BBC integrity
Sir: Propaganda can be in the mind of the beholder. I have canvassed a widish circle of family and friends, yet not one of them has been able to detect political bias in BBC reporting. Rather, the most common spontaneous reaction is that there is too much uncritical reporting of the Govern- ment line, as though that must be the definitive word, sometimes on controver- sial subjects.
No doubt Mr Kinnock, if he chose to join Mr Tebbit in this particular gutter, could match his opponent blow-for-blow with well-documented examples showing how the BBC's coverage of particular topics could be construed as favouring an anti-Labour line. It would be like Tweedle- dum and Tweedledee — initially entertain- ing for spectators who like that sort of thing, but ultimately an exercise in futility.
Your correspondent Mr McBurnie (Let- ters, 25 October), accepting the baton from Paul Johnson, proffers his own inter- pretation of one incident, but I offer another. The sight of the Conservative Party Conference rising to its feet to applaud trenchantly expressed, sincerely held views which, rightly or wrongly, could well strike `impartial licence holders' as essentially racist in content was not a pretty one. The editing out of Conference's reaction there- fore almost certainly was done so as to avoid embarrassment to the Conservative Party at large. It may be that this is what Mr McBurnie objects to, but the tone of his letter suggests rather a wish to align himself with the opinions of Messrs John- son, Tebbit et al in detecting a left-wing tinge to all things BBC.
Is there not a grave danger that what we are witnessing is an attack not so much on imagined BBC political bias as on a very real existing political integrity, which com- es under increasing pressure as the shadow of the ballot-box spreads steadily over those in power?
Peter Harris
Longford Farm, Spithurst, Barcombe, Lewes, Sussex
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