eurealist.co.uk

Now is this not strange, because a group of Eusceptics have constantly complained about the BBC Bias a complaint backed by reams of evidence, a supposedly independent, that is independent of the BBC and not the EU, committee has produced a report accusing the BBC of ‘little England’ mentality over Europe.

Oddly this exactly falls into line with the EU report on British Media, not enough correspondents reporting from Brussels, producing stories from a British perspective, a broader European perspective not explaining issues.

Of course the report did not find the BBC biased in favour of the EU but this was not expected as Richard North said when the committee members were announced said “Foxes to investigate Hen House”.(sorry cannot find the link)

The Telegraph says the report will accuse the BBC of peddling stereotypes about the European Union and too often telling important EU stories only through the prism of British politics.

It will be accused of

Criticisms from both sides of the way that the BBC reports Europe are reflected in the final report, although it is understood not to accuse the corporation of overall bias in either direction.

It calls on the BBC to review its output of EU stories and to sharpen its performance before the advent of a British referendum on whether this country should adopt the Union constitution, expected in spring next year.

One of the criticisms, said an official, is that there is too often a “Westminster context” to the reporting of EU affairs, when the issue is really of far greater importance in the wider context. It also raps the BBC’s knuckles for failing to make proper use of the network of correspondents it has across the Continent, who could give events in Brussels a broader, European perspective.

The report offers a chastening assessment of the corporation’s more high-brow stations, such as Radio 4, accusing them of being less willing to tell the EU story simply and faithfully than more popular programmes. Radio 5 Live was often better than Radio 4 at explaining issues such as how the European Parliament worked because it was not afraid to explain the basics.

A particular weakness was the reporting of the Union’s expansion last year, from a membership of 15 to 25, which marked the end of Europe’s post-war division.

The pro-Europeans in particular felt that this was too often told by the BBC in terms of worries about immigration rather than the wider benefits of opening Europe’s borders and bringing down trade barriers.