Lord Puttnam has also spoken out against the BBC's interpretation of 'impartiality'. Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth / PA Images
There is now widespread agreement that the BBC failed the nation by botching its coverage of the referendum. Viewers and listeners seeking information were instead bombarded with contradictory and impenetrable claims and counter-claims. As a result, many ended up confused, frustrated and sometimes unsure how to cast their votes. BBC representatives have half-admitted that this was so, but have offered an excuse.
On 3 June, Radio Four’s Feedback addressed callers’ complaints that they were not being properly informed. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith explained: “We are there to report what the main combatants in this referendum say, do, argue. I don’t think it’s up to us to, as it were, go awol and say well, fine, but we’re actually going to talk about this because we think that’s what voters are interested in.” Thus, according to him, the corporation’s job was not to assess the issues, but to transmit the utterances of campaigners and invite them to contradict each other's pronouncements. Throughout the campaign the BBC was indeed more concerned with balancing political messages than with providing explanation.
