, packed with exclusive investigations, news, and analysis.
Help us build the better media Britain deserves
The BBC must be "mutualised" in order to end its "pro-establishment bias" a new report has found.
The Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is currently exploring "mutualising" the BBC in order to make it democratically accountable to the public.
Under the plan the corporation would become effectively owned and held accountable by its license fee payers.
A new report, which is published by the thinktank Common Wealth and the Media Reform Coalition, calls for the BBC to be mutualised from 2027 when the government is required to renew the corporation's Royal Charter, in order to end what it describes as its "pro-establishment bias" arguing that "BBC news reporting is driven by the statements and actions of leading politicians, state officials, and sources from business and finance.
How the BBC's Flawed Impartiality Scuppered a Podcast About a Heating System
Former BBC producer and reporter Patrick Howse explores the latest worrying sign of the BBC's flawed interpretation of 'impartiality'
Patrick Howse
As a result, the BBC presents a narrow range of, and exhibits a lack of balance, on important political issues" the report states.
The report states that the BBC's reporting "has reflected the interests of the UK state, rather than assuming an impartial position" on issues like Israel's genocide in Gaza, as well as a general orientation of political coverage towards Westminster rather than the effects of decisions on the country as a whole.
The report suggests that this bias stems partly from the BBC's funding model leaving it unwilling to challenge the Government, on which it ultimately relies for financial security.
They argue "In its current form the BBC has been unable or unwilling to address the often-contradictory claims of its critics and to assess their relative merits. The organisation that emerges under the new Charter must be able to do so, and in a manner that secures the respect of those who fund it".
The authors of the report argue that mutualisation is the necessary remedy for a BBC struggling with accusations of bias, declining public trust, and competition in an international market of streaming services.
The report proposes that citizens become "members" of a mutually owned BBC with democratic input into how the BBC operates.
This, the authors argue, would operate through "members panels", which would be advisory bodies made up of members of the public who would counsel parts of the BBC on what the public wants from their broadcaster.
How a 'Populist' Media Has Mainstreamed the Far Right
Right-wing daily papers in the UK do not represent 'public opinion' - they simply reflect the radical right views of those 'who own and run them', argues Julian Petley
Julian Petley
Under Common Wealth's proposals, every BBC member would have the right to allocate a share of the BBC's budget to support independent public interest content.
While the report does not endorse any particular funding model for the BBC, the authors argue that a mutual BBC must adhere to its founding principles of universality, so that it responds to the concerns of all those who fund it, including by taking into account individual's ability to pay, as well as independence so that the BBC is not responsive to political interference and is instead accountable to the public.
Thomas Chivers, one of the authors of the report told Byline Times "With far-right politicians and Big Tech billionaires threatening to tear up our national institutions, we need genuinely democratic media that's owned, controlled by and accountable to the public.
"Mutualising the BBC will restore the BBC's place as a vital public s...
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