BBC apologises for documentary that criticised Met Office over climate change
One cherished institution dissing another. I am interested in this because I am increasingly concerned about the impact flood risk is having on the viability of rural coastal communities and it reflects what a political football the whole issue of climate change still is. We need to bottom our policy approach pretty soon…..
The BBC has apologised for a Radio 4 documentary presented by Daily Mail journalist Quentin Letts criticising the Met Office for its investigation of climate change.
What’s The Point of… the Met Office? accused the weather service of having a position on climate change which verged on “political alarmism” and included the views of numerous climate change sceptics, without describing them as such. The BBC admitted that the programme failed to meet its editorial standards and apologised for an “unfortunate lapse”.
It said: “In giving voice to climate change sceptics, it failed to make clear that they are a minority voice, out-of-step with the scientific consensus – which we would normally expect on the occasion when we include such viewpoints.”