03/02/2017 Newswatch

Welcome to Newswatch. Later on the programme: This man was on our

screens again this week. Is the BBC giving Nigel garage too much air

time? Was coverage of the new US administration's travel ban balanced

and impartial, or did it pander to a growing anti-tromp hysteria? --

Nigel Farage. The Prime Minister's visit the US at

the end of last week to meet President Trump was the subject of

considerable media analysis. Not least the moment when the two

appeared briefly holding hands. But some people were more exercised by a

question put at a news by the BBC's correspondent.

You said before that torture works, you've praised Russia, you said you

wanted to ban some Muslims from coming to America, you've suggested

there should be punishment for abortion. For many people in Britain

those sound like alarming beliefs. What do you say to our viewers at

home who are worried about some of your views and worried about you

becoming the leader of the free world? That was your choice of a

question? There goes that relationship. So, did one question

from a reporter had the potential to damage the special relationship?

Some thought it might have done and that our correspondent needed

lessons in diplomacy. Here is Donovan Chapel... I was left

guessing at the motives of asking such a provocative question to

somebody so easily provoked as Donald Trump. -- Jonathan Chapel.

Was it to undermine the relationship of the two leaders? Or was it the

BBC trying to make the news rather than report it? Or was the

correspondent showboating her question skills? Whatever the

motives, asking that question to Donald Trump in that forum lacked

emotional intelligence. Had Donald Trump taken offence to the question

it could have had an impact on the future prosperity of the UK economy

as a whole. The BBC and Laura Chris Burke are in a privileged position

to be able to ask questions at press conferences like this. -- Laura

Kuensberg. Don't abuse the privilege. Coverage of Donald

Trump's presidency continued to exercise Newswatch view was, in

particular the BBC's reporting of the petition against Donald Trump

making a state visit to Britain. Add the ban of seven countries' visitors

to the US. -- and the ban. The list of countries was originally drawn up

by the Obama administration. It wasn't invented by tram. Many Muslim

countries themselves pose a travel ban on the citizens of many

countries, including UK citizens, simply because they have visited

Israel. There has been little evidence of fare on biased reporting

showing both sides of the story. It isn't anti-Muslim, it is

anti-terrorist. But reporters keep trying to push this question into

the face of anyone they can to get an impact from viewers.

On Monday's BBC News, apart from the briefest of interviews with three

people on Staten Island who had not been outraged by this band, no

interviews were made about the many people in the US who are not

outraged by this executive order. -- ban. This petition is open to

fraudulent signatures. Many people are not outraged and haven't signed

this. The problem is that those who are not outraged are not deemed to

be covered by the BBC. Donald Trump's claims about fake

news and the media can only gain credibility if responsible news

organisations like the BBC fail to give our unbiased, accurate and

honest news reporting, or fair and balanced debates and discussions.

That debate will continue. There was one BBC programme that had a clear

defence of President Trump's travel ban, Sunday Politics, and the guest

was Nigel Farage. Andrew Neil began by asking him if he agreed with the

President's decision to ban Syrian refugees indefinitely from entering

the United States. There are several countries on that list. He's

entitled to this. I didn't ask you if he was entitled. But isn't my

point. I ask if you agreed to stop I do. If you look at what is happening

in France and Germany. If you look at Angela Merkel's policy on this,

which was to allow anybody from anywhere in, look at what it has led

to. The former leader of Ukip went on to decide his views on

immigration and on the government process on leaving the EU. The

interview produced a strong reaction from viewers, many of whom have

objected before about the frequency of his appearances on BBC news

bulletins and programmes such as question Time. Two viewers reported

their thoughts on camera. -- Question Time. This isn't a balance.

This is a platform. His constant appearances on radio as well as the

BBC iPlayer to contribution in anti-immigrant sentiment in this

country that has happened in the last few years. I think it's time

the BBC recognised that Nigel Farage isn't just some politician that you

wheel on to give a microphone into when people say nice things about

refugees, he is a rallying point. -- give a microphone to.

He is treated as good box office. Photographs of him in pubs. Hugely

disproportionate access to other political programmes on the BBC. By

doing so and by not challenging him. Partly because he was treated in the

first place as light entertainment and good box office, they have

helped him to put things, without challenge, that actually affected

the whole way the debate moved. This happened from the very beginning.

It's only in the last two years he has started to be challenged. And by

that time the normalisation had happened. Why did you have Nigel

Farage on the programme? The main stories worm Theresa May's visit to

Washington and a subsequent story which has dominated the headlines

this week over Donald Trump's travel ban. The other big story of the week

was on Brexit and the Commons debate about the passage of Article 50.

Those were the big stories. Nigel Farage was a guest and an

appropriate guest on both of those stories. He was the first British

politician to meet Donald Trump after his election. And he was a

massive player in the referendum campaign. A lot of you say he isn't

Ukip leader now and he may not be as close to Trump as he claims to be.

We regularly on the BBC invite former politicians onto our

programmes. Former leaders. Ed Miliband was on the BBC this week,

for example, Nick Clegg is a regular guest on our programmes. It isn't

unusual that we should invite somebody onto the programme who is

not currently leader of their party. But they are both MPs. Nigel Farage

has never been an MP. He is an MEP. He was elected such. He is also

leader of his party's political group in the European Parliament. He

is still a person of some influence. A lot of viewers say he is easy

ratings and always has been. You know when you invite him on he will

say something controversial. He represents a strand of political

thinking in the UK. There is no doubt about that. As party leader he

had a track record of political success. So, for example, his party

came first in the European elections in 2014. The general election in

2015, the party in the popular vote came third. This is someone... We

are not able to exclude him from our programmes. He has a track record of

electoral success. And he does represent a strand of political

thinking in British politics. Many people do find what he says

offensive. Particularly as we heard in those of your comments. His

comments on immigration in the current climate, people feel he has

stirred up anti-immigrant sentiment. Do you think it is responsible to

have him up? Not everybody will like what he says. We will get people on

our programmes some people will disagree with. It isn't just that

they disagree, it is whether it is responsible when some people feel

there is a growing climate of tension around immigration and the

BBC chooses to have someone viewers feel have views that are staring up

anti-immigrant sentiment. We can't be involved in making value

judgments about politicians. Ethical judgments. They can't. Not when they

come from a major party. Ukip is a major party, there is no doubt about

that. We can't be making value judgments about whether what they

have got to say is morally dubious. That isn't our role. We are an

impartial broadcaster. There was no evidence Nigel Farage has said

anything illegal. That's never been a risk. He shouldn't be treated any

differently than any other politician from the other major

parties in the UK. You work on Sunday Politics And Daily Politics.

A lot of viewers were concerned about how often he is invited onto

BBC programmes, including Question Time. Using the BBC has him on too

often? He has on a radio programme, as well. It is only the second time

he has been on Daily Politics. I think he has made half a dozen

appearances either as part of a panel or part of discussions on BBC

television over the past six months. I don't think that is too great a

number. On our programmes, of course, Andrew Neil is a robust

interviewer. We always want politicians of the highest calibre

from whatever political party. Thanks very much.

And thanks to all of you who recorded or send us your views on

this this week. Your opinions could feature on next

week's programme. You can contact us:

You can watch previous discussions on our website, as well. That is all

from us. We will be back to hear your thoughts about BBC News

coverage again next week. Goodbye.