BBC’s new remit: promote “citizenship and civil society”

March 12th, 2006 by Monitor

The BBC’s new Royal Charter, to be published on Tuesday, contains an extraordinary new clause which will force the channel to “promote British citizenship and a sense of community”, according to the Sunday Times.

Writers and satirists have reacted with dismay, but John Beyer of Mediawatch-UK is delighted to be presented with this new stick with which to beat the public service broadcaster:

This means much more than the BBC thinks.

It’s not just things like impartial news. It is about reflecting good behaviour on the BBC and using good language. The BBC has a moral role. As a lobby group we will now use this phrase as a way to make the BBC act responsibly.

2 Responses to “BBC’s new remit: promote “citizenship and civil society””

Andy Gilmour says:

12/Mar/2006 at 10:41 pm

So they’ll immediately have to bar any comments from Welsh, Scottish, or Northern Irish independence-seeking “nationalist” politicians then…?

Or maybe English football commentators will never be allowed to mention 1966 again?

And whose bloody community are they supposed to be supporting? Govan neds, or the Glyndebourne set?
Marc Draco says:

14/Mar/2006 at 7:08 pm

It’s just spin. No one with common sense will take it that seriously, no matter how much Masser Bayer whines.

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MediaWatchWatch was set up in January 2005 in reaction to the religious campaign against the BBC's broadcasting of Jerry Springer: the Opera.

We keep an eye on those groups and individuals who, in order to protect their beliefs from offence, seek to limit freedom of expression. And we make fun of them.

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