The Balen Report Should Now Be Published

The Balen Report Should Now Be Published

Iain Dale 11:23 AM

The House of Lords has ruled this morning (by 3-2) that the BBC should publish the controversial Balen Report, which it commissioned after accusations that its coverage of Middle East politics was too pro Palestinian and too anti Israeli. However, this is not the end of the matter, and it now returns to the High Court.

It seems to me that this is a matter of public interest, especially as the BBC is paid for by us, the taxpayers. And I'd say that if the report was into whether the BBC was too pro Israel.Chris Doidge disagrees. He dusts down old chestnut that it might prevent the BBC from "taking risks" if the report were published. What arrant nonsense. A public service broadcaster should not be "taking risks" with its news coverage. It should be aiming to report and explain with as little subjective commentary as possible. It not there to persuade or commentate, it is there to provide news coverage.