BBC Bosses Draw Up Plans to Win Over Reform Voters by Changing News and Drama Output
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The BBC's Director General Tim Davie and other senior bosses at the corporation have drawn up plans to win over voters of Reform UK, due to a belief that their news and drama output is creating "low trust issues" with supporters of Nigel Farage's party.
Minutes of a meeting of the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee in March, seen by Byline Times, show that BBC News CEO Deborah Turness gave a presentation in which she discussed plans to alter "story selection" and "other types of output, such as drama" in order to win the trust of Reform voters.
The committee also identified "the importance of local BBC teams" to their plan to win over supporters of Farage.
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Members of the committee, which includes former GB News executive Robbie Gibb, discussed the presentation and agreed to give an "update on progress" towards their aim at a later date.
"The CEO, News and Current Affairs provided the Committee with a presentation on plans to address low trust issues with Reform voters" the minutes state.
"The Committee discussed the presentation. Committee members recognised the importance of local BBC teams in the plan, given their closeness to audiences.
"Directors discussed how story selection and other types of output, such as drama, also had a role to play. An update on progress would return to a future meeting".
Farage has repeatedly used his own GB News platform to attack the BBC, calling it a "political actor" and threatening to boycott the corporation. In language also used by the BBC Editorial Committee, the Reform leader suggested that BBC editors were using "story selection" in order to target his party.
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The Editorial Guidelines Committee has also been the source of significant internal disquiet at the BBC, due to concerns over the influence of BBC Board Member Robbie Gibb.
Gibb was appointed to the board by former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021.
He was identified by former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis in 2022 as an "active agent of the Conservative party" and also drew controversy for his role at the Reform-supporting GB News.
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BBC staffers spoken to by this paper privately expressed their concern about the new plan to win over Reform voters, due to the risk of increasing allegations of bias at the corporation.
The BBC has previously been criticised by some viewers for heavily featuring Reform UK politicians on its programmes, despite the party only having five elected members of Parliament. Previous research has identified Nigel Farage as being among the most invited guests on the BBC's flagship Question Time discussion programme.
The BBC were asked by this paper whether there had been any similar discussions about secur...
For digital and print editions, packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, features, and columns….
SUBSCRIBE
The BBC's Director General Tim Davie and other senior bosses at the corporation have drawn up plans to win over voters of Reform UK, due to a belief that their news and drama output is creating "low trust issues" with supporters of Nigel Farage's party.
Minutes of a meeting of the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee in March, seen by Byline Times, show that BBC News CEO Deborah Turness gave a presentation in which she discussed plans to alter "story selection" and "other types of output, such as drama" in order to win the trust of Reform voters.
The committee also identified "the importance of local BBC teams" to their plan to win over supporters of Farage.
EXCLUSIVE
The BBC's Road to Appeasement
As Theresa May's former Communications Director Robbie Gibb is re-appointed to the BBC board, the new retail edition of Byline Times' reveals the inside story of how the corporation was cowed by the Conservative party machine
Adam Bienkov and Patrick Howse
Members of the committee, which includes former GB News executive Robbie Gibb, discussed the presentation and agreed to give an "update on progress" towards their aim at a later date.
"The CEO, News and Current Affairs provided the Committee with a presentation on plans to address low trust issues with Reform voters" the minutes state.
"The Committee discussed the presentation. Committee members recognised the importance of local BBC teams in the plan, given their closeness to audiences.
"Directors discussed how story selection and other types of output, such as drama, also had a role to play. An update on progress would return to a future meeting".
Farage has repeatedly used his own GB News platform to attack the BBC, calling it a "political actor" and threatening to boycott the corporation. In language also used by the BBC Editorial Committee, the Reform leader suggested that BBC editors were using "story selection" in order to target his party.
The BBC Must Be Mutualised to End Its 'Pro-Establishment Bias' Warns Report
It finds that BBC reporting is overwhelmingly focused on the concerns of senior politicians and business people around Westminster, rather than the country at large
Olly Haynes
The Editorial Guidelines Committee has also been the source of significant internal disquiet at the BBC, due to concerns over the influence of BBC Board Member Robbie Gibb.
Gibb was appointed to the board by former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021.
He was identified by former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis in 2022 as an "active agent of the Conservative party" and also drew controversy for his role at the Reform-supporting GB News.
ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE? HELP US TO PRODUCE MORE
Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
PAY ANNUALLY - £39.50 A YEAR
PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
MORE OPTIONS
We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
BBC staffers spoken to by this paper privately expressed their concern about the new plan to win over Reform voters, due to the risk of increasing allegations of bias at the corporation.
The BBC has previously been criticised by some viewers for heavily featuring Reform UK politicians on its programmes, despite the party only having five elected members of Parliament. Previous research has identified Nigel Farage as being among the most invited guests on the BBC's flagship Question Time discussion programme.
The BBC were asked by this paper whether there had been any similar discussions about secur...
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