A conversation with Helen Boaden, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (spring 2017) and former BBC News and BBC Radio director, about her new research paper comparing the BBC’s value of impartiality to the American value of objectivity in journalism, and the pressures placed on both in their respective environments. Boaden explains how although the BBC receives funding from a license fee and is not subject to the commercial pressures that American news outlets face, political pressures can still affect its survival and independence. Beyond money and politics, the nature of the modern news cycle can subvert journalists’ values. The full paper, which can be read at shorensteincenter.org, reviews election coverage in the US, touches on the BBC’s coverage during the Brexit referendum, and looks at the challenges arising from the spread of disinformation and fake news. 

Full paper: https://shorensteincenter.org/unbiased-reporting-brexit-trump-uk