BBC response to complaint about bias, inaccuracy and harm
Reference CAS-7310049-N4D7C9
Dear Ms XXXX
Thank you for getting back in touch. We appreciate the further summary of your complaint and note the additional information you’ve provided for us to better understand your concerns.
Your complaint has been discussed with the executive editor with responsibility for The Social, and senior management at BBC Scotland.
While we note your views and further comments, we would again outline that The Social has a particular remit to develop emerging creators in Scotland to produce authored content on subjects they are passionate about – and for the audience to form their own views on. The films made for The Social are not part of the BBC’s news reporting service. BBC The Social prides itself on being a platform for a wide range of opinions and viewpoints. We feature 18+ adults in Scotland talking about the subjects they care about and what they are talking about with their friends. Over the years we have featured a number of contributors who are interested in discussing their own views on gender and also the wider discussions of gender politics in society.
The content is designed for publication on social media, which also allows for those with dissenting views to make these known in the comments sections on the relevant social platforms where the content is posted/shared, thereby allowing for a diversity of opinions. The comments remain available on the video in question, as they do for other content on these platforms, and there is an open door to commissioning too. If, for example, someone based in Scotland wished to create a piece offering an alternative viewpoint, the ‘Contact us’ form is available at the following link, and we encourage anyone with interesting viewpoints (which are relevant to the interests of the target age group of 18-34) to discuss with us making opinion pieces for The Social:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u22424925
In order to create an archive, videos are uploaded to bbc.co.uk. Videos are clearly date-stamped in order to make clear when each piece of content relates to, which is important for context when allowing members of the public to understand when a piece of content is current or when it is archive.
We also note that you reference Kate Adair’s contributor page which, as with other contributors, provides more information for viewers on the tone and approach with this content and what they can expect from her videos:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06jrmsj - “Kate is a filmmaker, vlogger and transgender rights activist/advocate who creates original content with the mission of it being informative, funny and accessible to all people whilst promoting marginalised voices.”
There is no suggestion, either in the video or her contributor page, that Kate has a medical/specialist qualification, and we would reiterate that this video was a personal reflection on the discussion at the time it was posted in 2017, with the website updated to more clearly signpost this. Her activism is also clearly stated for context.
We would draw your attention to the following Impartiality Editorial Guideline in particular, which you cite and which we believe is the most relevant with regards to The Social and this video:
“4.3.28 The BBC has a tradition of enabling a wide range of individuals, groups, or organisations to offer a personal view or opinion, express a belief, or advance a contentious argument in its output. This can range from the outright expression of highly partial views by a campaigner, to the opinion of a specialist or professional including an academic or scientist, to views expressed through contributions from our audiences. All of these can add to the public understanding and debate, especially when they allow our audience to hear fresh and original perspectives on familiar issues.
Such personal view content must be clearly signposted to audiences in advance.”
The Social has published thousands of videos made by a huge range of people since it was launched. Its guiding principle is to reflect the subjects young adults in Scotland want to discuss, in a way that is relevant to them and their peers.
We note that you reference other editorial guidelines and respond as follows:
Harm: This video, along with all videos branded BBC The Social, is clearly aimed at a target audience of 18+ adults, as reflected consistently by the tone, adult topics and positioning towards the audience that it has used since its inception, and that it is well known for. As such, guidance labels are applied on the basis of what is appropriate to the audience that the content and brand are targeted at, and the level of issue referenced in the content. We note that you connect this editorial guideline with content aimed at children. The Social is not a platform aimed at children and does not target its content to a child audience. It is firmly 18+.
Accuracy: We note that you cite a number of articles which were published up to five years after the content was published, as evidence that the video was inaccurate in 2017. The video was fact-checked against appropriate sources at the time it was made. A relevant example being the reference to puberty blockers. At the time the video was made and published, the NHS page on Gender Dysphoria Treatment stated its approach to puberty blockers (GnRH) as:
“GnRH analogues suppress the hormones produced by your child’s body. They also suppress puberty and can help delay potentially distressing physical changes caused by their body becoming even more like that of their biological sex, until they're old enough for the treatment options discussed below. GnRH analogues will only be considered for your child if assessments have found they're experiencing clear distress and have a strong desire to live as their gender identity. The effects of treatment with GnRH analogues are considered to be fully reversible, so treatment can usually be stopped at any time after a discussion between you, your child and your MDT.”
The NHS page was updated in 2020 and the description of puberty blockers was altered. This was three years after this video was made and published and, while it continues to exist as BBC archive content, the video has not been resurfaced or repromoted in that time.
Bias: As mentioned, BBC The Social is not part of the BBC News division, and it is clearly stated on Kate’s contributor page what can be expected from her content. Much of her presenting style is delivered in a humorous way and intended to be entertaining, such as her comment about the Easter Bunny. We confirm that we were happy to signpost the opinion nature of this piece further, in the text description on the website, after your previous contact. We’d also repeat that The Social welcomes young filmmakers getting in touch with video ideas containing differing viewpoints.
This concludes Stage 1 of our complaints process and means we can’t correspond with you further here. If you remain unhappy, you can now contact the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU). The ECU is Stage 2 of the BBC’s complaints process. You’ll need to explain why you think there’s a potential breach of standards, or if the issue is significant and should still be investigated. Please do so within 20 working days of this reply.
Full details of how we handle complaints are available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/handle-complaint/.
How to contact the ECU:
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Kind regards
BBC Scotland Complaints Team
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