Mick Hartley

The BBC’s Panorama on Trump is claiming all the headlines – largely because of Trump’s threat to sue. This makes it easier for the Beeb’s apologists: it was just a one-off error of judgement. The real scandal, though, is the long-term bias, on trans issues, and on Israel.

Stephen Pollard at the JC:

Clearly it was wrong to have edited the Trump speech so badly. But while the mindset behind such behaviour is indicative of the BBC malaise – we know x is true, so even if y isn’t actually true, we will report it because it makes it even clearer how true x is – the most damning parts of the memo written by Michael Prescott, the BBC’s former adviser on editorial issues, actually relate to two other areas: the BBC’s coverage of Gaza and the Middle East, and its approach to trans issues.

Melanie Phillips in the Times:

No 10 has said the prime minister does not believe the BBC is “institutionally biased” and that it was right to continue to support the BBC, particularly “in an age of disinformation”. But the BBC has become the agent of disinformation.

Jake Wallis Simons at Spiked:

In the light of the findings, it is no exaggeration to say that the BBC has long been functioning as the propaganda arm of Hamas, funded by the British public. That is an extraordinary sentence to have written. But it is the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn.

For years, the broadcaster has been brushing this stuff under the carpet. In responding principally to the Trump allegations and largely ignoring the material on its anti-Israel bias, the BBC is pulling out the same playbook, hoping that when the dust settles, it will be back to business as usual.

The depressing thing is, it is probably right.