The BBC has mounted a defence of its decision to include an interview with a supporter of state sponsored execution of gay men in its coverage of the birth of Sir Elton John and David Furnish’s first child. A spokesman for the corporation told PinkNews.co.uk that the interview with a right-wing Christian fundamentalist allowed the BBC News at Six to reflect a genuine debate over the issue of surrogacy for gay couples.
On the 28th December the BBC’s flagship News at Six bulletin (broadcast at 6:20pm due to the bank holiday) watched by almost seven million people ended with a report on the birth of Sir Elton and Mr Furnish’s first child. The report contained just one interview, with Stephen Green, of right-wing group Christian Voice, without any warning that he is someone who has in the past supported the death penalty for gay men. The report was repeated on a number of occasions throughout the evening on the BBC News Channel.
BBC statement said: “The practice of surrogacy is a sensitive subject and remains controversial in some quarters. Our short news bulletin featured Elton John talking about wanting to have a child and an opposing viewpoint. All sides of the debate on surrogacy have been widely reported in the news media and our coverage has reflected this.”
However, the sound-bite used of Sir Elton significantly pre-dated the announcement of his surrogate child although a BBC source said the corporation did attempt to reach the star for a new interview. This has yet to be confirmed by Elton’s people.
A BBC spokesman claimed that the coverage on the flagship BBC News at Six programme should be seen in the wider context of all of the BBC’s coverage of the birth of Sir Elton’s child. The BBC claim that there is genuine debate about gay couples having surrogate children and that it was right for the BBC to find someone who was opposed to the practise as the only interview in the report
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