Ben Lowry: The BBC should cover why cuts in funding might have to happen, not just the impact of those cuts

On Wednesday night Nolan Live show on BBC One discussed the absence of government and the effect of cuts in Northern Ireland.
By Ben Lowry
Published 13th May 2023, 12:48 BST
Updated 13th May 2023, 13:06 BST
Ben Lowry on Nolan Live on BBC One on Wednesday May 10 2023 discussing the budget cuts amid an absence of Stormont. Ben said that he was the only one of five commentators on the programme to put the cuts in the context of the longstanding failure of MLAs to take difficult decisions. The host is Stephen Nolan, with other guests, from left, Alison Morris of the Belfast Telegraph, the teacher Diane Dawson and the teaching union leader Graham Gault. Screengrab from the BBCBen Lowry on Nolan Live on BBC One on Wednesday May 10 2023 discussing the budget cuts amid an absence of Stormont. Ben said that he was the only one of five commentators on the programme to put the cuts in the context of the longstanding failure of MLAs to take difficult decisions. The host is Stephen Nolan, with other guests, from left, Alison Morris of the Belfast Telegraph, the teacher Diane Dawson and the teaching union leader Graham Gault. Screengrab from the BBC
Ben Lowry on Nolan Live on BBC One on Wednesday May 10 2023 discussing the budget cuts amid an absence of Stormont. Ben said that he was the only one of five commentators on the programme to put the cuts in the context of the longstanding failure of MLAs to take difficult decisions. The host is Stephen Nolan, with other guests, from left, Alison Morris of the Belfast Telegraph, the teacher Diane Dawson and the teaching union leader Graham Gault. Screengrab from the BBC

(Scroll down for Ben Lowry’s main article, on the coronation)

​I was one of the guests to appear on the show, and I am always grateful for an invite, but I felt I had to say bluntly that it echoed the one-sided coverage of ‘cuts’ and of strikes in Northern Ireland (click on the embedded tweet in this article for a clip of the programme). In fact it has been so one sided for so long as to raise questions about media failings in the province. For example, unions are barely challenged in their claims.

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Some weeks ago I examined an obviously unacceptable BBC NI news bulletin which led on a Royal College of Nursing leader describing her horror at the conditions at the Royal’s emergency department. But this was obviously inappropriate: the RCN was going out on strike the next day (see below for a link to the analysis, scroll down within it).

Nolan is separate to BBC NI news and shows his independence by often covering criticism of the BBC. But his discussion on Wednesday did something that BBC NI news does too often: the breathless reportage of the symptoms of a lack of funding in a particular area (ie emotive coverage of someone who is an apparent victim of cuts) with no probing as to why there is not enough money. Often the reason is Stormont’s failure to make hard decisions and efficiencies in other areas.

• Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter editor

• Ben Lowry in December gives an analysis of an inappropriate BBC NI news report. Scroll down within the link

• Ben Lowry main column today May 13: On being in Westminster Abbey for the coronation

Related topics:Ben LowryBBCRoyal College of NursingBBC OneNorthern IrelandWestminster Abbey