Saturday 21 May 2016

Breaking news...



For fans of stats, here's another thing I've been monitoring this year regarding the BBC's EU referendum coverage:

...namely the BBC Breaking News Twitter feed (followed by nearly 23 million people).

All I set out to do was the count the number of Remain-helpful and Leave-helpful tweets sent out by BBC Breaking News. 

Here's what I've got so far, complete with every tweet sent out about the EU referendum from BBC Breaking News...

For you to check my findings for yourself (and please call out any ones you disagree with - and you might disagree with a fair few of them), I will colour the tweets in the way I see them. (I suspect the Green ones will prove most open to question).

Arbitrarily (colour-wise):
Blue = helpful to Leave
Red = helpful to Remain
Green = hard to say/neutral
Now, I will freely admit in advance that I'm not wholly happy with this (and suspect you will find a few things to disagree with), but I still think it shows the expected bias - and quite convincingly.

I make it 26 for Remain and just 3 for Leave - which (of course) sounds stupendously imbalanced.

Please count and judge for yourselves though (after the 'Read more' - placed purely for aesthetic purposes):

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  May 20
Two Britons living abroad lose Court of Appeal battle over right to vote in June's EU referendum

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  May 12
UK interest rates unchanged at 0.5%; Bank of England also warns Brexit may lead to lower growth, higher unemployment

BBC Breaking News Retweeted
Kamal Ahmed ‏@bbckamal  May 12
Breaking: Bank of England warns of "materially" lower economic growth if UK leaves the EU #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 28
UK expats lose legal challenge over right to vote in June's in-out referendum on membership of European Union

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 27
Brexit is equivalent to a "tax that would cost Britons a month's pay by 2020" - @OECD chief

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 23
UK would have "less influence globally" if it left EU, @POTUS says in BBC exclusive

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 23
If UK leaves EU it could be 10 years before US trade deal agreed, @POTUS says, watch BBC exclusive - 06:00 BST

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 22
"The UK is at its best when it's helping to lead a strong European Union" says @POTUS #ObamaInUK

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 17
Major report by Treasury will claim that UK national income will be 6% smaller by 2030 if Britain leaves EU

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 14
Lloyds Banking Group warns UK leaving EU would cause 'economic uncertainty' in short term

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 14
"Britain stronger" in EU says Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn as he sets out #EURef position http://bbc.in/1qJhFxG

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 13
Vote Leave and Britain Stronger in Europe named as official EU referendum campaigns, Electoral Commission says

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 12
UK exit from EU could cause "severe regional and global damage", says International Monetary Fund

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Apr 6
Government to spend £9m on leaflets to every home #Euref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Mar 6
Boss of British Chambers of Commerce resigns and accepts his support for Brexit "likely to create confusion"

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Mar 4
BCC boss John Longworth reportedly suspended over personal opinions on #Euref http://bbc.in/1Qr2Zvg

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 24
UK's #EUref agreement "legally binding & irreversible", President of the European Council Donald Tusk says http://bbc.in/24p77mE

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 22
Pound hits lowest level against dollar since 2009 over Brexit uncertainty

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 22
"A vote to remain is in best interest of the people" - Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tells MPs on #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 22
PM David Cameron tells MPs UK will not have a second #EUref http://bbc.in/1Q2OLBK

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 22
"Britain can have best of both worlds"- Cameron tells parliament UK must stay in EU #EUref http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35633046 …

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 22
PM David Cameron begins addressing MPs, making case for UK to stay in EU http://bbc.in/1TAlQaC  #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 21
It's the "only chance we have" to leave, @BorisJohnson says as backs #EUref out campaign http://bbc.in/1Q2YpB3

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 21
Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to campaign to leave the EU in the UK's referendum, BBC understands

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 21
Staying in EU makes UK more vulnerable to Paris-style attacks, cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith tells BBC http://bbc.in/1XFrt6A  #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 21
Conservative candidate for mayor of London @ZacGoldsmith to vote to leave in #EUref, his team confirms http://bbc.in/21hF0Dz

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
Justice Secretary Michael Gove outlines reasons why he favours leaving the EU http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD  #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
Six cabinet members join @vote_leave #EUref campaign http://bbc.in/1Ue2B6b  (via @bbclaurak)

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
Leaving EU would threaten Britain's economic & national security, @David_Cameron says http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
UK to hold referendum on membership of the EU on 23 June, PM @David_Cameron says http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-35601369 … #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
"Cabinet agrees" to recommend that UK should remain in a reformed Europe, PM @David_Cameron says http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD  #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
Watch live: @David_Cameron speaks in Downing Street after presenting #EUref deal to the cabinet

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
Home Secretary Theresa May reacts to #EUref deal - confirming she wants to remain in EU http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
It's in the "national interest to remain a member of the European Union," UK Home Secretary Theresa May says http://bbc.in/1UdOH3P  #EUref

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 20
BBC Breaking News Retweeted David Cameron
.@David_Cameron says date of #EUref will be revealed today - follow continuing coverage http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 19
"This is enough for me to recommend the UK remains in the EU" - Cameron on #EUref deal http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-35601369 …

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 19
#EUref deal reportedly includes:
- 7-year welfare brake
- Opt-out for ever-closer union
- Safeguards to protect City

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 19
EU-UK deal includes seven-year brake on welfare payments and UK safeguards to protected City of London http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 19
"I have negotiated a deal to give the UK special status in the EU," David Cameron tweets after reaching #EUref deal http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking  Feb 19
"Unanimous support for new settlement for #UKinEU", says EU President Donald Tusk http://bbc.in/1WtzRoD  #EURef

2 comments:

  1. I don't know whether to laugh or weep. Is it not amazing that until a few days ago the poll of polls in the Referendum had it at 50-50 despite this tsunami of pro-Remain propaganda (not just on the BBC but also on Sky, and ITV, on websites like the Huffington Post and in many of our newspapers, though not all thank God).

    BTW I haven't seen a single TV ad from either campaign despite the official campaign having been running for several weeks now. I expect this is another Cameron stitch-up. Probably be no more than a few minutes worth of ads.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These 'news' spin-offs at the BBC are cynical ways to further vet using editorial integrity protected by FOI exemptions from being explained.

    BBC Trending is currently in a pickle regarding a story they were VERY keen on via social media that may have turned sour.

    They seem however to have moved on when it comes to follow up.

    ReplyDelete

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