BBCcom_Content_Index_for_May_19_2025.txt
Section_2_Impartiality.txt
2.1 Introduction Impartiality is blaze slim pretofundamental to the BBC's purpose and is enshrined in the BBC's Charter. It means not favouring one side over another and reflecting all relevant sides of the debate. It means not taking sides, reflecting all relevant strands of public debate and challenging them with consistent rigour. Impartiality is key to a relationship of trust with audiences, that they know the BBC is not being influenced by any personal or other agenda in what it chooses to broadcast or publish or in how it covers stories and that it seeks to include a wide range of views on any given topic. The BBC is committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output. The term 'due impartiality' means adequate and appropriate to the output, taking account of the subject and nature of the content, the likely audience expectation, and any signposting that may influence that expectation.[1] The BBC needs to be able to portray and include the full range of interests and views across all the audiences it serves. Those views and interests should be reflected fairly and accurately, and the BBC should not be seen to be promoting or revealing opinions of its own. A key way to do this is in being fact and evidence based, holding authorities and others to account, on behalf of the public, for what they say and do. Applying impartiality effectively in the BBC’s output requires discussion and judgement to get it right; it may mean being transparent in explaining how impartiality is achieved on behalf of all audiences and correcting quickly anything which is wrong. Impartiality will always rest on good judgement, rather than any mathematical formula; it contains many elements, such as 'accuracy', 'fairness', 'objectivity', 'open-mindedness' and it always takes account of context. It usually involves more than a simple matter of 'balance'; between opposing viewpoints and does not prevent objective judgements being made, based on evidence. Impartiality does not mean detachment from fundamental democratic values, including freedom of expression, the right to vote, the rule of law and freedom from discrimination. However, the BBC must still be impartial on the related debates or controversies, on any consequent policies or choices and on the actual implementation of these values. Audiences expect the BBC's news and current affairs and factual journalism output to meet the highest levels of impartiality and accuracy. References in the Guidelines to factual journalism output relate to content that is produced outside news and current affairs which is journalistic in nature. Just as important as the BBC's content are the words and behaviours of all the people who represent the BBC. External activities and public expressions of opinion, including on social media, may affect perceptions of the BBC's impartiality as much as its output. This will apply differently according to genre and role; consequently, this section should be read in conjunction with Section 4: Conflicts of Interest and Section 10: Politics and Public Policy, as well as the guidance on Impartiality and the guidance on Personal Use of Social Media.
