BBC Slavery anniversary error, unfavourable response to complaint

Dear Mr Cook




Thank you for your further e-mail. Please accept our apologies for the

delay in replying. We know our correspondents appreciate a quick response

and we are sorry you have had to wait on this occasion.




It is worth bearing in mind that this was part of 'Newsnight Review' rather

than a news report within the main body of the programme and the aim was

not to enter into a lengthy look at slavery and its abolition.




Your original complaint took issue with the following piece of script:




"The film Amazing Grace has been released to coincide with the 200th

anniversary of the passing of a bill which outlawed the slave trade in

Britain and its empire."




The general historical consensus, as far as I am aware, is that in 1806,

parliament passed an act to abolish the supply of slaves on British ships

to foreign and conquered colonies. This was followed up by the total

abolition of the British slave trade in 1807. It ended more than 200 years

of slave trading. The Abolition of Slavery Act, passed in 1833, freed all

slaves in the British Empire and provided for compensation for their owners.




I confess to being unsure as to exactly how the brief introduction

misrepresented this or was factually inaccurate. As a result there is

little more we can add other than to apologise again if you were concerned.




Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.




Regards




Damian Whyte

BBC Information

__________________________________________

The BBC Trust wants to know what's important to you about your BBC. Want to

help it set the BBC's strategic priorities? To get involved just click on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust




-----Original Message-----




{Title:} Mr

{First Name:} Illinois

{Last Name:} Cook







{Email:} illinoisc@hotmail.com

{Phone:}

{Postcode:} E3 5AH

{Country:} England




{About:} General

{Network:}
















{Programme Name:}

{Transmission Date:}




{Comments:}

Please accept an official complaint at the way my comments/complaint was

dealt with by one of your staff. The problem is that although I have

caught Kirsty Wark in a minor error in the way she described the 1807

Act in the mere introduction to a news item, your correspondent has

unnanccountably replied twice using two different ways of saying that no

error was made. I really don't see why you would feel the need to defend

an error with such methods, so would you please explain the responses I

have recieved? Quoted: Dear Mr Cook




Thank you for your further e-mail.




I note that you were having difficulties sending a complaint to us. For

future

reference, the Make a Complaint option on the Complaints website offers

the

following webform:




http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make_complaint_step1.shtml




With regards to my previous response, at no point in the programme did

Kirsty

say that Slavery ended 1807, she said that this date marked the

anniversary of a

bill passed to outlaw the trade of slaves.




Also in the opening of the programme, when stating that a review of

'Amazing

Grace' was to feature, she referred to it being a film about the

beginning of

the end of slavery.




Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.




Regards




Damian Whyte

BBC Information

__________________________________________

The BBC Trust wants to know what's important to you about your BBC. Want

to help

it set the BBC's strategic priorities? To get involved just click on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust




-----Original Message-----




{Title:} Mr

{First Name:} Illinois

{Last Name:} Cook




{Email:} illinoisc@hotmail.com

{Phone:}

{Postcode:} E3 5AH




{Country:} England

{About:} TV

{Network:} BBC2
















{Programme Name:} newsnight

{Transmission Date:}23 - 03 - 07




{Comments:}

Had to use the 'send praise' choice of feedback type, as 'comments..'

and 'complaints..' sent me into a loop of pages which didn't get

anywhere, so therefore that can form my first complaint.




My second is this:




-----Original Message-----

Dear Damian Whyte, can you read?




"After the passing of Abolition of the Slave Trade Act

<http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Lslavery07.htm> in 1807, British

captains

who were caught continuing the trade were fined Ã'£100 for every

slave found on

board. However, this law did not stop the British slave

trade.....Parliament

passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This act gave all slaves in

the

British Empire their freedom"




Slavery was still taking place in the British Empire until 1833 quite

legally.

























It's up to us to solve the Middle East problem - march on London, June

9th 2007:




http://www.enoughoccupation.org/enough







_____




From: info@bbc.co.uk

To: illinoisc@hotmail.com

Subject: Newsnight Review [T2007032400JAS010Z2192921]

Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:51:09 +0100 (BST)

>Dear Mr Cook

>

>Thank you for your e-mail.

>

>I note your concerns regarding 'Newsnight Review' on 23 March and that

you

believe Kirsty Wark made an error in her introduction to the review of

'Amazing

Grace'. Having reviewed the programme I can confirm that what Kirsty

actually

said was:

>

>"The film Amazing Grace has been released to coincide with the 200th

anniversary of the passing of a bill which outlawed the slave trade in

Britain

and its empire."

>

>This is factually correct, the link you supplied also confirms this.

>

>Please be assured that your comments have been fully registered on our

daily

audience log. This internal document will be made available to the

'Newsnight

Review' production team and Senior BBC Management.

>

>Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.

>

>Regards

>

>Damian Whyte

>BBC Information

>__________________________________________

>The BBC Trust wants to know what's important to you about your BBC.

Want to

help it set the BBC's strategic priorities? To get involved just click

on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust

>

>-----Original Message-----

>

>{Title:} Mr

>{First Name:} Illinois

>{Last Name:} Cook

>

>

>{Email:} illinoisc@hotmail.com

>{Phone:}

>{Postcode:} E3 5AH

>{Country:} England

>

>{About:} General

>{Network:} BBC2

>

>

>

>

>

>{Programme Name:} Newsnight (Review)

>{Transmission Date:}23 - 03 - 07

>

>{Comments:}

>At the beginning of Newsnight Review Kirsty said 'the 200th anniversary

>of the Abolition Act which abolished Slavery in the British Empire'.

>This was a shoddy mistake as one of the key points about the 1807 Act

is

>that it did NOT do this, and indeed this was not until until 1833 - see

>here:

>

>http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Lslavery33.htm

>




Yours sincerely,




Illinois Cook



















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...

Further to my 'BBC communication' post in May 2010 re BBC Bias / impartiality, which I updated today

Fri, 16 Nov 2018, 13:08

Dear Mr Cook

Thanks for contacting the BBC. This is to confirm we’ve received the attached complaint sent in this name. We’ve included the text of the complaint and a case reference for your records (see below).

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Here are the details of your complaint:----------

YOUR COMPLAINT:Complaint Summary: Antisemitism Smear vs Corbyn

Full Complaint: Obvious outrageous bias to allow this slanderous smear.
----------Thank you again for contacting us,BBC Complaints Team
www.bbc.co.uk/complaintsPlease note: this email is sent from an unmonitored address so please don’t reply. If necessary please contact us through our webform (please include your case reference number).

bbc_complaints_website@bbc.co.uk <bbc_complaints_website@bbc.co.uk>	Tue, 20 Nov 2018, 16:56
to me Tue, 20 Nov 2018, 16:56

Dear Mr Cook
Thank you for contacting us with your concerns about the edition of Question Time from Milford Haven.

We have received a range of feedback about this edition. To allow us to reply promptly to your concerns, and to ensure we use our Licence fee resources as efficiently as possible, we’re addressing here a range of issues which viewers have raised. Our complaints process allows us to offer a consolidated reply like this when necessary. We’re sorry that we can’t reply personally to you on each point which has been made. Please be assured that your reaction has been accurately shared with the programme makers, as well as senior staff.

The comments from Claire Perry MP regarding the Labour leader provoked a strong, mixed reaction from the studio audience. David Dimbleby controlled the situation by bringing her back to the point she was asked about, and asked her to make it in full. David then ensured that Barry Gardiner MP, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, was given an equally clear opportunity to challenge the comments. Mr Gardiner addressed the ‘very personal’ remarks about Jeremy Corbyn as he wished, and in full.

David Dimbleby had already reminded the panellists on a number of occasions to allow other people to speak, both from the audience and elsewhere within the panel. Mrs Perry was not the only panellist to be reprimanded by David – his approach treats each guest appropriately and without bias. We feel that he chaired the discussion professionally and reasonably in a lively and passionate setting.

Your reaction has been shared with the programme team and senior staff across BBC Politics.

Kind Regards

BBC Complaints Team
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

NB This is sent from an outgoing account only which is not monitored. You cannot reply to this email address but if necessary please contact us via our webform quoting any case number we provided.