A report by BBC One Scotland’s national news programme Reporting Scotland breached the broadcaster’s impartiality guidelines with an “unbalanced view” on the impact of Brexit.
The BBC’s executive complaints unit (ECU) has ruled the programme on 20 December 2021 should have reflected areas “where its impact had been less negative”.
The report was about how post-Brexit trading arrangements had affected exporters and businesses in Scotland and an introduction stated: “Brexit’s advocates say there will be long term economic benefits, but it’s been a tough year for some of the Scottish businesses most affected…”
The ECU said it was “legitimate” for the report to focus on only those “most affected” but that impartiality should have been maintained by exploring other aspects of the topic “within a reasonable timeframe”.
The ECU “noted that the reporter had conducted research across all sectors of the Scottish economy in preparing the report, which had led him to conclude that improved performance in some areas was attributable to factors other than Brexit,” the complaint report said.
“It is generally agreed however, that Brexit has had a differential effect, bearing hardest on the kind of small businesses featured in the report, so there was at least a need to reflect areas where its impact had been less negative, whether on this occasion or in an appropriately linked programme,” it continued.
The finding was reported to BBC Scotland management and the programme team.
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