This page includes apologies, significant corrections, statements and responses. It does not include routine corrections to news stories, minor on-air apologies and schedule changes.
Corrections and clarifications are published in the order that they were issued.
Today
Radio 4, 19 December 2023
A social media post from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about the explosion in October at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza was referenced in an interview. We would like to make clear the post did not attribute blame for the explosion to any party in the conflict.
22/12/2023
Newsbeat
BBC Online, BBC Radio 1, 12 December 2023
On the 12 December Newsbeat published an article 'I spent a year living in my car until I shared my story on TikTok' and also broadcast this story on the BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat programmes that day. We have since withdrawn the online article and removed the programmes from BBC Sounds for editorial reasons, in light of information recently received by the BBC.
20/12/2023
Politics Midlands
17 December 2023
In Politics Midlands we incorrectly said that the MP for Stoke on Trent Central Jo Gideon had abstained in the vote on the Safety of Rwanda bill. We are very sorry for this error and are happy to make clear she did not abstain, but was paired with an opposition MP and so her vote was cancelled out.
18/12/2023
BBC Scotland News
November 2023
A number of programmes provided an update on a story concerning Michael Matheson MSP and high data charges incurred in relation to the use of his Parliamentary iPad. Mr Matheson had previously indicated that the iPad had only been used on constituency business. However, on 16 November, he told the Scottish Parliament that the iPad data had been used to access the internet for non-business reasons, as his children had used the data via that device’s hotspot in order for them to watch football. In some instances, we reported that the data had been used to watch football “on the iPad” - we apologise that our language wasn’t clear enough on these occasions and have reminded programme teams of the importance of clarity when reporting details like this.
08/01/2024
This note has been updated to cover instances of the inaccurate phrasing subsequently brought to the BBC’s attention after an initial complaint about one such instance.
SSEN's East Coast 400kV project
Reporting Scotland, BBC News website, 1 December 2023
Across the day we provided our audience with an update on developments relating to the project.
Our early reporting summarised the plans as either being "ditched" or "dropped". Although the initial plans for the sub-station and pylons to go through the heart of Sunset Song land had indeed been dropped, it was felt that given the plans still included the Mearns that our language could have been clearer.
Accordingly, our subsequent reporting, made refence to the plans having been "changed" or "re-routed", as this was a clearer summary for our audiences. We apologise that our earlier language was inaccurate.
07/12/23
BBC News at Ten
BBC One, 5 December 2023
In a brief item about the English National Opera choosing Manchester as its new headquarters, we mistakenly used a shot of the exterior of the Royal Opera House in London to illustrate the story.
06/12/23
Watchdog, The One Show
BBC One, 27 September
In an item about moving company ‘AnyVan’, we said ‘we'll see the chaos that ensues when you send a little van do to a big van's work’. Watchdog had heard from Eileen who said she’d had a bad experience after she booked AnyVan, because some belongings were damaged, an overnight stay was cancelled, and she had to make a trip of her own later to pick up items left behind.
We want to make it clear that Anyvan did tell us they sent the right sized van, based on Eileen’s original inventory, and we accept that this should have been reflected in the programme.
23/11/2023
BBC News at Ten
5 October 2023
In an item about tidal power we said “…it’s reckoned tidal power could meet as much as 11% of the UK’s annual energy demand”. This was an error and we should have said “11% of the UK’s annual electricity demand”. Electricity accounts for nearly 20% of the UK’s energy demand, and so tidal power would be estimated to meet roughly 2% of the UK’s overall energy demand.
23/11/2023
Ugandan army officers sacked for cowardice in attack on Somalia's Bulo Marer Atmis base
BBC News website and World Service Radio, 12 November 2023
Our reporting originally misidentified Col Deo Akiiki as one of the officers involved. We subsequently broadcast an updated bulletin on World Service Radio and published a correction note in the online article, making clear that a Ugandan military court had in fact found Major Zadock Abor and Major John Oluka guilty of cowardice during an attack by Islamist fighters on an African Union base in Somalia in May.
15/11/2023
BBC News Channel
Wednesday 15 November 2023
As BBC News covered initial reports that Israeli forces had entered Gaza’s main hospital, we said that “medical teams and Arab speakers” were being targeted. This was incorrect and misquoted a Reuters report. We should have said IDF forces included medical teams and Arabic speakers for this operation. We apologise for this error, which fell below our usual editorial standards. The correct version of events was broadcast minutes later and we apologised for the mistake on air later in the morning.
15/11/2023
BBC Parliament
20 October 2023
We have reviewed our use of on-screen captions during an Adjournment Debate at the House of Commons called ‘Trends in Excess Deaths’. There were concerns that the captions, which outlined the NHS guidance on vaccines for Covid-19 and other diseases, showed bias against Andrew Bridgen MP who was making a speech that challenged the Government’s position on the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines. It is normal practice to provide accurate information and context to these debates on screen and in this case it was an important aspect of our coverage due to the nature of the assertions being made in relation to public health. However, we accept that there was a lack of consistency in our use of these captions and that the number posted during the speech was not proportionate, nor always relevant, which created the incorrect impression that there was an editorial approach in relation to the views expressed. We apologise for this and are reviewing the way we use captions during such proceedings.
In addition, one of the captions stated “Official vaccines do not cause allergies or any other conditions and do not contain mercury (thiomersal)”. This caption should have been attributed to the NHS and read: “NHS guidance says serious allergic reactions to vaccines are rare and that vaccines can sometimes cause mild side effects. They do not contain mercury (thiomersal)”.
03/11/2023
24/11/2023 updated with information about one caption
BBC News Channel
Monday 16 October 2023
During our continuing coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict we mentioned some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that took place on the weekend of October 14/15. We spoke about “several demonstrations across Britain during which people voiced their backing for Hamas”. We accept that this was poorly phrased and was a misleading description of the demonstrations. Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets across the UK and although there were some arrests there was little evidence of any significant support for Hamas during these demonstrations. We clarified this on air later in the day and apologise for the error.
24/10/2023
The Context
BBC News Channel, 17 October 2023
We have reviewed our coverage of the immediate aftermath of an explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday night. During this our correspondent was giving instant analysis on the ground from Jerusalem in what was a confusing and difficult story. The programme repeatedly made it clear that it had yet to verify who was behind the blast, including in the questioning by the presenter. The correspondent said that the Israelis had been contacted and were investigating, adding “It’s hard to see what else this could be really given the size of the explosion other than an Israeli air strike or several air strikes”. He then explained that in his experience as a reporter in Gaza that he had never seen explosions of this scale caused by rockets being fired out of the territory. He again stressed that the pictures had yet to be verified. We accept that even in this fast-moving situation it was wrong to speculate in this way about the possible causes and we apologise for this, although he did not at any point report that it was an Israeli strike. This doesn’t represent the entirety of the BBC’s output and anyone watching, listening to or reading our coverage can see we have set out both sides’ competing claims about the explosion, clearly showing who is saying them, and what we do or don’t know.
19/10/2023
23/10/2023 amended with apology
Today
Radio 4, 16 October 2023
While introducing an item about the SNP conference starting in Aberdeen we said that “there is an ongoing court case looking at the party's finances.” To be clear there is no court case currently happening around this – instead there is an ongoing police investigation into the SNP’s finances and at present nobody has been charged under that inquiry.
16/10/2023
Click
BBC News Channel, 16 September 2023
During a piece about new research into diagnosing dementia we incorrectly said that only neurologists perform lumbar punctures and they are used to confirm conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. We should have made clear that lumbar punctures can be used as part of the testing process rather than providing a definitive diagnosis, and can be conducted by a doctor or a nurse who’s had additional training. We are sorry for the error.
10/10/2023
News at Ten
BBC One, 26 September 2023
In the introduction to a report about the growing number of under-18s who are vaping, there was a reference to smoking and vaping being illegal for under-18s. It is in fact illegal for under-18s to buy, rather than consume, tobacco products or vapes and we should have made this clear.
29/09/23
PM
Radio 4, 8 September 2023
In an item about local authorities across England who are under massive financial strain, a contributor wrongly stated that Warrington Borough Council has “lost hundreds of millions by investing in solar farms which saw very poor returns”. This is incorrect and the council has pointed out that none of its solar investments have ever lost money and continue to perform well. It told us “investments in solar have been successful not only in significantly reducing Warrington’s carbon footprint, but equally in helping to generate income to support vital services.” We’re happy to correct the record here.
19/09/2023
Today
Radio 4, 14 August 2023
During an interview about strikes in the NHS the Health Secretary Steve Barclay said “…[NHS] consultants, when they retire now at 65, will get a tax-free pension of £73k a year…” This wasn’t accurate and the Department of Health and Social Care clarified the facts after the interview in this statement: "A newly-qualified consultant who retires at 65, having worked full time throughout their career, could expect to receive an inflation-proofed pension of around £78,000 per year. After listening to the BMA’s request for reform to incentivise consultants carry on working in the NHS rather than take early retirement the government changed the annual allowance for tax-free pension saving, increasing it by 50 per cent to £60,000, and removed the £1million lifetime cap. These two issues were conflated in a recent broadcast interview and we are happy to correct the record.”
15/09/2023
Reporting Scotland
BBC One Scotland, 29 August 2023
The programme featured a graphic displaying the worsening position of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland. The figures for each year were all clearly and accurately displayed. We do, however, agree that the graph should not have been shown with uneven steps on its axis, and have reminded the programme team of the importance of clarity when reporting statistics.
30/08/2023
Today
Radio 4, 23 August 2023
In an interview with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden there was a reference to the number of asylum applications in the ‘legacy backlog’ – these are asylum applications made before 28 June 2022. Our presenter mentioned a backlog of 92,000 applications which the government have pledged to clear by the end of 2023.
While this figure was correct at the time of PM Rishi Sunak’s statement to the House of Commons on 13 December 2022, by the time of this interview, more recent figures were available, showing that the legacy backlog numbered 74,410 as of 28 May 2023.
23/08/2023
North Sea oil spills exceed safe level - activists
Today programme, Good Morning Scotland, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC News Channel, BBC News website, Newsround, 13 April 2023
On 13 April BBC News carried a story on a number of platforms in which we reported that we had been exclusively shown data and accompanying analysis from the energy campaigning group Uplift, which suggested that between 2017 and 2022, 22,000 metric tonnes of oil were discharged in UK waters.
As we also explained in our reporting, companies are allowed to release some oil as a by-product of routine production and are given permits that allow discharges.
However Uplift’s analysis of the data, which they obtained through Freedom of Information requests to the offshore oil and gas regulator, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), suggested that the data showed that 42% of the releases for this period breached these permits.
Several days after we reported this story, OPRED confirmed that they had identified errors in their databases, meaning the data they provided contained clerical errors which overstated discharge levels. They subsequently issued a public notice that they are conducting a data review.
Uplift separately updated their In Deep Water report to acknowledge “a small coding error” in their analysis and to advise that “There may also have been an error in Uplift’s analysis of OPRED’S data – stemming in part from OPRED’s formatting and disclosure of data – which we are currently seeking to resolve with OPRED.”
On 24 April we temporarily withdrew the online article while we investigated further, with a note advising readers that this was done after concerns were raised about the accuracy and interpretation of the data provided to Uplift by OPRED.
In the course of this investigation, OPRED provided BBC News with new figures, which were also later revised.
OPRED has since confirmed that a review of its data showed that less oil - 13,567 metric tonnes - was released in UK waters between 2017 and 2022. It also said its data showed that 6.1% of oil released was not permitted. A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "Opred has been reviewing the data, updating its systems and working on updated guidance for operators to prevent administrative errors and improve consistency in how data is reported and analysed".
Given the original errors with the data, and the fact that these figures continue to be a source of dispute, we have taken the decision to permanently remove the online article and to make clear that OPRED’s data does not show the figures and percentages we originally reported on TV, radio and online.
8/8/2023
Newsnight/BBC News Online
6 July 2023
Newsnight reported on the legal case of Tom Hayes, a former trader convicted of fraud for fixing Libor rates. The programme looked at Mr Hayes being granted permission to appeal his conviction, and raised questions over some of the circumstances which had led to the conviction of Mr Hayes and other traders.
In the item Newsnight referred to the Serious Fraud Office as having been the prosecuting authority which had investigated Mr Hayes. The SFO was not the main subject of the reporting but we should have given them an opportunity to respond to the fact that his case had been referred to the Court of Appeal.
We have since obtained a statement from the SFO on the matter and amended the online story to reflect this: “All our prosecutions are based on evidence and the applicable law. We stand ready to support the Court of Appeal as it considers this referral.” We apologise for not including this in the original reporting.
01/08/2023
BBC News
TV, radio and online, 4 July 2023
We reported that the former UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s bank account had been closed by Coutts because he fell below the financial threshold needed for an account. This information came from a senior source familiar with the matter after Mr Farage had put the story about his banking arrangements into the public domain, saying that the bank had political motives in closing his account.
Mr Farage’s view was reflected in all our reporting and he has been widely interviewed across the BBC throughout. Since this original coverage, Nigel Farage submitted a subject access request to Coutts bank and obtained a report from the bank's reputational risk committee. While it mentioned commercial considerations, the document also said the committee did not think continuing to have Mr Farage as a client was "compatible with Coutts given his publicly-stated views that were at odds with our position as an inclusive organisation".
Because of this evidence, we have since changed the headline and the copy on the original online article about his bank account being shut for falling below the wealth limit to reflect that the claim came from a source and added an update to recognise the story had changed. We acknowledge that the information we reported - that Coutts’ decision on Mr Farage’s account did not involve considerations about his political views - turned out not to be accurate and have apologised to Mr Farage.
24/07/2023 - amended with apology
Six O’clock News
Radio 4, 4 July 2023
In a story about a nurse being struck off after having a secret relationship with a patient, we said he had died during a late-night meeting with her in a hospital car park in Wrexham. This was based on information incorrectly provided to the Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practise hearing. To be clear the incident did not happen in the Spire Wrexham car park and the nurse did not work at the hospital.
13/7/23
BBC Scotland News outlets
22 June 2023
In reporting that the Scottish Government had decided that a herbicide previously used to control bracken on farms in Scotland will not be authorised for use this season, we stated that this was because the risks “don’t outweigh the benefits”. In fact, the decision was made because the risks do outweigh the benefits. We apologise for the error.
12/07/2023
News at One
BBC One, 5 May 2023
When reporting live from Westminster Abbey on the day before the coronation of King Charles III we said that the venue had played host to “all Britain’s coronations since 1066”. To be clear some have taken place elsewhere including the crowning of Scottish monarchs.
03/07/2023
Today
Radio 4, 27 June 2023
The programme ran an item about calls for a new body to ensure that the recommendations of public inquiries and inquests are implemented. The programme heard from Richard Caseby, father of Matthew Caseby who died after he absconded from a Priory hospital. The Priory asked us to make clear their statement, which included saying: “Since Matthew’s sad death, we have taken the actions identified in the Coroner’s report, and have gone further, such as raising courtyard and garden fencing at all our NHS acute units to a minimum of 3.2 metres, while also installing software to improve patients’ record-keeping and risk management across our services.”
30/06/2023
Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland, 4 May 2023
In a Good Morning Scotland interview, and in a tweet trailing the interview, we said that the First Minister was u-turning on a manifesto commitment to provide free school meals to all of Scotland’s schoolchildren. We should have made clear that this commitment was in relation to all of Scotland’s primary school children only, not those at secondary schools, where the SNP’s manifesto had pledged only to run a pilot scheme for free breakfasts.
We apologise for the error.
23/06/2023
£100m boost for biggest UK hydro scheme in decades
BBC News website, 21 March 2023
In an online article about renewal energy resources, we said that a giant hydro scheme which would double the UK's ability to store energy for long periods was taking a leap forward with a £100m investment by SSE. We should have said that the scheme would double the UK’s ability to store electricity, not energy.
The article has been amended.
23/06/2023
News at One
BBC One, 11 May 2023
In a news item about renewable energy projects, we reported from a substation and said “there is 400,000 volts of electricity passing through the system up here”. The reporter was intending to give audiences a sense of the electric potential involved, but was wrong to say volts passed through the system. Amps are the units used to measure electric current running through a circuit.
20/06/2023
Politics Live
BBC Two, 17 April 2023
When discussing a pay deal that had been offered to nurses we said that the head of the Royal College of Nursing Pat Cullen thought it was a “fair and reasonable” offer. To be clear she did recommend accepting the deal, as she felt it was the best the government would give at the time, but did not say it was fair or reasonable.
14/06/2023
Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland, 23 May 2023
During this edition of the programme the impression was given that Margaret Ferrier MP is an SNP Member of Parliament. In fact, having had the whip withdrawn in 2020, she now sits as an independent MP. We apologise for the mistake.
12/06/2023
Today
BBC Radio 4, 10 May 2023
In a report about the civil court proceedings brought by E Jean Carroll against Donald Trump we said that the former US President had been “found guilty of sexual assault” and the jury had decided he was “not guilty of rape”. To be clear this was not the right choice of word and we should have said “liable” instead of guilty as that’s the correct language for a civil trial. The programme made clear at other points this case involved civil, not criminal, proceedings.
08/06/2023
News at Ten
4 May 2023
This concerns a short update on the British-Israeli woman and her two daughters who were killed in the occupied West Bank. Lucy Dee’s family have told us she was not travelling to a Passover event, as had been reported, but travelling at Passover for a family holiday and we’re happy to set the record straight.
22/05/2023
Have I Got News for You
BBC One, 28 April 2023
Chris Whapples was referred to as ‘Lead Scientist’ in this episode. He is actually a Parking Consultant and Structural Engineer.
17/05/2023
Morning Live
BBC One, 12 May 2023
In an item about scams involving TV Licence payments we said ‘if you’re over 75 you don’t need a TV Licence’. We also said ‘if you are over 75 you need a licence but you don’t pay for it’.
As we later clarified on the show, this is not correct. People who are over 75 and not in receipt of Pension Credit have to pay for a TV Licence. Over 75s in receipt of Pension Credit or those living with people who receive Pension Credit are entitled to a free TV Licence paid for by the BBC.
We apologise for the mistake.
12/05/2023
BBC News Channel
23 March 2023
While reporting about a powerful and deadly tornado that had hit the small town of Rolling Fork in Mississippi we said “with the changes we’re seeing from climate change, we’re expecting to see more extreme weather events like this”. The impact of climate change on the frequency of tornadoes is still unclear, with a lack of definitive evidence on how they may change with a warming climate. Research has shown the total number of tornadoes per year in the US has remained relatively stable.
11/05/2023
BBC Hereford and Worcester
2 March 2023
In a preview news item about the visit of Jackie Weaver to Hartlebury we incorrectly said that her talk at the village hall was to help the parish council back on its feet after a "mass exodus of councillors leaving just one sitting on the council." The incident referred to happened in 2019 and Jackie Weaver's talk was not to the parish council but to an audience interested in what parish councils do. We apologise for the error.
10/05/2023
Newsbeat
BBC Radio 1, 13 March 2023
When covering the row over Gary Lineker’s social media comments on the government’s migrant policy we reported: “He said the language the Government was using wasn’t dissimilar to 1930s Germany. That’s when the Nazis were in charge there and were killing millions of Jewish people”. To be clear, the murders of millions of Jewish men, women and children by Nazi Germany as part of the Holocaust mainly happened in the 1940s. The 1930s saw the rise to power of the Nazi party in Germany, which persecuted Jewish people and later invaded Poland, leading to the Second World War.
02/05/2023
BBC London
15 April 2023
In a BBC London news bulletin on Saturday 15th April about a protest in Trafalgar Square we said: “Campaigners against the ultra-low emission zone held a protest in central London today. Local protestors and mainstream politicians were joined by conspiracy theorists and far right groups.”
BBC London had deployed a reporter to the protest and she witnessed, and documented, first hand, motifs on tabards and placards with explicit Nazi references, along with other epithets about world order and democracy.
We are satisfied the protest was covered accurately and the script was a fair description of the people and groups attending the event.
Viewers were also directed to the BBC London website for a comprehensive look at the arguments for and against ULEZ.
18/04/2023
Politics London
BBC One, 2 April 2023
During a discussion on Ultra Low Emission Zones in London Dr Rushanara Ali MP said that "4000 people a year die because of toxic air".
This figure was derived from Imperial College research which was commissioned by Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
It states “In 2019, in Greater London, the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 deaths (61,800 to 70,200 life years lost) were estimated to be attributable to human-made PM2.5 and NO2, considering that health effects exist even at very low levels. This calculation is for deaths from all causes including respiratory, lung cancer and cardiovascular deaths.”
The claim was challenged by the other guest during the discussion and how it had been arrived at, but we accept that we should have offered more context surrounding the figures quoted. There was other context in the programme, and viewers were directed to articles on the BBC website about various claims about ULEZ.
A Tweet including a clip of Dr Ali MP, however, did not provide any useful context for the claim and so was inaccurate and misleading. It has been deleted.
14/04/2023
Newsnight
BBC Two, 28 March 2023
In an item about Labour’s National Executive Committee voting to stop former leader Jeremy Corbyn running as a candidate in the next general election, we referenced the row over antisemitism in the party and Mr Corbyn’s “refusal to offer up any kind of apology for that”. We also questioned whether he would refuse to apologise “as he has all the way up to now” if antisemitism came up in an election campaign.
To be clear, Mr Corbyn apologised for antisemitism in Labour on a number of occasions as Party Leader, including ahead of a meeting with Jewish community leaders in April 2018. In 2020, after the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) investigated antisemitism in the party and found unlawful harassment and discrimination, Labour suspended Mr Corbyn after he said he did not accept all the EHRC findings and said the scale of antisemitism had been ‘dramatically overstated’.
13/04/2023
Feedback
BBC Radio 4, 31 March 2023
In a discussion about the Woman’s Hour Power List of women who have made a significant impact in sport, a question arose about the issue of trans women competing in women’s sport. It was asked why the Power List did not include someone like Sharron Davies who was incorrectly described as ‘a proponent of making sure that trans women were not in sport’. In fact, Sharron Davies supports the inclusion of trans women in sport in their own or open categories and we are happy to make that clear. A correction will also be included in the next edition of Feedback.
04/04/2023
Start The Week
BBC Radio 4, 27 March 2023
In a live discussion on the topic ‘Climate – Past, Present and Future’, Professor Dame Jane Francis (Director, British Antarctic Survey) referred to recent events in Mississippi and mistakenly said that hurricanes have become more frequent and worse. The weather event in Mississippi was a tornado, and while there is evidence that climate change leads to an increase in some extreme weather events, the link between hurricanes and tornadoes and climate change is still being investigated and the science is uncertain.
31/03/23
Radio News Bulletins
7 February 2023
In early morning output about an imminent reshuffle of Rishi Sunak’s ministerial team we mistakenly said Nadhim Zahawi had resigned from his role as Conservative Party Chairman. He was in fact sacked and this was corrected in all later bulletins.
24/03/2023
India: The Modi Question, Episode 2
BBC Two, 24 January 2023
The programme reported on cow-related violence in India and focussed on the murder of a Muslim, Alimuddin Ansari who died after a Hindu mob attacked him in 2017. It said a local BJP spokesman was among those found guilty of murder and highlighted how ‘one of Mr Modi’s Government ministers helped him and the other convicted men with their legal fees’. It also said that when the men were bailed the Minister, Jayant Sinha ‘welcomed them with garlands of flowers’. The programme reported that Mr Sinha ‘assisted the men because they are poor’ and that he ‘criticised the way photos of him with them had been misused but said he would not do it again.’
Jayant Sinha has contacted us since to make clear he believes the men were wrongly charged, and that he assisted them because they are innocent and too poor to get appropriate legal support. He says his motivation was to protect the innocent and would have done exactly the same if Muslims who had been wrongfully accused of murdering a Hindu had come to him for assistance.
24/03/2023
Paul Whitehouse’s Our Troubled Rivers
BBC Two, 12 March 2023
The programme heard from an oyster processor, Graham West in Whitstable, who said his business West Whelks had been affected by sewage discharges. He said there was ‘a major problem in selling anything coming from Whitstable … because of the pollution’ and that people did not want the world-famous Whitstable native oyster ‘because they associate them with pollution’. Mr West also said he was buying Jersey oysters because ‘I’ve got more of a guarantee they are clean’.
In hindsight we should have also given an indication of the way other businesses have dealt with risks from pollution, so viewers had more context when considering Mr West’s views.
The Whitstable Oyster Company, which is based in the town, has since been in touch to say that water quality is obviously an issue of paramount importance and it has heavily invested in both process and plant, in order to protect the quality of its oysters. The company says that ‘due to its enhanced and rigorous purification and testing programme, production and consumption are both up – and Whitstable Oysters are safer than ever’.
20/03/2023
How to Crack the Class Ceiling
BBC Two, 6 December and 13 December 2022
In the course of making this programme the presenter was filmed travelling by cab without using a seatbelt. This was a mistake for which we apologise. It is against the law not to use a seatbelt when one is available.
16/03/2023
The World at One
BBC Radio 4, 3 March 2023
During an interview about the former civil servant Sue Gray and her proposed move to be Chief of Staff for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, the former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries made a number of claims which were not challenged at the time.
Ms Dorries, who is a staunch supporter of the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was highly critical of the move. She said Ms Gray had broken the civil servants code and brought the civil service into disrepute as a result of having conversations with Sir Keir Starmer about the rile. She also said Ms Gray and the Labour leader were personal friends and that Ms Gray was politically motivated when writing her report into Partygate last year.
To be clear there is no evidence that Sue Gray is a close friend of Sir Keir. The government appointments watchdog will look at whether any rules have been broken in her appointment. We should also have questioned Ms Dorries’ accusations around Ms Gray’s professional integrity.
We apologise for the programme’s shortcomings on this occasion.
10/03/2023
Radio News Bulletins
15 February 2023
We reported that Jeremy Corbyn was not being allowed to stand as a Labour candidate in the next General Election having been suspended from the party in 2020 “because he refused to accept a highly critical report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on antisemitism within Labour during his leadership.”
At the time the report was published in 2020, Mr Corbyn said he did not accept all of the EHRC’s findings, that he felt the scale of antisemitism had been ‘dramatically overstated’, and that the numbers had been exaggerated.
It would have been better to have reported Mr Corbyn had been suspended for his reaction to the EHRC report.
07/03/2023
Broadcasting House
BBC Radio 4, 5 March 2023
In an item about the Government’s efforts to tackle the number of small boats crossing the Channel we heard the views of rival demonstrators in Dover at the weekend. One said: “If you get a four star hotel, three meals a day and £175 to spend a week, what would you do? In France you get nothing.”
To be clear, asylum seekers are entitled to somewhere to live, a cash allowance or both. They cannot choose where they live and usually get £45 per person a week to pay for food, clothing and toiletries, though this is reduced to less than £10 a week when food is provided.
06/03/2023
News at Ten
BBC One, 30 January 2023
In a report about trade deals that the UK has struck since leaving Brexit we used a map of India which did not show Indian-administered Kashmir and the area separated by the line of control.
We should have checked the map for accuracy before it was used and we are sorry for the mistake. The map artwork in question has been deleted so it can't be used again.
02/03/2023
BBC Look East
BBC One, 22 December 2022
In a piece inspired by a group of students hoping to encourage more university applicants from diverse ethnic backgrounds we incorrectly stated that there was a huge gap between white applicants and those from any other ethnic background. We also showed a graph of the numbers of UCAS applicants from different backgrounds.
A mistake occurred in representing numbers rather than percentages and in a misunderstanding of the statistics.
863,755 people started undergraduate or postgraduate study at a UK higher education provider in the 2020 to 2021 academic year (plus another 18,685 whose ethnicity was not known)
74.2% were white, 11.6% were Asian, 7.9% were black, 4.3% were from a mixed ethnic background, and 2.0% were from other ethnic groups.
The graph roughly illustrated the point - though it only represented applicants, rather than those accepted, and only through UCAS rather than other routes.
It should have shown percentages of applicants of the population of a similar age within an ethnic group.
So, for example, in 2021 72.1% of pupils from the Chinese ethnic group got a higher education place in the UK – the highest entry rate out of all ethnic groups. While for white pupils only 33.3% got a place – the lowest entry rate.
White pupils’ percentage entry rates have been the lowest of any ethnic group since 2007 even if 33.3% of the white population is still a significant number.
We apologise for the confusion the script and the graphic may have caused and for the error that resulted.
01/03/2023
This item was subject to a finding by the Executive Complaints Unit which upheld a complaint of inaccuracy against the report. The correction above should have included the fact data for the ethnicity of applicants as a proportion of the appropriate population was not available and used entry rate data instead which closely resembles the numbers and proportions of those applying.
18/07/2023
BBC News Channel, BBC Two
15 February 2023
In coverage of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) decision not to take further action against the Labour Party regarding its handling of antisemitism allegations, we discussed Labour’s handling of the issue with the Labour peer, Baroness Anderson.
She was asked about concerns expressed by the group Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), and its statement that: “In some Labour Party constituencies the situation has deteriorated to the point where Jews who do not support Israel or continue to support former Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, have become too frightened to attend party meetings for fear of intimidation or abuse.”
Baroness Anderson said that JVL has a tiny membership and that it had made her life a misery as an MP, before going onto question why members of an organisation ‘that is separate to Labour and thinks that antisemitism was overplayed’ would want to be in the Labour Party in the first place.
At this point the interview ended which meant that her points, particularly on the leadership of JVL and its views, were not directly challenged.
JVL has contacted us to make clear that its members have never expressed any hatred of Jews or supported any conspiracy theory and that none of its executive has been expelled from the Labour Party for antisemitism.
JVL says it is ‘alarmed’ that the EHRC considers Labour’s action plan on antisemitism to be satisfactorily delivered.
It says there has been a disproportionate targeting of its members for disciplinary action and that ‘Jews like us do not feel safe in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party’.
22/02/2023
BBC Tyne & Wear
BBC News Online, 18 February 2023
In a BBC News Online article, we incorrectly stated QPR fan and actor Will Ferrell apologised for mocking Sunderland fans. A quote was taken from a verified Twitter account, but it was not made by the actor. We have removed the article in its entirety since it was based wholly on the apology.
20/02/2023
The Jeremy Vine Show
BBC Radio 2, 31 January 2023
In exchanges about relations with the European Union we said in the UK that "we don’t have a major political party saying we’ve got to get back in."
To be clear, the SNP, the third largest party at Westminster, believes that the best way to build a more prosperous and equal Scotland is to be a full independent member of the EU and is in favour of EU membership.
We have also deleted a video clip of the original exchange which was embedded in a @BBCPolitics tweet on the same day marking three years since the UK left the European Union.
16/02/2023
5 Live Breakfast
BBC Radio 5 Live, 4 January 2023
In a discussion about face coverings a contributor said mask mandates introduced in June and July 2020 brought rising covid rates under control within a matter of weeks
To be clear, when face coverings became compulsory in shops and supermarkets in England in July 2020, covid cases were in fact flat and not rising. They began to rise later in the year at the start of the second wave.
16/02/2023
Today
BBC Radio 4, 31 January 2023
In a discussion marking three years since the UK left Brexit, we asked why the International Monetary Fund was forecasting a worse economic performance by the UK than for other advanced countries.
We said: “One of the things they say is because of labour supply, we don’t have the people, and of course one of the reasons we don’t have the people is because we just don’t let them in anymore.”
To be clear this was a reference to the impact of the ending of Freedom of Movement, the ability of EU citizens to work in the UK, and not an indication that no migrants are entering the UK.
Last year net migration to the UK was estimated at 504,000 in the year to June - the highest figure ever recorded. The rise was driven by people arriving legally from outside the EU, with more than half on student visas.
The House of Lords Economics Affairs Committee report on labour supply said:
“At an economy-wide level, it appears that a fall in the number of EU workers has been counterbalanced by an increasing number of non-EU workers. This means that, at a macro level, there has been no reduction in the number of immigrants to the UK. However, changes in the structure of immigration are contributing to labour supply problems. Some sectors, especially agriculture and hospitality which relied more on EU workers are experiencing acute labour shortages.”
10/02/2023
News Channel / BBC World News
6 February 2023
When reporting Beyonce’s success at the Grammys we briefly showed a picture of the actress Viola Davis by mistake. An image of Ms Davis had been used correctly several times in earlier coverage that night as she had achieved EGOT status (an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony). The decision to change the headline to feature Beyonce was made very close to transmission and due to a technical failure, the picture of Beyonce failed to update in our broadcast graphics systems in time. This resulted in the image of Ms Davis from the previous hour going to air in error. We ensured that this mistake was not repeated but accept it fell below the BBC’s usual standards and apologise for the error.
10/02/2023
Today
BBC Radio 4, 18 April 2022
In an item about clashes at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem a contributor said “in 1969 an Israeli extremist tried to burn the entire mosque”.
In fact a 28 year old farmer from Australia, Denis Michael Rohan, admitted having caused the arson in 1969 and was later deported. He was affiliated with a small fundamentalist Christian group called Church of God and had been in Israel for some months before the attack.
09/02/2023
Today
BBC Radio 4, 23 January 2023
We broadcast a report looking at a The Mill, a subscription email letter service in Greater Manchester and asked whether this was a new model for providing local journalism which people were prepared to pay for.
However this item did not meet our usual editorial standards on a number of different fronts.
The report did not make it sufficiently clear when it was referring to local journalism in the UK in general and when it was referring to the situation in Greater Manchester in particular.
The report also did not offer the Manchester Evening News the opportunity to respond to a number of claims made, despite referring to the Manchester Evening News by name. We should have offered a right to reply to the claim that local journalism ‘needs to be rebuilt’, including in the level of scrutiny it offers and in reporting the richness of the places where people live. We should also have sought a response to the suggestion that the Manchester Evening News website is ‘just rammed with clickbait and sensationalism and just kind of about celebrities to be honest.’
Reach, which publishes the Manchester Evening News, has told us that it is not the case that scrutiny is absent or greatly reduced in Manchester or other areas served by a Reach title. It says the MEN uncovered the Awaab Ishaak scandal and an investigation on grooming has also been discussed in Parliament. It also says the Manchester Evening News also presents regular features which seek to celebrate local life.
Reach has also told us The Manchester Evening News online never writes clickbait – stories which mislead in the headline to get people on site – and that TV and celebrity content on the website make up less than 5% of the articles published.
Although we referred to sales of the Manchester Evening News in the report, we agree more detailed facts would have given listeners more context to assess the health of local journalism in Greater Manchester. The Manchester Evening News online reached more than 18 million people in the UK in December and its average print circulation between January and June last year was over 20,000.
We apologise for these lapses in our editorial standards.
02/02/2023
News at Ten
BBC One, 14 December 2022
In a report about migrants being rescued from a sinking dinghy in the English Channel we said a fishing boat was first on the scene to help ‘men, women and children.’
While we believed that to be the case at the time of reporting, in fact we have been unable to confirm whether any women were present.
31/01/2023
News Channel
24 January 2023
In text running across the screen we reported that Paul Mescal was one of two British actors who had been nominated for an Oscar for a leading role.
The text should have said that Paul Mescal is Irish. We apologise for the mistake.
25/01/2023
BBC News Channel
Friday 13 January 2023
During an interview about the prescription of statins, consultant cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra made unprompted claims about excess deaths and Covid vaccines which were not challenged at the time.
Dr Malhotra referred to British Heart Foundation (BHF) figures showing there’ve been just over 30,000 excess deaths involving heart disease since the pandemic began.
He said: “what my own research has found, and this is something that is probably a likely contributory factor, is that the covid mRNA vaccines do carry a cardiovascular risk.”
He acknowledged ‘uncertainty’ at what is causing excess deaths, and referred to ambulance delays, before discussing his own father’s death during the pandemic, saying “the likely cause of his death was 2 doses of the mRNA vaccine that he had had six months earlier.”
Dr Malhotra then called for the suspension of the vaccine rollout while excess deaths are investigated.
To be clear, the BHF says “Covid-19 infection was likely a significant factor in excess coronary heart disease-related deaths during the first year of the pandemic” and that “significant and widespread disruption to heart care services has driven the ongoing surge in excess deaths involving heart disease in England”.
It says that while there have been rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) following the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines (both of which are mRNA vaccines), overall myocarditis is no more likely to be triggered by a Covid vaccine by than any other vaccine. It says Covid-19 itself is much more likely to cause myocarditis than the vaccine is, and people who are vaccinated have a much lower risk of getting other serious complications caused by Covid-19.
Professor Peter Openshaw from Imperial College London, who is also a member of the UK Vaccine Network, was also interviewed on the News Channel and explained that cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) following the Covid vaccine are very small and the risk of complications that are seen after Covid by comparison is ‘probably 100 times greater or more.’
We apologise that we were not better prepared at the time to challenge Dr Malhotra’s points during his interview.
18/01/2023
19/01/2023 - amended for clarity
01/02/2023 – Spelling mistake rectified
Today
BBC Radio 4, 26 October 2022
In a discussion about the Just Stop Oil protests a contributor said ‘everyone agrees that our government’s decision to pursue new oil is a death sentence for millions across the globe.’
The presenter challenged whether ‘everyone agrees’ and went onto add that ‘no government in any country around the world of any political complexion agrees with that statement.’
To be clear, there is no universal view on whether new gas developments are good or bad. There are Governments who are opposed to new oil developments. Many people believe climate change could lead to the death of millions.
09/01/2023
12/01/2023 - Amended for clarity.