Call Yourself an Impartial Journalist?
Critics claim the Brexit debate has shown that the mainstream media is not impartial. But Jonathan Coffey asks what is impartiality and how does it function in a polarised society?
Amid the anger increasingly directed at broadcast journalists from those who claim that the so-called "mainstream media" can't be trusted, a battle is being fought over impartiality.
The big, regulated broadcasters - including the 麻豆官网首页入口, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky - argue that their output has to meet the test of "due impartiality"; their critics claim that too often programmes in fact evince bias.
In this documentary, Jonathan Coffey - who has worked on major stories for "Panorama" for over a decade - explores what impartiality means as our politics and national discourse have become increasingly polarised. Does it still matter as a concept for broadcasters? And how should broadcasters approach controversial issues like Brexit, immigration and transgenderism?
He considers how well impartiality is understood, the arguments advanced by the broadcasters' critics about alleged failures of impartiality; the 麻豆官网首页入口's track record on reflecting significant strands of thinking; the "liberal media bubble"; how far broadcasters are open-minded in avoiding biases; and if a more rigorous and radical open-minded journalistic approach is needed, especially in the coverage of deep value disputes.
Among those taking part: columnist, Rod Liddle; Kerry-anne Mendoza, a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn and editor-in-chief of the news website, "The Canary"; 麻豆官网首页入口 director of editorial policy and standards, David Jordan; presenter of Channel 4 News, Krishnan Guru-Murthy; Emily Maitlis, presenter of 麻豆官网首页入口 TWO's "Newsnight" and author of "Airhead: The Imperfect Art of Making News"; ITV's political editor, Robert Peston; Richard Sambrook, a director of 麻豆官网首页入口 News from 2001 to 2010; and philosopher Jason Baehr, author of "The Inquiring Mind".
Producer Simon Coates
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Broadcasts
- Fri 26 Apr 2019 11:00麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 4
- Sun 16 Jun 2019 13:30麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 4