The BBC has dismissed a complaint by the Centre for Citizenship that a claim in a news report that a “leading republican” had been arrested for multiple murders in Northern Ireland show bias against republicans. The most the state broadcaster, which claims to be “the greatest force for cultural good on the face of the earth”, has conceded is that it “could have been clearer” in its reporting.
The misleading claim was made in a BBC TV News story on 27 March immediately following a report that an opinion poll showed only minority support for Britain becoming a republic. The arrested man was, in fact, a member of a terrorist organisation little known outside Northern Ireland.
On 1 April the Centre for Citizenship filed a complaint about the report with the BBC. No response was made by the media giant until 24 May, following a second letter. The BBC complaints department official who then responded wrote only that “I note your complaint”.
Her letter said that she had “ran your complaint past the production team”. That team had commented that “Our introduction could have been clearer”. Later reports had referred to the “leading republican” as “a prominent Northern Ireland dissident Republican”. These reports had not immediately followed the opinion poll story. They did not think that TV viewers would have “made a link” between a report on support for republicanism in Britain and another on a “leading republican” being arrested for multiple murder.
The dismissive letter was not unexpected. Although the BBC tries to justify its tax on TV viewers by its editorial independence and the quality of its news and current affairs programmes, it has a long history of anti-republican bias.