May 30, 2008
BROADCASTING CHOICE ESSENTIAL FOR INFORMED DEMOCRACY
The importance of choice in television news and current affairs services is one of the key findings in the third interim report of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission.
Since March, the Commission has been gathering evidence on the democratic importance of broadcasting in Scotland. The interim report published today reveals emerging issues in the role of news programmes in informing and engaging Scottish audiences, and in whether democracy in Scotland is being fully served by broadcasters.
Key issues to emerge during this phase of the Commission's work include:
- Through a recent public attitudes to broadcasting survey undertaken in Scotland, it is revealed that most people still choose television as their primary source of news; believe that it is important that topical Scottish issues are debated and discussed on television and not just reported in news programmes and; wish to have a choice of channels for watching news.
- In evidence taken by the Commission, news coverage generally is often felt to be mainly reactive and event-driven (and for some, too obsessed with crime and sport) while more analytical programmes are seen as being marginalised either by scheduling or lack of resources or both.
- Evidence given to the Commission reflected concerns over a lack of depth, breadth and context in broadcast journalism.
- A prominent theme in evidence was a perceived lack of opportunities in the broadcast schedules for serious examination of important issues, with the public indicating an appetite for greater detailed consideration of matters affecting society and their everyday lives. Channel 4 News suggested the amount of time available to programme editors and producers had a considerable impact on how much detail and skill could be devoted to covering issues in sufficient depth in news programming.
- Through the Commission's public engagement work, the formal evidence it took and the public attitudes survey, there was considerable concern that issues affecting the UK are not satisfactorily reported to people in Scotland and that issues affecting Scotland specifically are not satisfactorily reported to people living in the rest of the UK.
- Some of those giving evidence questioned whether budget restrictions affect the depth and quality of coverage, especially in television programmes, and SMG plc argued for public funding to support STV's news and current affairs programming.
- Public opinion seems to favour a change to the structure of early evening television news to provide one integrated programme from Scotland covering international, UK and Scottish news. 53% prefer this option, while 36% favour the status quo.
- Both BBC and SMG plc expressed an intention of expanding their "local" video news provision (that is Scottish news at a local or regional level rather than Scotland-wide), especially in the online environment, however, the Commission is concerned that such broadband initiatives would currently be unavailable to almost half the population of Scotland.
- All of the broadcasters indicate a desire and willingness to provide more and improved news and current affairs output to serve audiences in Scotland better.
In this phase oral evidence and views were invited from academics, representative organisations, political parties in Scotland, broadcasters and commentators, and through a series of public events across Scotland, the Commission's website, working with the Scottish Youth Parliament and the Commission's public debate: 'Democracy and Broadcasting: is Scotland being served?'
Blair Jenkins, Chair of the Commission, said:
"There is no doubting the use people make of television and radio on a daily basis to inform them of what is happening in Scotland, the UK and the rest of the world. In a modern democracy, broadcast journalism plays a major part in supplying audiences with accurate information and presenting the differing views and opinions on the issues that affect their lives.
"The airtime and examination given to topical matters affecting society is important in ensuring there is a level of awareness of issues amongst audiences, whether this is through news or current affairs programmes, drama, satire, documentary or comedy.
"Viewers demand and deserve an insight to the complex and interconnected nature of the serious issues our modern democracy must address. Yet many of the people we heard from recorded their concerns over a lack of breadth in reporting and a lack of depth both within programmes and across the range of programming available.
"Moreover, it was felt that an all too often narrow and restrictive perspective was offered through news and current affairs and this needs to be extended beyond the voices of the politicians and government spokespeople and also beyond a routine diet of reactive crime and sports stories.
"We heard a demand for broadcasters to provide greater context and analysis around major issues affecting society, where wider public policy implications or the history of an issue could be examined over and above the reactive reporting of the facts of the story.
"As just one example, it was intriguing to note that without fail at every one of our public events BBC 2 Scotland's Eòrpa programme was raised, unsolicited and by non-Gaelic speakers, as an example of a positive, well-respected programme. What people told us was here was a programme which reported in a detailed but accessible way what was going on in Europe, Scotland's place in Europe and the impact of Europe on life and laws in Scotland - the only programme to do so across all of the broadcast schedules.
"The balance and accuracy of broadcast journalism was also reported to us as being essential and the Commission was concerned that our recent public attitudes survey indicated that more than half of those surveyed did not think it was always clear in UK news programmes whether reports applied to Scotland or not.
"Having an accurate, trustworthy source and platform for news is vital to a democracy where citizens are truly conversant with and engaged in the main issues of the day and we note the assurances given by the broadcasters that they continue to endeavour to meet the substantial editorial challenges they face in reflecting an accurate picture of the evolving UK, with four nations frequently pursuing different policies and different priorities. Furthermore, we await with interest the King Review commissioned by the BBC Trust to examine the Corporation's network news and factual coverage of the four nations."
As the Commission works towards publication of its final report in September it will continue to invite debate and discussion on the issues identified in this interim report, and take further evidence and gather information.
In particular it will further focus attention on:
- Assessing the forthcoming findings of the King review for the BBC Trust and the BBC's response;
- Examining any fresh proposals from the broadcasters in relation to the delivery of network television news for Scotland;
- Gathering more information on how people are using online news and current affairs content to supplement radio and television;
- Exploring the nature of the "funding gap" for STV and what it means for its news and current affairs obligations and the services to Scottish audiences.
- Looking at the options for Scottish news provision in the Border Television area;
- Establishing the true position on the perceived general decline in news and current affairs funding in Scotland
- Considering the evidence provided of an absence of serious analysis and context for Scottish audiences and how this might be remedied.
Interim Report on Democratic Phase
The Public Attitudes to Broadcasting in Scotland research report was published on 9 May 2008.