Chris Hanretty

A BBC complaints panel has upheld a viewer’s complaint about a Newsnight poll which falsely implied business was against Scottish independence. The finding comes after BBC presenters have been curt - to say the least - with the SNP.

This is a very basic error. It will fuel the belief amongst the SNP that the BBC is institutionally biased against it. Whether the BBC’s immune system - the complaints process and regular meetings with party officers - will save it is unclear. The BBC has long been perceived badly by Scots A 1991 internal report on public perceptions of BBC bias had this to say:

“A minority focus on government/civil service/Establishment influence. They believe they understand how bias arises and do not feel threatened by it since knowledge is a form of control. Nevertheless, they are certainly not happy for it to exist. Those in our sample exhibiting these attitudes were young pro-government males and ‘radical’ Scots males: both perceived a right-wing bias in television news and current affairs”

This was followed by research conducted by MORI in the run-up to Charter renewal:

 Groups which are more satisfied than average are those who watch the BBC for half or more of their viewing time (83% satisfied), those aged 16-30 (80% satisfied), those living in Wales (81% satisfied) and those living in the South East (80% satisfied). Groups more likely to be dissatisfied with the BBC are those in the North East (17% dissatisfied) and Scotland (16% dissatisfied)

and

The groups least likely to feel the BBC takes account of their views are those living in Scotland (49% of these people) or Northern Ireland (45% of this group), young people of Asian origin (50%) and young black people (46%).