The BBC ruling on Justin Webb: ignoring public confusion and scientific fact
The BBC Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) has upheld a complaint against Radio 4 Today Programme presenter Justin Webb, for explaining to listeners that the group called “trans women” are males. The ECU ruling stated:
The ECU understood Mr Webb’s intention in using the phrase ‘trans women, in other words males’ was to underline the question arising from the FIDE guidelines but noted a press line issued at the time included an acknowledgement that his phrasing did not convey an entirely accurate impression.
In relation to impartiality, however, the ECU considered it could only be understood by listeners as meaning that trans women remain male, without qualification as to gender or biological sex, and that, even if unintentional, it gave the impression of endorsing one viewpoint in a highly controversial area. It therefore upheld this aspect of the complaint.
Cited in Press Gazette, 29 February 2024
The ruling is both surprising and worrying.
Biological sex is immutable: fact or opinion?
The ECU appear to interpret the scientific fact that sex is immutable as a ‘viewpoint’. In the case of Mr Webb’s comments, it is difficult to understand what further qualification was required. This ruling also appears contrary to BBC editorial guidelines on impartiality. Under ‘Controversial Guidelines’, these state:
4.3.6 When dealing with ‘controversial subjects’, we must ensure a wide range of significant views and perspectives are given due weight and prominence, particularly when the controversy is active. Opinion should be clearly distinguished from fact.
BBC, Section 4: Impartiality – Guidelines, emphasis added.
The Guidelines also state ‘we should retain a respect for factual accuracy’ (para. 4.3.29).
Public confusion
The ruling is particularly disturbing given the clear lack of public understanding as to what is meant by terms such as ‘transgender woman’ and ‘trans woman’. Last year we commissioned a UK-wide representative public poll, to better understand how the general public interpreted these terms. As far as we are aware, no other organisation has undertaken research in this area.
We did not expect to find quite how poorly understood these terms are.
Both terms were correctly understood by fewer than two-thirds of those asked. The remaining responses were split roughly evenly between those who misunderstood, and those who were not sure.
The full results can be read here:
We stated:
Using these terms, without spelling out what they mean for a person’s sex as matter of course, will leave a large minority of people at best uncertain. At worst, they will have a back-to-front understanding of what they are being told or asked.
In other words, our polling shows that Mr Webb was wholly justified and correct to explain to Radio 4 listeners that the term “trans women” refers to people who are male.
We wrote at the time to the BBC Director General to share the polling results and analysis. The letter can be seen here. The BBC did not respond.