Chai Brady
Bernadette Smyth Pro-life groups have welcomed the BBC’s decision to uphold a complaint against itself in relation to coverage of abortion.
A viewer made the complaint after the BBC failed to provide both sides of a debate when reporting on the House of Commons vote to impose abortion in the North.
Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life welcomed the decision saying: “We are hopeful that this will set a precedent for press and media organisations to uphold the standards required for ethical, balanced and fair coverage.
“As a tax-payer funded private broadcaster, the BBC has a very serious responsibility towards the members of the UK public – many thousands of whom are pro-life and feel enormously frustrated by biased and unfair coverage.”
Mrs Smyth added: “As an organisation in receipt of public funds, the BBC has a duty and obligation to be impartial and fair its reporting, especially in such a huge social issue as abortion.”
The conclusion of the BBC’s investigation of the complaint found that although absence of an opponent of the changes would not necessarily have resulted in bias, achieving “due impartiality” would have required elements of challenge in the two interviews with supporters which were absent in the bulletin.
This comes as the new abortion framework, decided on in Westminster while Stormont was suspended, was introduced to the North on Tuesday.
The framework allows for unrestricted access to abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy; abortion on mental health grounds up until week 24 of pregnancy; abortion for ‘serious disability’ up to birth and limited conscientious protections for some healthcare workers.
Marion Woods of Both Lives Matter criticised the new framework saying: “The law may have changed but our position hasn’t and both lives in pregnancy will always matter. These are bad laws created through a bad process and in time, the Northern Ireland Assembly can and should restore lost protections and introduce new laws and policies fit for the 21st Century.
“Rather than continue down this path which dehumanises us as women and our preborn children, we must strive to create something truly humane; a new society where every life matters and all life is enabled, and women aren’t told they need to choose between their life and wellbeing and their own child,” she added.