The BBC has formally upheld a complaint against veteran news presenter Martine Croxall after she altered scripted language during a live broadcast, replacing "pregnant women" with "pregnant people." The incident has ignited fresh debate about language, editorial standards, and impartiality within the corporation.
The Broadcast That Sparked Controversy
The ruling centres on an episode of the BBC News channel where Croxall was presenting a segment. According to the official finding by the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU), the presenter deliberately departed from the prepared script. The original wording referred to "pregnant women," but Croxall opted to use the more inclusive term "pregnant people" while on air.
The ECU concluded that this change breached the BBC's strict impartiality guidelines. The corporation's stance is that while the phrase "pregnant people" is used in some contexts, substituting it for the scripted language constituted a failure of due impartiality, presenting a contentious viewpoint as fact.
Broader Implications for BBC Journalism
This case touches on a highly sensitive and evolving area of public discourse. The BBC maintains that its journalists must remain neutral on such matters, especially when the language itself is part of an ongoing public debate.
The ruling states: "The ECU agreed that, in the absence of editorial purpose, the change gave the impression the BBC had taken a side on an issue of public debate and had therefore failed to maintain due impartiality."
This incident is not isolated. It follows previous internal guidance reminding staff to avoid advocacy journalism and to carefully navigate the language around gender identity. The decision reinforces the BBC's commitment to its editorial policies, even when it involves the language choices of its most experienced presenters.
Reaction and Next Steps
The upholding of the complaint has been met with mixed reactions. Some argue it upholds necessary editorial standards, while others see it as a setback for inclusive language in broadcasting.
As a result of the ruling, the specific broadcast segment has been removed from the BBC's on-demand service, iPlayer. The corporation has also stated that the finding will be used for internal training to ensure all staff understand the importance of adhering to approved scripts and maintaining impartiality.
