SANTA GETS A GIFT

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Paddy O'Connell on Broadcasting House featured a discussion between Labour's former health secretary Frank 'Santa's Evil Twin' Dobson (pictured right) and the Conservative MEP Roger Helmer (pictured left) about the NHS. (Tip to Conservative MEPs: If you want to raise your public profile get yourself told off by the Conservative front bench. The Beeb will be on the phone! This was Roger Helmer's second interview on one of Radio 4's major programmes in as many weeks.)
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Frank Dobson was not interrupted but Mr Helmer was interrupted 3 times, earning O'Connell I.C.s of 0 for Dobson and 1 for Helmer.

O'Connell mainly questioned Dobson about an anecdote concerning a woman who used a mobile phone in a hospital when she shouldn't have done, whereas with Mr Helmer he stuck to asking about the Conservative Party's attitude towards the NHS (and the debate about the NHS). These contrasting lines of questioning (one soft, one tough) suggest bias. However, the clearest sign of bias came when O'Connell switched tack with Claus at one point and asked him a gift of a question, "Does that tell you, Frank Dobson, what the Conservatives might do with the NHS?" That's not the sort of question an interviewer should put to a Labour spokesman, especially if he doesn't return the favour to the Conservative spokesman - and he didn't return the favour! The question also slanted the discussion still further away from the Labour Party's policies on the NHS.

HAS ANDY COME BACK A CHANGED MAN?

Andrew Marr was back this morning. His holiday seems to have done him good. Has he come back a better and less-biased interviewer? We can hope!!
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An interview with Nigel Farage that contained no interruptions (I.C. of 0) was followed by an interview with George Osborne that contained a mere ten interruptions (I.C. of 0.8). Compare this interview with Marr's interview with Mr Osborne from 19th July, as reviewed by yours truly:
http://beebbiascraig.blogspot.com/2009/07/students-of-media-studies-should-be.html

For a conservative take on what George Osborne had to say today, see Guido Fawkes:
http://order-order.com/2009/09/06/osbornes-command-economics/

SNIGGERING AT NIGEL FARAGE?

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Nigel Farage got longer to speak on Friday's Today - over five minutes in fact. Interviewed by Sarah Montague, he was only interrupted 3 times (I.C. of 0.7).

Questions of bias arise, however, because of Sarah Montague's bizarre sniggering.

I'll transcribe what Nigel was saying & place his interviewer's sniggers in context. Give it a listen (via the link provided) and see what you think.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8237000/8237283.stm

"As UKIP's grown, it's really become just too difficult, the party's now become too big (snigger) to do two jobs." (0.53 into the Today clip)

"Let's use the election in Buckingham to have a proper national debate about how (snigger) we're governed." (2.26 into the Today clip)

"I will be the parliamentary leader. I intend and (snigger) want to stay on as spokesman."
(5.13 into the Today clip)
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Shortly after this final snigger, Sarah interrupted with "You're not standing down as anything!" and burst out laughing.
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**********************

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By contrast, though a shorter interviewer (lasting only 2 mins 51), Sarah Montague's interview with Green leader Caroline Lucas contained no interruptions and no sniggering.

BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS HIM!

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Kirsty Wark's interview with Nigel Farage, following Crick's report, lasted all of 1 minute 34 seconds. Astonishing! With so much to ask Mr Farage about, especially his decision to stand down as leader of UKIP in the UK (which was not asked about), and with his party holding it's annual conference, you would have expected (and been right to expect) a longer interview.

Now, despite giving him only 1 minute 34 seconds of her precious time, Kirsty still went on to interrupt Nigel Farage! Her I.C. was 0.7.

Her questions were hostile in tone:

"Why not make this a fair fight if you want to be taken seriously for Westminster and go into a constituency where candidates actually campaign?"

"So basically it's a publicity stunt, as you've said." (As NF pointed out, he'd said no such thing.)

"Oh, but, but, if you look what UKIP did... 2 1/2% of the electorate supported UKIP last time round. You're never going to make a mark on that seat!"

Kirsty's "Thank you very much" at the end was abrupt and stern in tone. Her face was like thunder. Please watch it on the Newsnight website & you'll see what I mean!
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P.S. As she also mentioned that Newsnight had tried to get John Bercow himself on (but that he wasn't available), I have a strong suspicion that Nigel Farage would not have received an invitation to appear at all had Bercow been prepared to appear.
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***********************
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Sadly not having the time to cover the BBC website as well (as I work full-time) I'm making a rare comment about it here. The Beeb's very young political correspondent Ross Hawkins reports on Nigel Farage's decision to step down as UKIP's domestic leader here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8237728.stm
It's a good piece, not at all hostile to UKIP. I enjoyed reading it. Well done, young man!
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My congratulations most definitely don't extend to the piece's sub-headings (which would not be Ross's doing). These are ''Wild men'' and 'Tough'. Who the hell wrote these sub-headings? Why pick on two negatives? They are hardly representative of the piece itself. And why pick on two such irrelevant sub-headings? Truly bizarre - and another sign of the BBC's bias against the Right. Poor show, mystery sub-editor!

CRICK AND GROUNDHOG DAY

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It's groundhog day again. Michael Crick's latest report on Newsnight (his last one being about Boris and the Tories) was about...yes, of course...the Tories. (The man's obsession with them just goes on and on and on..., as all true obsessions should!)
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It was also, ostensibly, about UKIP - being provoked by Nigel Farage's (excellent) decision to stand against Labour-friendly, expense-grabbing Speaker John Bercow in the forthcoming general election. I say 'ostensibly' because UKIP spokesmen were thin on the ground in Crick's report, with only 19 seconds going to a local party activist, Brian Adams.

The main purpose of Crick's report was to highlight more problems for David Cameron and his party. The understandable desire of many Conservatives, including party activists in Buckingham, to vote for the truly conservative Mr Farage rather than for the no-longer-conservative-at all Mr Bercow is causing confusion (if Crick is to be believed) in the party. How should active Conservatives handle it? Back Bercow? Back an anti-Bercow official Conservative? Or vote for Nigel Farage?

The secondary purpose of Crick's report was to heap praise on the Left's favourite Bercow. "Some UKIP activists concede John Bercow has been a good local MP", he said. More praise for his constituency work followed from various talking heads. The Daily Telegraph's revelations about Speaker Bercow were not mentioned.

I also look for the word 'independent' in any description of a 'talking head' in a report, as the word gives the speaker an authority that may or may not be deserved - and that's a sign of bias, in that either the person is likely to be one of whom the reporter approves or is expressing opinions of which the reporter approves. So my ears pricked up when I heard this from Crick: "But the vice-chancellor of the independent Buckingham University believes Farage would be bad news for the seat." The word 'independent' is strange in this context anyhow. Why call a university 'independent'? Surely only for the purposes of bias, outlined above? Indeed, why include this man at all?
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If I ask again why Crick keeps on reporting on the main opposition party rather than on the government of this country, I too will be giving you a groundhog day experience! So I won't.

The Crick Count

Conservative - 6
Tory - 6

BEEB'S MOST BIASED - The Awards Ceremony

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Beeb Bias Craig would like to congratulate James Naughtie on winning the prestigious 'Beeb's Most Biased' Award for August 2009. His continued sterling efforts to promote the Left at the expense of the Right cannot but go unrecognised.

Can he hold on to his crown in September? Well, he's already got off to a flying start...

JIM NAUGHTIE

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BIASED...

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AND NOT AFRAID TO SHOW IT!

AUGUST'S I.C.s - JIM NAUGHTIE

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No prizes for guessing who was the worst offender - by some way - in August! Yes, the coveted award for the title of 'Beeb's Most Biased' goes to....(drum roll)...Jim Naughtie.

Here are his I.C.s for August:

6/8 Grant Shapps, Conservative - 1.2
11/8 George Osborne, Conservative - 1.2
12/8 Ed Vaizey, Conservative - 0.9
31/8 Nicola Sturgeon, SNP - 0.4
8/8 John McFall, Labour - 0.3
5/8 Tim Yeo, Conservative - 0
11/8 Andrew Dismore, Labour - 0
13/8 Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem - 0
11/8 Ivan Lewis, Labour - 0
10/8 Kim Howell, Labour - 0
6/8 Quentin Davies, Labour- 0

The averages here are:
Conservatives - 0.8
SNP - 0.3
Labour - 0.1
Lib Dems - 0

The Conservative average would have been higher were it not for Tim Yeo, that most left-wing of Tories advocating action on AGW, bringing out Naughtie's kind-to-a-Tory side for once. Just to remind you, July's figures were 1.4 for the Conservatives, 0.5 for Labour and 0 for the Lib Dems. June's were 1 for the Conservatives and 0 for Labour!!

Bias, month in month out from Naughtie.

AUGUST'S I.C.s - GAVIN ESLER

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Gavin Esler has been fairly quiet too. Here he comes:

20/8 Kenny MacAskill, SNP - 1.6
13/8 Ann Keen, Labour - 1.3
14/8 Andrew Lansley, Conservative - 0.8
21/8 Iain Gray, Labour - 0.6
21/8 George Kerevan, SNP - 0.5
7/8 Gisella Stuart, Labour - 0.4
14/8 Andy Burnham, Labour - 0

His averages are what you would expect from Esler:
******SNP - 1.1
******Conservatives - 0.8
******Labour - 0.6

AUGUST'S I.C.s - JOHN HUMPHRYS

&

John Humphrys has been another of the BBC's absentee interviewers for most of August, so not much to go on here either. Still....

21/08 Alex Salmond, SNP - 1
21/08 David Miliband, Labour - 0.9
22/08 David Lidington, Conservative - 0.9
20/08 Lord Baker, Conservative - 0.9
20/08 Sir Patrick Cormack, Conservative - 0.2
22/08 Ed Davey, Lib Dem - 0

Averages of:
SNP - 1
Labour - 0.9
Conservatives - 0.7
Lib Dems - 0

AUGUST'S I.C.s - SARAH MONTAGUE

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The much-loved Today presenter Sarah Montague was off for most of August. Here's all that she got up to:

4/8 Ivan Lewis, Labour - 1
3/8 Phil Woolas, Labour - 0.6
4/8 Andrew Dismore, Labour - 0
3/8 Phil Willis, Lib Dem - 0

This gives her an average I.C. of 0.5 for Labour.

AUGUST'S I.C.s - RITULA SHAH

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Ritula Shah of The World Tonight didn't do too many domestic interviews in August, but here's what she did.

29/8 Gerald Howarth, Conservative - 0.8
22/8 Mike Gapes, Labour - 0.5
5/8 Malcolm Wicks, Labour - 0.3
19/8 Stephen Williams, Lib Dem - 0
17/8 Gisella Stuart, Labour - 0
27/8 Lord Ashdown, Lib Dem - 0
10/8 Ann Widdecombe, Conservative - 0

Her averages are:
Conservative - 0.4
Labour - 0.3
Lib Dems - 0

AUGUST'S I.C.s - KIRSTY WARK

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Kirsty Wark had quite a busy August. Her figures for the month are agreeably unexpected.

25/8 Tessa Jowell, Labour - 1.7
17/8 Vince Cable, Lib Dem - 1.6
10/8 Hilary Benn, Labour - 1.2
12/8 Angela Eagle, Labour - 0.9
11/8 Ivan Lewis, Labour - 0.8
19/8 Douglas Alexander, Labour - 0.7
12/8 John Redwood, Conservative - 0.6
3/8 Vince Cable, Lib Dem - 0.5
3/8 John McFall, Labour - 0.4
5/8 Christine Graham, SNP - 0.4
10/8 Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem - 0.3
24/8 Alex Salmond, SNP - 0.2
26/8 Douglas Alexander, Labour - 0.2
4/8 Philip Hammond, Conservative - 0
12/8 Vince Cable, Lib Dem - 0


Average number of interruptions per political party:
********Labour - 0.8
********Lib Dems - 0.6
********Conservatives - 0.3
********SNP - 0.3

Who would have expected that? The SNP on 0.3, Kirsty's friends in Labour 0.8!! Credit where credit is due, well done Kirsty and keep it up!

AUGUST'S I.C.s - MARTHA KEARNEY

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Martha Kearney, the work-house of The World at One, conducted a decent number of interviews in August. Here are her I.C.s:

13/8 Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative - 1.4
27/8 Nick Gibb, Conservative - 1
27/8 Vernon Coaker, Labour - 0.9
24/8 Nick Clegg, Lib Dem - 0.9
18/8 Alistair Darling, Labour - 0.9
9/8 Douglas Alexander, Labour - 0.9
11/8 Lord Mandelson, Labour - 0.7
17/8 Richard Baker, Labour - 0.6
19/8 Christine Graham, SNP - 0.2
11/8 Peter Luff, Conservative - 0
13/8 Christine Graham, SNP - 0
18/8 Paul Holmes, Lib Dem - 0
27/8 Boris Johnson, Conservative - 0
13/8 Sir Patrick Cormack, Conservative - 0

The toughest and the easiest rides were for Conservatives, thus giving this surprising result:

Average number of interruptions per political party:
********Labour - 0.7
********Conservative - 0.5
********Lib Dem - 0.5

AUGUST'S I.C.s - JUSTIN WEBB

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The BBC's legendary ex-North America editor, Justin Webb (last seen simpering in front of Barack Obama), joined Today at the end of August. Welcome Justin! (You better be more balanced now you're back in Blighty, or else.)

There's only one interview to record:

28/8 Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Conservative - 0.6

AUGUST'S I.C. - ROBIN LUSTIG

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Here's one I'm sure you've been waiting for with baited breath: Robin (zzzzzzz) Lustig.

12/8 Ieuan Wyn Jones, Plaid Cymru - 0
12/8 David Drew, Labour - 0
21/8 Richard Baker, Labour - 0
21/8 Ivan Lewis, Labour - 0
13/8 Sir Ming Campbell, Lib Dem - 0

Free rides all round, though (due to the low questions ratio) Sir Ming's was again the freeest ride of all. (Is it part of some hidden BBC code that Sir Ming Campbell musn't be interrupted by interviewers?)

AUGUST'S I.C.s - ODDS AND SODS

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This post will round up all the miscellaneous interviewers - the stand-ins, the rare butterflies, the reporters - who got a bite of the interviewing cherry last month.


JAMES LANDALE

Eddie Mair's large shoes were filled on 14th August by political correspondent James Landale.

Roger Helmer, Conservative - 0
Chris Bryant, Labour - 0
Lord West, GOAT - 0

The phrase 'nothing to see here' springs to mind.



STEPHEN EVANS

Broadcasting House only swam into my ken because of the absence of the Marr Show, but it will be staying in focus from now on. The only interviews caught in August were as follows:

30/8 Alex Salmond, SNP - 0.8
23/8 Alex Salmond, SNP - 0.6

Both were tough interviews (despite the lowish I.C.s).



ROBERT PESTON

Robeert Pestooooooon's one fuuuull interview toooooook place on Todaaaaaay on 1st August.

Lord Myners, Labour - 0



QUENTIN SOMMERVILLE

The BBC's China correspondent got to interview Tony Blair (remember him?) over China's use of 'green technology' (Today, 21st August).

Tony Blair, Labour - 0

A gentle affair it was too.



Best of all, of course, was:

LAURA KUENSSBERG


16/8 Janet Anderson, Labour - 0.5
16/8 Ed Vaizey, Conservative - 0.2
16/8 Evan Harris, Lib Dem - 0.2
23/8 Pete Wishart, SNP - 0
23/8 Tom Harris, Labour - 0
23/8 David Mundell, Conservative - 0

Her exemplary performances have been lauded already.

AUGUST'S I.C.s - EVAN DAVIS

Unlike in July, Evan Davis spent most of August in the company of Labour or Lib Dem politicians:

20/8 Alistair Darling, Labour - 1
20/8 David Lammy, Labour - 0.8
12/8 Peter Mandelson, Labour - 0.8
17/8 Lord Adonis, Labour - 0.7
19/8 Roger Berry, Labour - 0.6
17/8 Murad Qureshi, Labour - 0.5
25/8 Denis MacShane, Labour - 0.5
12/8 Lord Layard, Labour - 0.4
25/8 John Redwood, Conservative - 0.3
17/8 Bob Ainsworth, Labour - 0.3
14/8 Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour - 0.2
13/8 Alan Beith, Lib Dem - 0
15/8 Denis MacShane, Labour - 0
14/8 Vince Cable, Lib Dem - 0
24/8 Louise Ellman, Labour - 0
24/8 Lord Steel, Lib Dem - 0
4/8 Vince Cable, Lib Dem - 0
26/8 John Prescott, Labour - 0

Average number of interruptions per political party
********************Labour - 0.4
********************Conservative - 0.3
********************Lib Dem - 0

Evan Davis still needs watching to see where his trends are leading (though, like the previous month's results, I don't think that the Lib Dems need to be worried!!)

AUGUST'S I.C.s - SHAUN LEY(ED-BACK)

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I've presented quite a lot of evidence on this blog that Shaun Ley is biased towards the Left, but August's I.C. list reveals that bias taking a whole new turn (though that, of course, reflects much more the bias of the programme's editor rather than that of Ley himself) . Of the 12 interviews featured, 11 were with Labour spokesmen. The figures themselves, however, may only show that Shaun was in a very spaced-out mood last month.

28/8 Gisella Stuart, Labour - 0.7
21/8 Lord Trefgarne, Conservative - 0
21/8 Tam Dalyell, Labour - 0
4/8 Jim Cousins, Labour - 0
30/8 Alan Campbell, Labour - 0
6/8 Stephen Timms, Labour - 0
3/8 Ian Pearson, Labour - 0
5/8 Vera Baird, Labour - 0
2/8 Bill Rammell, Labour - 0
30/8 Jack Straw, Labour - 0
28/8 Frank Field, Labour - 0
4/8 Frank Field, Labour - 0

AUGUST'S I.C.s - MARR'S STAND-INS

With Andrew Marr off our screens during August, he had three stand-ins: Huw Edwards, Stephanie Flanders and Sophie Raworth. How did they fare? Were they any less biased that old Marr?
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SOPHIE RAWORTH(pictured above with a pleased-looking Jeremy Bowen)

Sophie's appearance on 9th August contained two relevant interviews:
Andrew Lansley, Conservative - 1.2
Hilary Benn, Labour - 0.3
The Lansley interview was on health and public spending (and, of course, cuts), whereas Benn's was bout the 'food revolution'. The sharp disparity in I.C.s does her no credit.


STEPHANIE FLANDERS

Steph's appearance on 2nd August contained two relevant interviews:
Vince Cable, Lib Dem - 1
Harriet Harman, Labour - 0.7
Please click on the label for the fair Stephanie for my comments on her un-BBC-like interview with St. Vince. The interview with Hattie ranged widely, but was not so strenuous.


HUW EDWARDS

Huw's show was on 16th August and contained three relevant interviews:
Michael Gove, Conservative - 1.1
Bob Ainsworth, Labour - 0.9
Caroline Flint, Labour - 0.3
Hard to judge off just three interviews, but it doesn't surprise me that the Gove interview was the toughest.

CRICKWATCH CONTINUES, HOLIDAY OR NO HOLIDAY

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Last night's Newsnight led with the resignation of Labour PPS Eric Joyce over the government's policy on the war in Afghanistan and its treatment of the army. After a report by Matt Prodger, Jeremy Paxman briefly discussed the story (a Labour story!) with our old friend Michael Crick.
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Crick's pronouncements were not ones to take exception to, except for a couple of statements about Mr Joyce which could be interpreted as somewhat undermining the man's credibility (echoes of which would be heard in the statements of loyalists like John Spellar MP):
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"Well, Eric Joyce is not a big name. PPS is the lowest rank in the government. It's unpaid. Er, you know, most PPSs, most people would never know who they were at all."
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"Having said that, Mr Joyce has always been known as, er, a bit of an independent, rather eccentric figure I think."

Mmm...