Susanne,

It is very interesting that you have highlighted the BBC Trust report because it provides an opportunity to make list members aware of an ongoing scandal surrounding it.

The report was published in July, but immediately drew a threat of libel action from Private Eye’s favourite learned friends, Carter Ruck, acting on behalf of Lord Lawson, who was unhappy about a sentence on page 72 of the report that pointed out the BBC has provided airtime for he and other so-called ‘sceptics’ to make statements that are not supported by the facts.

The BBC Trust immediately amended the report, which is noted on its website, but Lord Lawson has not withdrawn the threat. As a result, the BBC Trust has cancelled all outreach efforts that were planned for the report, including a public debate at the Royal Institution. You can read more in this article on the website of ‘The Guardian’: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/21/lord-lawson-global-warming-errors

Ironically, Lord Lawson’s legal action came to light when he mentioned it in an article in The Sunday Times, in which he complained that ‘sceptics’ were not being given the coverage they deserve. It seems they are in favour of free speech, except for everybody else.

Tomorrow, the Global Warming Policy Foundation, of which Lawson is chair, will publish a report written by Christopher Booker, the very veteran columnist for ‘The Sunday Telegraph’, that attacks the BBC’s coverage of climate change. It follows Lawson’s article in this week’s edition of the ‘Radio Times’ which attacks David Attenborough about the sensationalism of tonight’s final episode of ‘Frozen Planet’. And of course the ‘sceptics’ have co-opted the efforts of arch-BBC haters in the right-wing Press.

The Leveson Inquiry is considering the culture of both the UK Press and broadcast media. No doubt the ‘sceptics’ are bombarding Leveson with anti-BBC propaganda in the same way they did during the early stages of the BBC Trust report. It would be good if there were some balancing submissions to Leveson from sensible psci-commers.

Bob Ward

Policy and Communications Director

Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment

London School of Economics and Political Science

Houghton Street

London

UK

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Tel. +44 (0) 20 7106 1236

Mob. +44 (0) 7811 320346

Web: http://www.lse.ac.uk/grantham

Twitter: @ret_ward

 

Some of you might have been contacted; In July 2010 the BBC Trust had invited for a consultation on impartiality and accuracy in science coverage in their media. I just checked and they have indeed published a report in July 2011. Perhaps something to bring to the attention of the Levenson inquiry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/our_work/science_impartiality/science_impartiality.pdf

 

Susanne Hammacher
Film Officer | Festival Manager
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P Please consider the environment, think before you print.

As you all will be aware (and how could you not be?!), the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practice and ethics of the press is currently considering issues related to the press and the public. You may also have heard that the Inquiry is also keen to understand better how the scientific community sees coverage of scientific issues in the press and wider media.  Having been in touch with the Inquiry team I have been told that this is indeed true. Submissions on the issue of scientific journalism and science in the media can be made until the end of January, but the Inquiry is understandably receiving a large volume of evidence.

 
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