UK media bias: BBC and Channel 4 beat Sky and ITV on political balance

Sky News displays the strongest political bias of any major UK news broadcaster, according to a survey conducted by TheMediaBlog.co.uk, the full results of which will be published later this week.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 per cent) said Sky News displays a clear pro-Conservative bias in its reporting. In total, 34.5 per cent of respondents said Sky News displays a "strong Conservative" bias, while 29.3 said the channel shows "some Conservative" bias. One per cent of respondents thought Sky News displays a pro-Liberal Democrat bias, there was zero suggestion of any support for Labour and only 9.1 per cent of respondents said Sky News shows no overall bias.

The second strongest bias, indentified by the survey of 1,054 respondents, was on ITV News - also believed to be pro-Conservative.

In total, 11.3 per cent said ITV shows a "strong Conservative" bias and 17.5 said it shows "some Conservative" bias. However, the bias was less clear-cut than Sky's and 6.2 per cent of respondents said they believe ITV is actually pro-Lib Dem, while 4.1 per cent identified a pro-Labour bias. The channel also faired better than Sky with the 28.9 per cent of respondents who said it shows no overall bias, and nearly a third (32 per cent) saying they are unsure. 

Channel 4 and the BBC meanwhile faired far better - seen as being largely impartial on balace.

In terms of perceived neutrality, Channel 4 faired best of all, with 48 per cent of respondents saying the channel displays no clear bias and 27.1 per cent saying they are unsure. Any perceived bias on Channel 4 was split across all three main parties - Lib Dem (15.7 per cent), Labour (8.4 per cent) and just one per cent Conservative.

The BBC meanwhile showed the second greatest level of percieved neutrality (43.8 per cent), with perceived bias split across Labour (25 per cent), Lib Dem (11.4 per cent) and Conservative (9.4 per cent).

The below chart illustrates the bias identified by the survey (...continues):

While far from scientific, if we were to assume all perceived bias is equal and trade off conflicting bias, we are left with the following findings, ranking the broadcasters in order of the extent of perceived overall bias (lowest first):

1. BBC News: 4.2 per cent pro-Labour
2. Channel 4 News: 6.3 per cent pro-Lib Dem
3. ITV News: 18.5 per cent pro-Conservative
4. Sky News: 63 per cent pro-Conservative

All this is perception of course and potentially a reflection of people's own political allegiances to some degree, so we would be first to agree that a survey of this size and nature should not be regarded as definitive by any means. But please have your say, by posting a reader comment below. Full findings of the survey, which  polled 1,054 people (on 19-23 April 2010) will be published later this week.

Comments

[Olirh]

While I would agree that the stats seem to follow how I would see the output of the various channels, this is assuming that the channels are not biased normally!

BBC is well known to have a Labour bias, however, under normal circumstances, it isn't measured. Therefore, it can't be true that they are 4.2% pro labour, but rather, 4.2% more Pro Labour than they usually are.

However, does this mean the other channels are also just as biased normally than they are during an election, or is the Sky figure so high because they are normally very pro Labour outside an election?

Very interesting study - thanks for sharing!

[gonzomarx]

how about bias in the press?

Sun's page 3 girl Becky is "concerned" about electoral reform http://bit.ly/9pslkk

[TheMediaBlog.co.uk]

Thanks Oli, you're right there are many factors that could come into play and we say in the post that it should not be taken as a definitive poll - more indicative of trends.

Rupert Murdoch of course has been very open about his backing for Cameron at this election, so armed with that knowledge it's perhaps easier to perceive bias on Sky - hence one reason, beyond the obvious, why the result is so clear cut.

Likewise, certain TV events perhaps stand out more than others during the coverage of this election.

The Trevor McDonald interview with Cameron, for example may linger in people's minds for the criticism it received and may have carried more weight therefore than the rest of ITV's coverage.

Even a handful of complaints over Vince Cable's centre stage positioning on Channel 4's one-off Chancellors Debate could explain that channel's marginal showing as pro-Lib Dem.

The nature of the Media Blog too is such that we attract an online audience, many of whom are connected to social networks where there has perhaps been a clearer left/liberal leaning in recent weeks than in the UK as a whole. As such, they may be quicker to cry foul over perceived Conservative bias.

Of course it's possible for two opposing sets of football fans to leave a match and both claim the referee was against them - a neat illustration of how personal allegiances mean we're capable of seeing bias anywhere if we think it's against 'our team'.

Then there is the issue of self-selecting survey respondents.

But, despite these caveats the findings are a reflection of what people said they believe. And at a time when we're all putting a lot of stock in what polls tell us about this election it seemed fair to share.

The discussion of media bias is certainly an important one in the run-up to a general election and hopefully this has helped raise its profile.

Glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for reading and commenting.

[davidk]

ITV News, in particular, has been a disgrace in this election. Anything and everything has come with a pronounced Tory spin.

[ruwan]

ITV News at 10 has definitely shown bias which surprised and disappointed me. Tom Bradby's political analysis is very pro-conservative and anti LIB/LAB in his conclusions.

[Stuart]

I agree, ITV has been a shambles. They aren't even trying to hide the fact they need the Tories to win in order to start breaking up the BBC - their major rival.

As for Sky, this finding doesn't surprise me AT ALL. If anything I'm shocked people have watched Sky News and not spotted the shameless promotion of Cameron. Sky isn't News though - it isn't even factual programming - it's merely another part of Rupert Murdoch's self-serving entertainment empire. I just hope this corrupt old dinosaur of an ugly bygone era of media manipulation has been found out by the grass roots revolution in solution media channels.

[Red Rag]

Hate to be the person told by Murdoch his job was "to get Cameron in to F*****ng Downing Street" if they do not get in.

http://redrag1.blogspot.com/2010/04/red-rag-more-signs-of-murdoch-losing.html

[Tony Jones]

I expect nothing less from sky.

However the nearer the election has come, the more ITN has been trying to knock Sky news off as the best cheerleader for Cameron.

It wouldn't surprise me if Tom Bradby started wearing a Conservative rosette. His reporting is nothing short of a scandal. How anyone so biased can report on tv is beyond me. I think we all know what the T stands for in ITN and the I definitely doesn't mean independent.

[ki]

I am yet to see ANYONE on TV come out in support of CONservatives; After the debates yesterday, I watched interviews on Newsnight, ITV and Questiontime and NO ONE mentioned Tories in a positive light, most spoke of Clegg one spoke of Brown (positively) but David Cameron doesn't feature at all, so why are all the polls showing DC on top?..hmmm maybe the sample?

[Dave]

I googled 'itv biased election coverage' because it kept niggling at me and clearly I'm not the only person thinking this. Like others, I think that Sky is clearly the 'Fox' of the UK but I would expect better from ITV.

[Democaratic Social Democrat Gal]

Some one should suggest a branch of monopoly law for the Media, Murdock has nearly 40% of all media output in the UK under his control, 25% is an official monopoly, so a law could reasonably state that he should be forced to sell of at least the 15% excess.

[Mikey]

ITV and Sky have been a total disgrace. They are owned by people who have their own agenda, not caring to think about the repercusions on how a Tory government will actually Impact on the general public. I truly hope the public see through this blatant conspiracy. I for one will no longer watch their news programs as I can no longer trust what they are reporting. Maybe if more people do the same their viewing figures may be hit hard enough for them to realise that we the public deserve better.

[Simon Garrat]

BBC not biased , who did you ask deaf and blind people only. BBC is so biased left wing , it would not be possible to be more biased.

[Tony]

BBC'S Pro-establishment bias

http://orwellsmemoryhole-tony.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-left-wing-bias-written-through-bbcs.html