Complaint
A listener complained an interview with a spokeswoman for Sex Matters about the cancellation of a Women’s Rights Network event failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due impartiality, arguing that the presenter repeatedly focused on transgender identity, rather than asking substantive questions about women’s rights and single-sex spaces. The ECU considered the complaint under the BBC’s editorial standards on due impartiality.
Outcome
The interview arose from controversy surrounding the cancellation of an event dealing with sex, gender and women’s rights, and the ECU thought it editorially appropriate for the presenter to test the interviewee’s arguments and put alternative viewpoints to her. Audience expectations of this form of interview are that presenters will challenge contributors and reflect competing perspectives without necessarily endorsing them.
The ECU considered the interview as a whole and concluded the presenter generally made clear he was reflecting the views and concerns of others rather than expressing his own opinions. It also noted that the contributor was given the opportunity to explain her views at length on issues including women’s rights, single-sex spaces and why she disagreed with the event’s cancellation. While many of the questions focused on transgender identity, the ECU considered this relevant to the subject matter under discussion. It did not find the cumulative tone or nature of the interview would have led listeners to conclude the presenter was aligned with one side of the debate.
Not upheld
