Consultation Response - Media 12 - Cardiff University PDF 2 MB

Although the BBC’s performance in this area is significantly better than that of
the other broadcasters in the sample, we still found 108 news items (36% of
items in this category) on BBC outlets that did not specify where in the UK the
story applied (i.e. all items in ‘Not Stated’ categories). The failure to specify
that a story applied only to England (or England and other devolved nations)
often involved reporters taking the lead from interviewees who also failed to
do so. So, for example, the following item from the BBC online ‘Politics’ page
on 9 November 2009 took its lead from Conservative Party proposals:
Tories in social home 'swap' plan
The Conservatives have outlined plans to help social housing tenants who
want to move find properties elsewhere in the country.
Its new "affordable house swap programme" will use a new database of properties to
match tenants with suitable homes. The Tories say every family will be able to take
part wherever they live. Ministers gave the go-ahead for 2,000 new council homes in
September amid concerns about a growing shortage. The Tories say that social
tenants who need to relocate, either for work or family reasons, are often prevented
from doing so.
"If you are a social tenant, you do not have the same opportunities as other renters
or homeowners," said shadow housing minister Grant Shapps. "The system means
that your aspirations are squeezed, your expectations lowered, and your horizons are
limited." The Conservatives also plan to set up a body to look at ways of improving
mobility for social housing tenants, on which housing associations, council and
tenants' organisations will be represented. (BBC online ‘Politics’, 9 November 2009)
This is a Westminster initiative that applies only to England (housing is a
policy area devolved to the legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland). The location of this story on the BBC’s ‘Politics’ page, however, gives
the impression that this is a policy that would, if enacted, have ramifications
for the entire UK. The fact that the source for the story also gives this
impression clearly makes the reporter’s job more difficult (a point we will take
up later in this section).
Another example concerns the treatment of a government proposal – relating
only to England – that all nurses will, from 2013, be required to possess a
degree. An item on 5 live Breakfast began:
Now, at the moment, if you want to become a nurse you can choose to do a degree
or a diploma. But by 2013 – so, not long – all that will have changed and you will
only be able to become a nurse if you have a degree. (5 live Breakfast, 12 November
2009)
There then followed an interview with the Chief Executive of the Nursing and
Midwifery Council. During the item, no reference was made to the fact that
this policy would apply only in England or that Scotland and Wales already
practise this policy (which is scheduled to come into effect in Northern Ireland
in 2011).
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