When Nick Griffin appeared on Question Time earlier this week, the BBC once again found itself to be the whipping boy. The corporation couldn’t win. It had three options. All three options could only attract criticism.Bad option 1
Deny the BNP airtime. This would have broken the BBC rules and regulations insisting on impartiality. With a recent poll suggesting 22% of people would consider voting for the BNP it is a fact – however distasteful to some – that the far right has a political constituency and to deny them access to the media would have been anti-democratic. There would have been howls of protest with the BBC accused of lacking balls and failing Free Speech. Worse still, the Corporation would be viewed as the centre of a leftish-liberal conspiracy to shut out views that don’t conform to its (alleged) politically-correct view of the world.
Bad option 2
Give the BNP a place at the table. The BBC could of course have given Nick Griffin a seat on the Question Time panel and deliberately underplayed his presence – treating him like anyone else and presenting the usual hodgepodge of questions about current issues. Viewers would get the BNP’s take on day-to-day political issues. Such a course of action would have ended in accusations that the BBC was giving Nick Griffin a ‘free ride’ – legitimising him by treating him like a regular politician.
Bad Option 3
Give Griffin a seat at the table…but ensure he is given a mauling. This seems to be option the BBC went for. Naturally this inspired criticism that the Beeb was orchestrating a “show trial” that makes the BNP look like the victim. Politicians and commentators accused the BBC of fanning the flames and helping the BNP gain influence.
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So the BBC couldn’t win. But hang on a second, why should the BBC be getting it in the neck for the circus that was Thursday’s Question Time? The answer is that people find it convenient to shoot the messenger.
The reason why the BNP was on Question Time was because it attracts votes. The reason it attracts votes is because an increasing number of people – specifically poorer whites – feel disenfranchised and thoroughly let down by the established political parties.
In short, politicians should be looking at their own failings rather than taking the easy route by blaming a TV programme.
And the protestors outside Television Centre should have thought through their actions better. Their feverish demonstration served to reinforce the impression that the BNP is a force to be reckoned with.
It turns out that their actions have given more succour to the far-right than the BBC did by giving one man one slot on one programme. As Oscar Wilde said: “The only thing worse in the world than being talked about is not being talked about."
Disclosure: I work for the BBC but these views are entirely independent and may not reflect the corporate line.
