Over to Tim

My friend David Keighley from News-watch has posted a fabulous open letter to the BBC's DG Tim Davie today at The Conservative Woman. 

It's spot-on, and I hope Mr Davie reads it and invites News-watch to discuss it - something none of his predecessors has ever deigned to do. 

I would be pleased with Tim if he does. (My breath isn't being held though).

News-watch's latest report, investigating a week's worth of BBC coverage - and if the BBC accepts a week's worth of monitoring from Cardiff University, why not accept this too? - found that, Covid notwithstanding, and us leaving the EU earlier this year notwithstanding, the BBC continues to pursue 'Project Fear' and to favour, by a large margin, voices hostile to Brexit above voices supportive of it. 

(Same as it ever was! Same as it ever was! Same as it ever was! Same as it ever was! Same as it ever was! Same as it ever was! Same as it ever was!)

One recommendation struck me as particularly timely:

Ditch opinion polls as a way of determining whether BBC output is impartial and get properly in touch with real people out there north of Watford and west of Oxford who will tell you what needs changing.

Given how poorly the pollsters did with the US election (and I imagine them collectively crying, "My God, what have I done!") the BBC's reliance on polls - and it really is their main defence - must be looking especially shaky.