BBC Veteran John Humphrys Blasts BBC's "institutional liberal bias"

John Humphrys joined the BBC in 1966 , he served as the BBC's foreign correspondent to the US through the Nixon years then became Africa correspondent in 1979 , in 1980 he returned home and became a familiar face on the BBC TV news , he joined the popular morning radio current affairs show the Today programme in 1987 where he earned the reputation as the corporation's "rottweiler-in-chief", he retired a couple of days ago and now has some things to say about the BBC and its institutional liberal bias.

I think it fair to say that if anyone knows the BBC it's John Humphrys , a faithful servant who now in his memoirs has now taken aim at his former bosses and their agenda.

The veteran broadcaster, who retired from Radio 4's Today show two days ago, says bosses "badly failed" to read the public's mood on Brexit and "simply could not grasp" why anybody voted Leave.

In an extract published in The Daily Mail on Saturday, he recalled the morning after the referendum, writing: "Leave had won – and this was not what the BBC had expected. Nor what it wanted.

"No nods and smiles when the big bosses appeared. No attempt to pretend that this was anything other than a disaster."

In the book, called A Day Like Today, he adds: "Bosses, almost to a man and woman, could simply not grasp how anyone could have put a cross in the Leave box on the referendum ballot paper.

"I’m not sure the BBC as a whole ever quite had a real grasp of what was going on in Europe, or of what people in this country thought about it."

Humphrys describes the BBC as being terrified of offending "‘fashionable pressure groups – usually from the liberal left, the spiritual home of most bosses and staff".

However, despite his misgivings, the 76-year-old says he has "no doubt" that the BBC remains a "tremendous and irreplaceable force for good".

Humphrys also reveals that he voted for Remain, after facing complaints that he was guilty of pro-Brexit bias during his BBC career.
www.telegraph.co.uk...

I think anyone who watched the BBC news over the last few years will understand what he's talking about , Liberal agendas are regularly pushed and dissenting voices silenced or ignored by biased reporting , a prime recent example happened this week while broadcasting the High Court Brexit Prorogation case BBC news broke away to show Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson's party conference speech even though it was already being shown on both the BBC's Parliament channel and BBC 2 , three BBC channels showing the same speech while the biggest constitutional proceeding in living memory was put on the back burner.

Not only is our government no longer fit for purpose but our state broadcaster is also failing the Nation with its Liberal bias and by pushing its predetermined agenda.

a reply to: gortex

You pay your money and you take your choice. Others feel The BBC has a bias toward The Conservatives.

The BBC does an excellent job, but many of its journalists have Conservative party connections and most of its panellists are centre-right. This means that they failed to take into account that the centre has moved, and it's actually much further left than they think it is

www.independent.co.uk...

a reply to: gortex
There is certainly a definite lean towards the poiitically correct line. Like the similar lean in the C of E, it reflects the fact that the organisation is part of the middle-class establishment.
Ironically, there is a recent faction on Twitter complaining that the BBC has become "a pro-Brexit propaganda outlet". This was even before an editor "outed" the man who buttonholed Boris in hospital as a Labour activist. I suppose they feel that the more hysterical side of "resistance" isn't getting the respect it deserves. I haven't actually been watching the coverage, so I can't comment.

a reply to: alldaylong

The prominence the BBC has given to Greta Thunberg and the Climate Change campaign , their obvious anti-Brexit reporting and the feminisation of the BBC in general highlight for me the BBC's Liberal agenda , Humphrys comments solidify that belief in my mind.

John Humphrys has a long history of service with the BBC so his words count more to me than the words of a commentator for the Independent.

Didn't Humphrys get into trouble a few times for sexism, xenophobic comments? Not surprising he's against political correctness really.

Also, you do know that the Torygraph has always been horrendously biased towards the right wing establishment, don't you?

Finally, The BBC is neoliberal, not leftist. I get so #ing sick of people who don't know the difference.


a reply to: gortex

a reply to: lazernation

Didn't Humphrys get into trouble a few times for sexism, xenophobic comments? Not surprising he's against political correctness really.

I know he got into trouble for saying women are better at taking care of young children , is that sexism or just a fact of nature.
Questioning if Johanna Konta is really a British tennis player being as she was born in Australia is hardly xenophobic but I guess It a depends on your definition of what sexism and xenophobia are I guess.

Also, you do know that the Torygraph has always been horrendously biased towards the right wing establishment, don't you?

Indeed they are but the Torygraph are reporting on exerts from his book published in the Daily Mail which has a left wing bias.

Finally, The BBC is neoliberal, not leftist. I get so #ing sick of people who don't know the difference.

Oh , well I guess if they're Neoliberal then that makes all the difference.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: alldaylong

The prominence the BBC has given to Greta Thunberg and the Climate Change campaign , their obvious anti-Brexit reporting and the feminisation of the BBC in general highlight for me the BBC's Liberal agenda , Humphrys comments solidify that belief in my mind.

John Humphrys has a long history of service with the BBC so his words count more to me than the words of a commentator for the Independent.

I support your push for logic I see in you.

Please, forgive me if I ever thought you were a prog. I wish you and all of Great Britain well from this side of the pond.

a reply to: gortex

I can tell you it is the exact same state of play here in Australia with our ABC and to mirror Mr Humphreys I still think it is a tremendous force for good. No other broadcaster covers regional affairs to anywhere near the same extent as one example.

I wouldn't even care about them having liberal leaning journalists if there was some balance. I'd also be irate if they had a conservative bias.

As publicly funded broadcasters BBC and ABC should cater to all citizens