BBC response re The One Show

[Ratfinkz]

"[e-mail]" <[e-mail]> wrote:

Dear miss NASH

Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘The One Show’ from 13 March on BBC One.

We understand you were unhappy with Tony Livesey’s report on cigarette substitutes as you felt it was biased against electronic cigarettes.

We raised viewer concerns over this report with ‘The One Show’ team who have responded as follows.

This film set out to explore the growing popularity of e-cigarettes and to gauge reaction to their use in public spaces where cigarette smoking is banned. To this end, we explained clearly what they are made of – specifically setting out that what comes out of them is water vapour - as well as constructing a social experiment to get the reaction of a random selection of people to the use of e-cigarettes in an indoor public space. To help explain what e-cigarettes are we spoke to Anthony Greenfield, an e-cigarette seller, who not only explained the mechanics but also spoke in favour of their use. Given his contribution, we didn’t feel it was necessary to speak to a user as well.

The reaction of the shoppers to the social experiment involving e-cigarettes was not negative towards e-cigarettes in themselves but more about whether they should be used in public spaces. This negative reaction was unprompted and an authentic response by members of the public who did not realise in advance the scene was set up as part of a TV programme. There is a live debate around whether the use of e-cigarettes in places where smoking is banned could act to normalise smoking again, and it was fair to reflect this within the piece.

Given e-cigarettes are mostly used as an alternative to smoking tobacco, it was important, too, to explain that the MRHA is considering whether they should be licensed as a medicine, and therefore, sold in the same way as other anti-smoking aids, like nicotine patches and gum.

In any One Show film we are seeking to provide a balanced and fair approach to a subject delivered in a way that is engaging for the audience. In this instance we feel that this was a fair explanation of e-cigarettes and an attempt to gauge the reaction to their use in public.

We’d also like to assure you we've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is an internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily and is available for viewing by all our staff. This includes all programme makers and channel controllers, along with our senior management. It ensures that your points, along with all other comments we receive, are considered across the BBC.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

BBC Complaints

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.



Where they watching the same program I was?

[OneDay]

I got the same letter

[davess]

Mar 27, 2013 15:30:37 GMT OneDay said:

I got the same letter

Me too.

[Deleted]

yep same here

[lobeydosser]

As program makers are, fundamentally none smokers, you are not going to get anything other than a very biased point of view.

[greendollar]

' a balanced and fair approach ' ...what a load of rubbish

[Deleted]

I got the same reply

[Saferciggie]

Me too, MRHA will be screwing us all shortly by the look of it

[esmecullen]

yeah got the same reply too

[hesta]

same reply here too

[esmecullen]

I wonder whether it is worth it responding to this obviously standard email and state that, their reasoning is flawed????

[Karma]

I think it is worth replying!

Look what's happened with our e-mails to MPs and MEPs. Loads of copy and paste replies not really saying much, but as they have now been challenged, slightly more thought out replies are starting to come through