Between Impartiality and Ideology

This article examines the paradoxical requirements of the BBC's public service broadcasting (PSB) remit, which prescribes impartiality, fairness and balance in news reporting but also requires the broadcaster to serve specified civic values deemed fundamental to British society. Since this combination of civic values is not ideologically neutral, it raises the question of how liberal ideological assumptions are communicated in news items purporting to show due impartiality. The matter is further complicated when the quality of background information and analysis accompanying news stories is included as a factor within the remit, while market pressures and other practical constraints push in a different direction. We examine the tensions arising in this regard with reference to the reporting of Islam-related topics on the BBC's Ten O'Clock News over two years (November 2006 to October 2008). Our analysis combines a quantitative overview of frequency, salience and patterns of topic selection across the dataset as a whole with a case study of reports on one of the legal trials arising from a protest demonstration by Muslims in London. The concluding discussion reflects on the trade-offs involved in applying the different aspects of the BBC's remit to newsmaking practice.