Board statement on thematic review of the BBC’s coverage of migration

Published: 7 May 2024

In April 2023 the BBC Board commissioned Samir Shah and Madeleine Sumption to conduct a thematic review of the BBC's coverage of migration. This review is part of the Board's responsibility for setting and monitoring editorial standards across the Corporation and follows on from the previous review of BBC coverage of Taxation, Public Expenditure, Government Borrowing and Government Debt. The published terms of reference for the review confirmed that it would assess whether due impartiality and accuracy were being achieved in this area across all relevant BBC output. The review is now completed and in line with our commitment we are publishing the full report today. During the latter period of the review Samir Shah became BBC Chair designate and at that point stepped aside from all the work of the review. Accordingly, Madeleine Sumption wrote the report as sole author.

We want to thank Madeleine for a very thorough review and for her expert, wide-ranging and clearly written report. This has provided fresh insight into how we understand and deliver due impartiality in this vital and often highly contested area of public policy. It is also timely as we approach a UK general election.

We note that the review found that the BBC produces a lot of excellent content on migration and has highlighted important best practice. Significantly, the review found no consistent bias towards one point of view on this topic. However, it did identify risks to impartiality that point in multiple directions. In particular, we note that, in common with the authors of the first thematic review on taxation, public spending, borrowing and debt, Madeleine draws attention to the political lens through which migration coverage can often be presented to audiences. This could have consequences for the BBC's impartial presentation of the topic more broadly. It has identified how to address these risks so that we further improve editorial standards and audience impact as a result. We also note that Madeleine has said it is important not to cherry-pick the conclusions and that they are best seen as a package.

We welcome the practical illustration of the challenges BBC teams face in serving a wide range of licence payer interests and ensuring that we cover this subject with precision and depth and draw on the full spectrum of experience and views. We believe that the analysis will particularly help the BBC in broader and more creative story selection and appropriate framing of migration stories. It also highlights the valuable role that the BBC can play in increasing understanding of these issues and how they affect all audiences.

We have asked the Director General and his Executive team to address the issues presented in this report and have approved an implementation plan to ensure that all BBC journalists and Editors actively engage with the practical and careful advice contained within the report. We have also asked the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee of the Board (EGSC) to monitor progress with this work and to ensure that we fully address these challenges. As was the case with the first thematic review, we have also asked the EGSC to consider the lessons learned from this review to inform our approach to the next reviews. We will announce the topic for the third thematic review in the coming weeks.

Search by Tag:

• Statement