Complaint
A listener complained about an off-the-cuff remark made after an interview about Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign. The ECU considered whether it amounted to a breach of impartiality as suggested by the complainant.
Outcome
The interview focused on the likely political impact of a move to prevent Mr Trump from being on the ballot to be US President in Colorado. The interviewee, a US pollster, explained that ,from his sampling of political opinion, voters tended not to follow the details and viewed legal cases brought against Mr Trump through the prism of their existing views about the former President. After the interview, in an aside, Nick Robinson told listeners: “That’s cheered up the nation, I’ve no doubt”.
The BBC’s Editorial Guidelines state audiences should not be able to tell from BBC output the personal opinions of BBC journalists or news and current affairs presenters on controversial subjects. The ECU noted the complainant’s view, but did not agree it was clear that Mr Robinson was expressing a view on a matter of political controversy. As part of the interview concerned the calibre of public debate, the reference to cheering the nation up could be understood as a general observation about society and politics rather than a comment on Mr Trump’s candidacy.
Not Upheld