Complaint
A viewer of a report about the numbers of aspiring PhD students from a BAME background offered places in Universities in the UK complained that data from a survey carried out by Newsnight was used without appropriate contextual reference. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs standards of accuracy.
Outcome
The report relied on a survey carried out by Newsnight under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The reporter stated that, of the 62 institutions who responded to the survey, all but one showed a higher acceptance rate for white students, βwith the majority showing a large disparityβ. One example was selected showing thatΒ βthere were 8,088 offers for white candidates compared to only 386 for those of black ethnicityβΒ at an unnamed university. However the data gathered by Newsnight showed that when offers to postgraduate applicants from other BAME categories were included the total at this single institution over the same period rose to 5051. Although the acceptance rate for BAME applicants as a proportion of those applying was lower than for white, the disparity was much less marked (37.9% versus 53.3%) than the report suggested.
The ECU considered that the use of this statistic without broader information about the results of the survey created a misleading impression inconsistent with the level of accuracy expected of a news report.
Upheld
Further action
The finding was reported to the Board of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News and discussed with the programme-makers concerned.