New News: Maintaining quality, impartial broadcast news in the UK at war and at peace

The Law Society – Chancery Lane 22 November 2001 9.00 am – 1.00 pm

IPPR’s news summit brought together key stakeholders in national and international broadcasting to discuss the issues raised by the Afghan conflict and the future of impartial broadcasting in the UK.

The seminar was introduced by Matthew Taylor - Director, IPPR

Chair: Mark Easton – Home Affairs Editor, Channel 4 News

Speakers: Yosri Fouda – Dep. Executive Director, Al-Jazeera TV Richard Tait – Editor-in-Chief, ITN Stephen Whittle – Controller of Editorial Policy, BBC Dominic Morris – ITC Damian Tambini – Senior Research Fellow, IPPR

“If we knew the exact location of Osama [bin Laden]? Then yes, of course we would broadcast it. Wouldn’t you?”

Yosri Fouda, Dep. Executive Director Al-Jazeera TV

Page 1 of 6 Attendees:

Trevor Barnes ITC Steven Barnett Professor, University of Westminster Paul Bolt Director, Broadcasting Standards Commission Peter Bottomley MP House of Commons Martin Campbell Director of Programming & Advertising, Radio Authority Carolyn Dailey Senior Vice President, Turner Broadcasting Dan DeLuce Deputy Director, PCMLP, University of Oxford Lord Dubs Chairman, Broadcasting Standards Commission Robin Hague Account Director, Einstein Consulting Phil Harding Director English Network and News, BBC World Service Charlotte Hilder Media Intern, IPPR David Levy Chief Advisor, Policy Development, BBC Peter Lewis School of Economics Stefano Magistrati University College London Kevin Marsh Position Editor, BBC David Morrison Director, Institute of Communications Studies, Leeds Francesca O'Brien Editor, News & Current Affairs, Channel 4 Greg Philo Muftah al-Suwaidan Executive Director, Al-Jazeera TV Nick Toon ITV Networks Ltd. Howard Tumber Dean, Sociology Department, City University Suzanne Warner Deputy Chair, Broadcasting Standards Commission

• The desire for quality, impartial news after Sept 11

Television 73% 23%

Radio 16% 26% Media turned to first on Sept 11 Newspaper 1% 41% Used in the first 24 hours Internet 8% 7%

None of these 1% 25%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% % of respondents

Page 2 of 6 Source: NOP Omnibus for BBC Audience Research

Broadcast television news remains the primary source of information for citizens - 96% of the population turned to television news in the first 24 hours after the attacks on the World Trade Center. For the Saturday prior to Sept 11 2 million viewers switched ITV off after the end of ‘Who Wants to be A Millionaire?’ before the ITN News at Ten. The following Saturday, over 2 million viewers joined the channel after ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ for the ITN News at Ten. There has been a sustained upturn in viewing figures of Channel 4 News and Newsnight.

The importance of niche channels and internet based services is increasing. Young adults were most likely to turn to the rolling news channels and use the internet in comparison to the general population. As young people turn to niche services and the internet the question of the accuracy and impartiality of news services across all channels of communication takes on an increased urgency for policymakers.

• Global News Providers

The global nature of news broadcasting introduces new challenges and exacerbates old tensions. The example was given of the embargo on details of the Prime Minister’s travel plans. Broadcasters felt that given the terrorist threat it would be fair not to reveal the Prime Minister’s itinerary. However, when it was discovered that the Pakistani Government had issued a press release giving the date, time and location of the Prime Minister’s arrival in Pakistan broadcasters felt that the Government had no right to maintain the embargo in the UK. “After all who do they [the Government] think he is at most risk from?”

Across the globe people have turned to the BBC World Service for quality, impartial news with the World Service increasing it’s share from 8% - 20% in the US market. Al-Jazeera’s Yosri Fouda argued that the World Service’s reputation in the Arab world was established with its impartial coverage of the Suez crisis and he believes that this perception continues and has been maintained throughout the present conflict.

Questions were raised concerning CNN America’s decision to remind viewers that military action in Afghanistan was taking place because the Taliban harbours the Al-Quaida network. CNN’s representative suggested that in the United States this decision was made to ensure due impartiality in reporting and it was recognised that in CNN’s services in other markets this would be inappropriate. The difficulty of just whose version of what is duly impartial was reflected in discussion amongst UK based broadcasters. Whilst one editor felt it was

Page 3 of 6 necessary to back UK troops and impartiality did not extend to the Taliban a UK based global broadcaster felt that their audience expected impartiality between all combatants.

“If you are a British broadcaster you are in British society. The public does not expect British broadcasters to be absolutely impartial in times of war.”

Richard Tait – Editor-in-Chief, ITN

Al-Jazeera television is not subject to the full requirements of the Broadcasting Act. The channel can only be regulated by the ITC under the EU’s Television Without Frontiers Directive. It can be regulated for incitement to violence but not for impartiality. Whilst Al-Jazeera makes every effort to be impartial, and arguably succeeds, this raises significant questions concerning the ability to regulate niche services from outside the 62% of broadcast journalists • The first cliché of war? surveyed think the Normal standards and rules that apply in peacetime may not apply impartiality when national security is threatened. But what are the appropriate requirement guidelines for the current conflict? David Morrison (Director – Institute makes the for Communications Studies, University of Leeds) argued that the public trust conflict possess both the characteristics of a limited war such as the news more Falklands and of a total war because the population feels threatened at home. The conflict has returned some old tensions and introduced new challenges for broadcasters. Impartiality has become at once more important and more vulnerable.

The practical difficulties of covering the Afghan conflict have been greater than in recent wars, but viewers are not naive. Acknowledging sources of information is crucial. Broadcasters have had to make sure that the viewer is aware that material has been sourced from outside of their organization, from Al-Jazeera Television or other providers.

Broadcasters have received a great deal of pressure from the Government but it was generally felt that this has not had a detrimental effect upon coverage. Richard Tait argued that the requirement to be impartial allowed him to resist Government pressure.

Page 4 of 6 “Pressure is news and citizens deserve to know what the Government are doing”.

Lord Dubs (Chairman – Broadcasting Standards Commission)

New challenges come from the increasing commercial pressures on broadcasters. Whilst this was felt in the UK mainly through budget pressure, many looked to the United States for examples of commercial pressures setting news agendas. It was argued that US broadcasters have been less resistant to Government than UK broadcasters. US news broadcasters have received pressure on the one hand because the need for ratings will not allow them to resist strong emotional reactions from the public. US news providers coverage of the conflict has also been directed towards a less critical stance because the large corporations which own the broadcasters desire for influence with Government introduces a powerful incentive for self-censorship amongst news producers.

Stephen Whittle also raised the difficulty for secular journalists covering Islam. He argued that it is extremely difficult for secular broadcasters to cover religion. Is enough depth being provided into Islam – are the general population aware of the fundamental difference between Islam and Islamism for example? Matthew Taylor suggested to general agreement that it may be that the current interpretation of the impartiality requirement, alongside the conception that conflict makes good television, leads broadcasters to focus on the extreme fringes rather than the nuanced middle ground.

• All information is on a need to know basis?

Whilst broadcasters should never endanger the lives of their own troops in a war in general the importance of an open society is such that broadcasters must err on the side of publicity – the public have a right to know what actions are being carried out in their name. Access to accurate and impartial news for citizens is a fundamental need and right in a democratic society. Yosri Fouda summed this up by suggesting; “Is it not a mistake to fight the enemies of Western civilization by compromising the essence of Western civilization?”

“Impartiality means steering clear of state broadcasting and deep pocket broadcasting.”

Stephen Whittle – Controller Editorial Policy, BBC

Page 5 of 6 Challenges to the Future of Impartial Broadcast News in the UK

The Communications White Paper outlines a new system for content regulation, however, significant questions remain and need to be answered.

These questions include:

• What will be the BBC’s relationship with Ofcom? Is there an argument for a plurality of regulators for content if not for competition? • What impact will ownership reform have on the current culture of impartiality in UK broadcasting? • Should niche channels be subject to the same impartiality requirements as major broadcast channels? • Is there a role for partisan channels in the broadcasting future? • Can reform of impartiality requirements re-invigorate participation in the UK?

An IPPR pamphlet published in the new year will, building on the seminar discussion, address these questions and suggest policy proposals.

Contributors will include: Stephen Whittle – Controller Editorial Policy, BBC Richard Tait – Editor-in-Chief, ITN Dominic Morris – ITC Damian Tambini and Jamie Cowling - IPPR

If impartiality makes commercial sense, does the presence of the Governors help or hinder the BBC?

Mark Easton – Home Affairs Editor, Channel 4 News

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