LibDem MP Liz Jarvis quizzed Davie when he appeared in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee about what she felt was “disproportionate coverage” of Reform UK on the BBC.
The BBC has been accused of “following Nigel Farage around like a lost puppy” by the LibDems and the party has written to Ofcom this week to complain about “wall-to-wall” coverage of the Reform UK leader.
Jarvis raised particular concerns around the BBC using a clip of Farage being interviewed on a boat in the English Channel on its 6 o’clock programme that was taken from right-wing broadcaster GB News.
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“On the 10th July your 6 o’clock news programme, watched by an average of 3.3 million viewers, featured a package covering the government’s announcement of a one in, one out migrant deal with France,” Jarvis said.
“The package included a segment of footage of Farage discussing the issue from a boat in the English Channel and the footage was clipped from an earlier programme by GB News,
“That’s a rarity for the BBC, which when covering domestic news almost always uses its own footage, or a pool clip.
“Would the BBC go to the same lengths to cover another opposition leader?”
Davie replied to say he could not see an issue with the BBC using the clip, going as far as to say it was “standard journalism”.
He said: “It’s such a hypothetical question. If someone’s got footage, we’ll take it, we’ll credit it, and I can’t see an issue with, if it’s properly contextualised within the BBC, taking GB News footage.
“We can debate the balance, the time length.
“The overwhelming output of the BBC is BBC output, but now and again if someone’s got some footage and they’re distributing, whether that be a press outlet or another outlet, we’ll put it in context. I think that’s standard journalism.”
The LibDems have opened a petition demanding that the BBC be forced to commit to proportional coverage of political parties year-round and not just during election periods.
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Max Wilkinson, the party’s culture and media spokesperson, has written to Ofcom director Melanie Dawes to highlight the BBC “compounding the rise of a dangerous populism that threatens the fabric of our country”.
“The BBC is following Farage around like a lost puppy and the resulting wall-to-wall coverage is giving legitimacy to a man who wants to do to Britain what Trump is doing to America,” Wilkinson said.
“The only way to counter Farage’s hateful and divisive politics is with fair and representative journalism that makes space for more decent voices – and for that we need a balanced BBC.”
Ofcom guidance says eligible broadcasters must “not give undue prominence to the views and opinions of particular persons or bodies on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy in all the programmes included in any service taken as a whole”.
Section six of the Ofcom guidance applies during election and referendum periods and reads: “Due weight must be given to the coverage of parties and independent candidates during the election period.
“In determining the appropriate level of coverage to be given to parties and independent candidates broadcasters must take into account evidence of past electoral support and/or current support. Broadcasters must also consider giving appropriate coverage to parties and independent candidates with significant views and perspectives.”
The LibDems are proposing to apply section six throughout the year so that political parties are accorded “due weight” in non-electoral cycles as well as election campaigns.
