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The BBC purposefully tries to be impartial, the "picking the winner" part was based on polling data and the actions of the financial markets. Other media organi

The BBC purposefully tries to be impartial, the "picking the winner" part was based on polling data and the actions of the financial markets. Other media organisations did the same. As there was no exit poll, they had nothing to talk about for 2 hours before the start of the results came in so just had endless speculation from pollsters and their ilk If there is one lesson to be learned, it's never ever trust polling organisations, they get it wrong time and time again, but somehow keep getting paid?

mrec 10y ago
I think the BBC does a reasonable job of remaining neutral between political parties - as you say, the complaints more or less balance out. But as an institution they very definitely have a strong ideology (pro-EU, pro-multiculturalism) which doesn't accurately reflect the country as a whole. Part of that is just the London filter bubble, but not all of it. A recent memo by the BBC's head of political research admitted this: “It seems to me that the London bubble has to burst if there is to be any prospect of addressing the issues that have brought us to our current situation. There are many millions of people in the UK who do not enthuse about diversity and do not embrace metropolitan values yet do not consider themselves lesser human beings for all that. Until their values and opinions are acknowledged and respected, rather than ignored and despised, our present discord will persist. Because these discontents run very wide and very deep and the metropolitan political class, confronted by them, seems completely bewildered and at a loss about how to respond (“who are these ghastly people and where do they come from?” doesn’t really hack it). The 2016 EU referendum has witnessed the cashing in of some very bitter bankable grudges but I believe that, throughout this 2016 campaign, Europe has been the shadow not the substance.”
plafl 10y ago
They give at least an estimation. I think that giving some error margins would make them more useful but I doubt the general public would appreciate it. Take for example the data here: https://ig.ft.com/sites/brexit-polling/ https://ig.ft.com/sites/brexit-polling/ Percentage for remain varies a lot depending on the poll on June 22, from 41% to to 55% (although some polls don't seem to consider undecided voters, not sure how it affects the result).

mrec 10y ago

I think the BBC does a reasonable job of remaining neutral between political parties - as you say, the complaints more or less balance out. But as an institution they very definitely have a strong ideology (pro-EU, pro-multiculturalism) which doesn't accurately reflect the country as a whole. Part of that is just the London filter bubble, but not all of it. A recent memo by the BBC's head of political research admitted this: “It seems to me that the London bubble has to burst if there is to be any prospect of addressing the issues that have brought us to our current situation. There are many millions of people in the UK who do not enthuse about diversity and do not embrace metropolitan values yet do not consider themselves lesser human beings for all that. Until their values and opinions are acknowledged and respected, rather than ignored and despised, our present discord will persist. Because these discontents run very wide and very deep and the metropolitan political class, confronted by them, seems completely bewildered and at a loss about how to respond (“who are these ghastly people and where do they come from?” doesn’t really hack it). The 2016 EU referendum has witnessed the cashing in of some very bitter bankable grudges but I believe that, throughout this 2016 campaign, Europe has been the shadow not the substance.”

plafl 10y ago

They give at least an estimation. I think that giving some error margins would make them more useful but I doubt the general public would appreciate it. Take for example the data here: https://ig.ft.com/sites/brexit-polling/ https://ig.ft.com/sites/brexit-polling/ Percentage for remain varies a lot depending on the poll on June 22, from 41% to to 55% (although some polls don't seem to consider undecided voters, not sure how it affects the result).