BBC News Review says that “journalists’ “lack of understanding of basic economics” poses a “huge risk to impartiality”.

BBC News journalists’ inability to understand “basic economics” poses a “high risk of impartiality”, according to a report commissioned by the BBC.

The finding is included in the BBC’s first impartiality assessment, with a few more to come in the coming months. Since taking over in September 2020, BBC chief executive Tim Davie has made resolving impartiality issues a priority as the company remains in the government’s spotlight.

today Assessing the impartiality of BBC reporting on tax, government spending, government bonds and debt BBC News pleaded not guilty to the tone of deliberate political bias, but highlighted several pitfalls.

In response, the BBC board said Davie and his team would address the issues raised in the review with a proposed action plan.

Too many journalists “lack an understanding of basic economics or lack the confidence to report on it,” posing a “significant risk to impartiality,” the report said.

Additionally, Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot, who wrote the 50-page review, said they were “appalled by how much [viewers] said they don’t understand [the BBC’s] coverage”, especially those from a lower socio-economic background.

“Should broad impartiality care about the extent to which different groups find the coverage accessible?” the two wrote. “We think it should.”

According to the report, journalists struggle to communicate that “fiscal decisions are political decisions, not inevitable decisions”. Examples have been given by BBC journalists who say the government ‘must’ undertake a particular economic maneuver when in fact multiple choices are presented.

“Political-led news is prone to groupthink,” the report added. “Language necessarily takes subtle forms; If the BBC takes over, it could sound dangerously close to adopting the policy.

Other issues raised included “excessive interruptions by interviewers” and “skating on thin ice” by BBC journalists when using social media to spread stories about the economy.

While the authors emphasized “that there is much to admire in the BBC’s results on tax, government spending, government bonds and debt” and dismissed claims of deliberate political bias, they urged journalists to better understand the concepts they cover. ​and “to make the most of expertise”. already there.”

BBC News journalists are expected to be impartial and the issue has become increasingly sensitive in recent years with the advent of social media. High-profile incidents, such as a journalist saying, “Can I be so cheerful?” after Boris Johnson pulled out of the premiership race and failed to challenge a vaccine skeptic who claimed heart-damaging Covid shots had tarnished the team’s reputation.

Today’s review is part of a series to be published over the coming months as the BBC examines its approach to impartiality across the board.

The board’s statement said the review “will assist the BBC in how it can best engage in the selection and shaping of these stories, while highlighting the valuable role the BBC can play in improving understanding of these issues and.” all target groups. “