The BBC Trust has today announced it has selected Professor Steve Jones to lead its forthcoming review of impartiality and accuracy in the BBC’s coverage of science. It has also published the formal terms of reference for the review, which will look at the BBC’s coverage of science across television, radio and online, particularly where it relates to public policy or matters of controversy.
The review will take in news and current affairs, as well as factual output across a wide range of programmes including science and general strands and series, natural history output, one-off documentaries, together with news and opinion from the BBC website.
As Professor of Genetics and head of the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London, Prof Jones will be the sole lead in this review. His background is in evolution and on the forces promoting genetic diversity. He was selected on the basis of his academic credentials, of his knowledge of the media and his reputation amongst the scientific community. He is an established commentator on scientific issues across both broadcast and print media.
Richard Tait, chair of the Trust’s Editorial Standards Committee, said:
“A review of this profile and importance should be led by someone of Steve’s calibre. I’m delighted he has agreed to be involved.”
Professor Jones said:
“Science is by nature a field full of dispute; this is how it advances. Dispute is not the same as bias, though: and a bias towards optimism or pessimism is a real danger, both in the public presentation of science, and in the beliefs of scientists themselves. The BBC’s job is to avoid both those extremes and I look forward to sampling some of its huge coverage of physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, geology and more to see how well it is doing its job.”
The review will consider impartiality and accuracy through analysis of the coverage itself, interviews with those involved, feedback from the Trust’s Audience Councils and audience research. The findings will be published in Spring 2011.
