Sweeping things under the carpet

Here's where the BBC's bias tends to show itself most strongly: when downplaying the threat from Islamism. 

Stories which they seem to fear might harm relations with the 'Muslim community' tend to be far more cautiously reported (under-reported or diluted) by the BBC than by most other British media organisations.

Take this morning for example.

Contrast the news priorities of the ITV, Sky and BBC news website. Both ITV and Sky are leading with the alleged Remembrance Day terror plot. Not so the BBC, which is leading with EU-related trouble for the Tories.

Here are their respective running orders:

ITV News:

1. Four men arrested over alleged Islamist terror plot

2. Calls for inquiry into alleged cannibal killer's release

3. Alan Johnson 'rules himself out of Labour leadership'

4. No drink or drugs in Robin Williams suicide

5. Tower of London poppies to go on UK tour

6. George Osborne: Britain to pay half of disputed £1.7bn EU bill

7. Cancer survivor, 8, with Downs Syndrome is online hit

8. Military widows will get pensions if they remarry

9. Girl, 5, shot dead as she sits on grandad's lap

10. Bright spells amid showers and steady rain in places

Sky News:

1. Arrests over 'Islamist plot to attack UK'

2. Call for probe into 'cannibal killer's release

3. 'Gang massacred' missing Mexico students

4. Robin Williams had no drink or drugs in system

5. PM trying to 'fool' public over EU surcharge

6. Obama nearly doubles troop numbers in Iraq

7. Typhoon Haiyan: Million still homeless a year on

8. Wish granted as dying woman and horse reunited

9. Berlin Wall fall: Millions to party like it's 1999

10. Young woman's Berlin Wall diary revealed

BBC News:

1. Osborne accused of EU budget 'spin'

2. Mexico gang 'admits student deaths'

3. No drugs in Robin Williams suicide

4. Military widows win pension change

5. Extension for parts of poppy display

6. US to send 1,500 more troops to Iraq

7. Alleged terror plot four questioned

8. Cutting benefits wait 'to take months'

9. Scammers target online travel agent

10. Anxious teens 'need tailored therapy'

The terror plot story is also the lead story in this morning's Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and Sun.

Even the Guardian places it second in its (website) running order:

The Guardian:

1. Obama doubles US troop numbers in Iraq

2. Four held over 'Islamist terror plot'

3. Osborne EU bill claim challenged

4. Russian military column 'in Ukraine'

5. Mexican gang admits to mass killing

6. Miliband feels byelection pressure

7. Ageism and sexism 'still rife at BBC'

8. Williams autopsy finds no drugs

9. 'Fake sheikh' loses identity battle

10. Obama nominates attorney general

This kind of behaviour from the BBC has been par for the course for some time, manifesting itself in many, many ways. 

It is a definite and persistent corporation-wide bias, and a deeply unhelpful one for the British public as a whole. We know from Oldham, Rotherham, etc, what happens when this kind of under-reporting and/or censorship is allowed to flourish for the sake of maintaining community cohesion at all costs. 

Sweeping things under the carpet only makes matters worse. The BBC still doesn't seem to be learning that lesson.