BBC - balance and bias...

Contrast the approach to these two news stories.

On the one hand, the Holy Father is invited to present Thought for the Day. This is certainly news-worthy: he is after all the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and it is a first. It is scarcely controversial: Thought for the Day always features a religious leader or thinker (or at least someone who thinks she is...). But the BBC ferret out a spokesman for the National Secular Society (who represent practically nobody) to say what an outrage it is - in the interests of balance, of course.

Then Sir Elton John and his male lover evade the British laws by making arrangements overseas to have a surrogate mother bear a child. This is also news-worthy. And some might think rather controversial. And of course the BBC cover it: but strangely there is no attempt made to represent any view but the BBC's, which is clearly that this is a jolly good thing.

Yet another reason I do not pay a licence fee to the BBC...