BBC Complaints: The link you need!

Friday 18 September 2009

THE 'TODAY' PROGRAMME PAPER-REVIEW REVIEW

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I am trying to work out a way to measure the bias (if there is any) in the Today programme's newspaper reviews. Do the left-leaning newspapers, especially the Guardian and the Independent, tend to be mentioned first? Or more often? Are serious stories in the right-leaning papers neglected in favour of fluffier ones?
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Anecdotally presented, the 17th September edition of the programme, hosted by John Humphrys and Sarah Montague contained the following.
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The 6.12am paper review, leading off with the Guardian and following with the Independent (both on the Trafigura story), and only then moving on to the Telegraph (for Andy Burnham's announcement about patients choosing GPs and a story about the Queen Mum!)
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At 6.39am came the second paper review, again led by serious stories from the Guardian (a story about China and carbon emissions) and the Independent (a story about a sugar tax in the U.S.). Third again came the Telegraph, but this time it was only the Queen Mum story!
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At least the paper review at 7.38am was not led by the Guardian but by the Telegraph (talking about the Obama race row), though the Independent again came second (with the same story).
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Of the other papers mentioned, the Times was quoted for a story about Nick Clegg wanting the Lib Dems to replace Labour (yeah, like that‘s gonna happen), the Mail about Mrs Thatcher being unnamed on a list of women's achievements (a story shared with the 'Independent') & whether 'Royal' might be prefixed to Wootton Bassett, and the Express for a story about the world's tallest man.

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Is this typical? Only time and a bit of measurement will tell.
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By coincidence (?), I notice that Newnight's closing paper review (with Gavin Esler) also led off with as story from the Guardian.

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