BBC Admits to Violating Accuracy Rules by Failing to Mention Trans Identity of Murderer Scarlet Blake
The BBC’s internal watchdog found that the public broadcaster violated accuracy rules by not disclosing Scarlet Blake’s transgender identity, but did not break impartiality rules by using the pronouns “she” or “her.” The Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) of the BBC stated this on Thursday.
The ECU mentioned that Blake’s trans status was not mentioned during most of the court proceedings and was only brought up by Blake’s lawyer before his conviction. The ECU criticized the BBC for not including this crucial information in some reports, which they considered a breach of their accuracy standards.
Despite receiving complaints, the ECU did not uphold issues related to calling Blake a “trans woman” or using his preferred pronouns. They argued that the terms used were consistent with widely accepted definitions and policies related to gender identity.
The ECU emphasized that using appropriate language and terminology is essential for impartiality and highlighted the BBC’s style guide on how to refer to transgender individuals. The guide emphasizes using the preferred pronouns of the individual in question unless there are specific editorial reasons not to do so.
Overall, the ECU concluded that the BBC took sufficient action to address the complaints related to Blake’s reporting, including adding the missing information and acknowledging the oversight in subsequent publications.
Contributed to this report: Chris Summers
