More BBC bias

The following article appeared in the NewsLetter on 15 September:

 

BBC 'defaulting on religion' claim

 

A leading BBC broadcaster claimed this week that the Corporation is dominated by a 'liberal secular elite' whose 'default position' is to assume that Christians are 'lunatics'.

 

Roger Bolton, a former presenter of BBC Sunday programme, warned of a 'suicidal' ignorance about religion.  He warned that those in charge of broadcasting suffered from a 'suicidal' ignorace about religion and said the Corporation was failing to meet its obligations as a public service broadcaster to improve understanding of religion.

 

Mr Bolton, who presents Radio 4's Feedback programme in which listeners air their views, said there was a growing view among the audience that Christians in particular were being treated unfairly in comparison with other faiths. 

 

He said it appeared to be impossible to make jokes about followers of other faiths while Christians were viewed as fair game.

 

Mr Bolton, speaking at a debate organised by the BBC's religion and ethics unit, called for television news reporters to receive training to teach them about faith.  He said a lack of basic understanding about religion meant faiths like  were being oversimplifed, leading to dangerous levels of ignorance.

 

Roger Bolton makes an important point about the lack of knowledge in the BBC but I would suggest there is more than mere ignorance.  There is actually a cosy liberal consensus which is antagonistic to Christianity and other faiths.

 

Bolton joined the BBC in 1967 and has worked on some of television's best known factual programmes, such as Panorama, as well as presenting Sunday between 1998 and 2010.  With more than thirty years experience in broadcasting, his comments are worth noting and they cannot be easily dismissed.