A Question of Bias

The BBC asks to be judged over time, or over a series. So let's look at how The World This Weekend is teeing up their leader profiles - a series they've called 'A Question of Character'.

First up, two weeks ago, came the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Mardell's introduction ran as follows:

Mark Mardell: And we look at the leader of the SNP, her opportunity in this election and how she's changed. 

Friend of Nicola Sturgeon: Nicola was, in fact, the schoolgirl who sat under the table reading a book at her own birthday party. I mean, she has really worked at it, and when you see her out in the crowds, I think she's just grown into herself. 

That's a nice, positive one.

Then last week came Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, and this Mark Mardell intro:

Mark Mardell: Over the next few weeks we'll be asking A Question of Character. Today, Jeremy Corbyn PM?

Jeremy Corbyn: A good leader doesn't just barge through a door and let it swing back in the faces of those following behind.

Again, not bad for Jeremy. 

And then today it was Boris Johnson's turn. And how did Mark's introduction go? Like this:

Mark Mardell: And we ask: Does the Prime Minister have a problem with trust?

Hmm. That's a question the BBC is asking a lot at the moment. It's not a helpful intro for Boris, is it (to put it mildly)?

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...on which very theme...

How about this for an opening headline on The World This Weekend today?

Mark Mardell: As tributes are paid to the London Bridge victims, the Prime Minister blames...(dramatic pause)...his political opponents. 

Ouch!

This was followed by a clip from Andrew Marr's interview with the PM (with Andrew yapping away). 

I know I was far from being the only one this morning who spotted that both Chuka Umunna and Baroness Shami Chakrabarti pulled exactly the same classic politician's trick of saying that they themselves refused to politicise the London terrorist attacks before doing precisely that by denouncing Boris Johnson for politicising it.

*******

So, two barbed-against-Boris framings in just one short introduction from Mark Mardell today. Fair enough or grossly biased?