...from both sides

In the interests of ITBB impartiality, I must note that all the 'BBC bias' hashtags on Twitter today are absolutely chock-a-block with links to an article on a left-wing site called Evolve Politics ('Truly Independent News and Media for the Awakened Generation') headlined Report reveals biased BBC has “high dependency” on the Conservatives for statistics.

When you click on it and look into the report, it turns out to be one from last October (so nothing new) from the BBC itself - the BBC Trust's impartiality report into the BBC's use of statistics, and the figure which is provoking such feverish twittering comes from Cardiff University's media department (the one stuffed with far-left activists and ex-BBC bigwigs) - the very people who 'found', statistically, that the BBC is right-wing and anti-EU a few years back on a very small sample.

The statistical point is that nearly three quarters (73%) of the BBC's use of statistical references from party politicians come from the Conservatives, which Cardiff University concludes “shows a high dependence on the governing party”.

The phrase "high dependency on the Conservatives" is being tweeted far and wide (often with an accompanying photo of a sour-looking Laura Kuenssberg).  

Of course, it would be good to know (and I can't find it anywhere) what percentage of statistical references from party politicians came from the Labour Party when they were in power. Would it have been similar, or less, or more? That would put this statistic into context. Is that just something that happens regardless of who's in power, simply because they're the government? Or is the BBC Tory-biased?


P.S. According to Merriam-Webster:

Chockablock started out as a nautical term. A block is a metal or wooden case with one or more pulleys inside. Sometimes, two or more blocks are used (as part of a rope and pulley system called a "block and tackle") to provide a mechanical advantage - as, for example, when hoisting a sail on a traditional sailing ship. When the rope is pulled as far as it will go, the blocks are tight together and are said to be "chockablock." Non-nautical types associated the "chock" in "chockablock" with "chock-full," which goes back to Middle English chokkefull, meaning "full to the limit (a figurative use of "full to choking"). We thus gave "chockablock" the additional meaning "filled up." "Chockablock" can also be an adverb meaning "as close or as completely as possible," as in "families living chockablock" or the seemingly redundant "chockablock full."