Nolan Investigates

Last updated

Nolan Investigates
Nolan Investigates Stonewall.jpg
Presentation
Hosted by
GenreInvestigative journalism
FormatPodcast
Voices
LanguageEnglish
Production
No. of episodes10
Publication
Original release13 October 2021
Ratings5/5  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Provider BBC Radio Ulster
Related
Website www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p09yjmph

Nolan Investigates or Nolan Investigates: Stonewall is an investigative journalism podcast, released all at once on 13 October 2021, looking into the BBC's relationship with the LGBT charity and lobby group Stonewall.

Contents

On 10 November, a month after the podcast's release, the BBC withdrew from the Diversity Champions Programme and Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.

Series overview

The central focus is the relationship between the BBC and Stonewall. Claims of a conflict of interest arise from Stonewall ranking companies via the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index (a league table), and then selling their Diversity Champions Programme to help the company improve their ranking. [1] Finances aside, there is another question as to whether the BBC can truly be impartial as they claim, while simultaneously vying for a good ranking by Stonewall. [2]

Of lesser focus is questioning the legitimacy of Stonewall's status as self-assigned experts on LGBT matters.[ citation needed ]

Production

Nolan reports that when he began the investigation, colleagues warned him against reporting on transgender topics. [3]

The investigation lasted 18 months. All 10 episodes of the podcast were released simultaneously on 13 October 2021.

Reticence

BBC

While the podcast was produced by BBC journalists, the Diversity and Inclusion Department of the BBC would not put anyone up for interview. [4] They did issue some general statements from a spokesperson. [5]

Under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, the podcast sought information about what Stonewall "was asking organisations to do to improve their ranking on the Workplace Equality Index". The BBC refused to release the information on the grounds that it could "have a detrimental impact on the commercial revenue of Stonewall". [6]

On 11 November, following the podcast's release and the BBC's withdrawal from Stonewall, Rhodri Talfan Davies (Director of Nations at the BBC) was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour . When questioned regarding the BBC's non-participation, he said, "I think with hindsight the BBC should've participated in that podcast." [7]

Stonewall

Stonewall also declined the invitation to take part in the series. Like the BBC, Stonewall did issue general statements, but would not put anyone up for interview, nor directly answer any of the 50+ questions the podcast put to them. [5]

On 17 October, four days after the podcast's release, Stephen Nolan reiterated the invitation to take part in the series by tweet: "We would like to offer another opportunity for Stonewall to be part of our podcast series. We would commit to creating an additional episode of Nolan Investigates, if Stonewall would like to sit down with me. We want to listen." [8] Stonewall did not take up this offer.

Episodes

EpisodeSummaryGuest voices
1.The BriefIntroduces Stephen Nolan and how he began investigating Stonewall's relationship to the BBC.
2.Stonewall's Schemes and the BBCIntroduces BBC's workplace programs Benjamin Cohen, Malcolm Clark, Rosie Duffield
3.Self-ID and Gender IdentityIntroduces the debates around sex and gender identityBenjamin Cohen, Rosie Duffield, David TC Davies
4.Being non-binary in the UKInterview with non-binary politician Owen Hurcum Owen Hurcum
5.A gender clinic insider speaks outInterview with Dr David Bell about the treatment of children with gender dysphoria at the Tavistock David Bell, Emily Maitlis, Hannah Barnes
6.Is Government Too Close to Stonewall?Stonewall's proposal that the word "mother" be removed from maternity policiesFr Tim Bartlett, Malcolm Clark, Benjamin Cohen, Rosie Duffield, Alice Sullivan, Nicola Williams
7.Lobbying and the LawContrasts actual UK law, and how Stonewall presented the law in their workDavid TC Davies, James Caspian, Kathleen Stock, Robin Allen QC, Benjamin Cohen
8.The DebateInterview with two very different trans individuals, Debbie Hayton and Owen Hurcum Debbie Hayton, Owen Hurcum
9.How close was Ofcom to Stonewall?The relationship between Stonewall and Ofcom John Nicolson, Melanie Dawes, Malcolm Clark, Damian Green, John McManus
10.Is the BBC too close to Stonewall?Sam Smith (BBC journalist), Benjamin Cohen

Reception

Ten days after its release, the website Chartable listed Nolan Investigates as #3 most popular in news podcasts in Great Britain. [9] [10] It later rose to #2. [11]

PinkNews, whose founder took part in the podcast, characterized the podcast as an attack on Stonewall. [12]

Chrissy Stroop, in an article in openDemocracy, criticized the podcast, writing that it "plays up the same old transphobic talking points seen elsewhere" and characterized it as having a "heavy-handed conspiratorial tone". [13]

Charlotte Runcie of The Daily Telegraph compared it favorably to other investigative journalism podcasts such as Serial , The Missing Cryptoqueen or The Teacher's Pet . [14]

Joanna Williams of Spiked praised the podcast and Thompson in particular for tenacity in pursuing interviews and FOIs, [1] as did James Marriott of The Times . [15] Gareth Roberts of UnHerd condemned the BBC's lack transparency and suggested the podcast be followed up by "a full public inquiry with the power to compel the whole truth in detail from government." [16]

Stonewall

Stonewall responded to the podcast with a tweet on 14 October, the day after the podcast's release, saying: "You might've seen a podcast about our work today. We make 👏 no 👏 apology 👏 for working towards a better world for LGBTQ+ people." [17]

BBC

On 10 November, a month after the podcast's release, the BBC withdrew from the Diversity Champions Programme and Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. This decision also came almost two weeks after director general Tim Davie unveiled a new 10-point impartiality plan. [18]

[O]ver time our participation in the Programme has led some to question whether the BBC can be impartial when reporting on public policy debates where Stonewall is taking an active role. After careful consideration, we believe it is time to step back from the Diversity Champions Programme and will also no longer participate in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index.

— BBC official statement [19]

Stonewall called it a shame and that they would "continue to engage with the BBC on a number of fronts to champion support for LGBTQ+ colleagues and to represent our communities through their reporting". [20]

On 11 November, Director of Nations at the BBC Rhodri Talfan Davies was interviewed by Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour . He maintained that the BBC had not been compromised by Stonewall, but that it was about "the perception of bias." [7] On 18 November, Chief Executive of Stonewall Nancy Kelley was interviewed on the same podcast. She called the perception understandable but maintained that it was no more than perception. [21]

Multiple members of BBC staff and the BBC Pride Network quit their positions at the BBC throughout 2021, citing the BBC's continued anti-LGBT actions and specifically noting the Nolan Investigates podcast, the dropping of Stonewall diversity programmes, and the publication of an article claiming "some trans women are rapists". [22]

LGBT+ organizations

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell stated his support for Stonewall in response to the podcast, saying that an "insignificant minority" were attacking Stonewall because that minority has "hostility to trans inclusion". He also said that the Diversity Champions program had helped in reducing "workplace discrimination, harassment and invisibility of LGBT+ employees". The spokesperson for the transgender youth charity Mermaids condemned the podcast and claimed that it was an attempt to "silence and undermine the integrity of organisations which stand up for LGBTQIA+ rights". The CEO of the Terrence Higgins Trust, Ian Green, compared this type of attack on Stonewall and trans people in general to the actions in the '80s and '90s against gay people by the creation of Section 28. The chief executive of the LGBT+ youth charity Just Like Us, Dominic Arnall, said that they were "proud" to stand with Stonewall in the wake of the podcast and that it is important to now "stand strong behind values that include rather than exclude", particularly in support of trans individuals as they remain the "most marginalised in our communities". [23]

Awards

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2022 Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAs) Creative Innovation AwardNominated [24]
Impact AwardNominated [24]

The podcast was nominated for 2 Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAs) in 2022. [lower-alpha 1] In the wake of these nominations, a letter signed by 166 audio professionals was presented to the Radio Academy, expressing concerns of transphobia. The Radio Academy did not rescind any nominations. [26] [27] Nolan Investigates did not win either of the 2 awards. [28]

Notes

  1. ↑ In some places it was reported as being nominated for 4, based on a line in a statement which reads: "Stephen Nolan’s work has been nominated in four categories". [25] However, the podcast was only nominated for 2, and the additional 2 refer to The Nolan Show being nominated for Best Local Radio Show, and Stephen Nolan himself being nominated for Best Speech Presenter.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonewall (charity)</span> UK-based charity and advocacy group for LGBT rights

Stonewall Equality Limited, trading as Stonewall, is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights charity in the United Kingdom. It is the largest LGBT rights organisation in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Summerskill</span> British LGBT advocate and journalist

Ben Jeffrey Peter Summerskill is chair of The Silver Line and director of the Criminal Justice Alliance, a consortium of 135 charities working across the GB criminal justice pathway. He was the chief executive of the UK-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality organisation Stonewall, the largest gay equality body in Europe, from 2003 to 2014. He has also worked as a businessman and journalist. Summerskill is an occasional contributor to The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Observer, The Times, Time Out and other publications. In 2015 he won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British LGBT Awards In 2017, he was appointed by the UK government to the council (Board) of ACAS, the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service. He was first appointed a trustee of the Silver Line in 2017.

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is a United States lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workplace equality non-profit organization headquartered in Oakland, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Nolan</span> Northern Irish radio and television presenter

Stephen Raymond Nolan is a Northern Irish radio and television presenter for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio 5 Live. Nolan is the highest earning BBC broadcaster in Northern Ireland.

The Corporate Equality Index is a report published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a tool to rate American businesses on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. Its primary source of data are surveys but researchers cross-check business policy and their implications for LGBT workers and public records independently. The index has been published annually since 2002. Additionally, the CEI focuses on the positive associations of equality promoting policies and LGBT supporting businesses which has developed to reflect a positive correlation between the promotion of LGBT equality and successful organizations. Following the top 100 corporations that are publicly ranked under the CEI, participating organizations remain anonymous. For businesses looking to enforce and expand LGBT diverse and inclusive policies, the CEI provides a framework that allows businesses to recognize and address issues and policies that restrict equality for LGBT people in the workplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in the United Kingdom</span>

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have developed significantly over time. Today, lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights are considered to be advanced by international standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kishwer Falkner, Baroness Falkner of Margravine</span> British Baroness (born 1955)

Kishwer Falkner, Baroness Falkner of Margravine is a British politician and life peer who is a non-aligned member of the House of Lords. She was the Chairman of the EU Financial Affairs Sub-Committee in the House of Lords from 2015 to 2019.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public body in Great Britain, established by the Equality Act 2006 with effect from 1 October 2007. The Commission has responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of equality and non-discrimination laws in England, Scotland and Wales. It took over the responsibilities of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission. The EHRC also has responsibility for other aspects of equality law: age, sexual orientation and religion or belief. A national human rights institution, it seeks to promote and protect human rights throughout Great Britain.

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) was an Irish LGBT rights group based in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1988 by Don Donnelly, Charles Kerrigan, Suzy Byrne, Kieran Rose and Christopher Robson. It focused on achieving change in legislation and social policy to achieve full equality and inclusion for lesbian, gay and bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Ireland, and protection from all forms of discrimination. Its board of directors were Margot Slattery (chair), Simon Nugent, Muriel Walls, Séamus Dooley and Dr. Fergus Ryan. In May 2017 it was announced that it would close.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Burns</span> British political activist

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Gay and lesbian citizens have been allowed to serve openly in His Majesty's Armed Forces since 2000. The United Kingdom's policy is to allow lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) personnel to serve openly, and discrimination on a sexual orientation basis is forbidden. It is also forbidden for someone to pressure LGBT people to come out. All personnel are subject to the same rules against sexual harassment, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

The Stonewall Workplace Equality Index is a ranking list of British employers compiled annually by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality charity and training provider Stonewall. It is advertised as a "definitive list showcasing the best employers for lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Hunt, Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green</span> Welsh administrator and former Chief Executive of Stonewall

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The LGB Alliance is a British nonprofit advocacy group founded in 2019, in opposition to the policies of LGBT rights charity Stonewall on transgender issues. Its founders are Bev Jackson, Kate Harris, Allison Bailey, Malcolm Clark and Ann Sinnott. The organisation has said that lesbians are facing "extinction" because of the "disproportionate" focus on transgender identities in schools.

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References

  1. 1 2 Williams, Joanna (18 October 2021). "How Stonewall conquered our institutions". Spiked . Archived from the original on 18 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Nicol, Patricia (11 November 2021). "Your podcast primer to understanding the culture wars". The Times . Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. At the heart of the investigation is, frankly, a bit of a racket: organisations that vaunt impartiality taking (often paid) advice from Stonewall on issues that might help their score in Stonewall's UK Workplace Equality Index.
  3. ↑ Urwin, Rosamund (23 October 2021). "BBC podcast host Stephen Nolan was warned about reporting on Stonewall" . The Times . Archived from the original on 13 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Kanter, Jake (14 October 2021). "BBC rejects own podcast's questions about Stonewall links" . The Times . Archived from the original on 14 October 2021.
  5. 1 2 BBC Sounds (13 October 2021). "Episode 2 – Stonewall's Schemes and the BBC". Nolan Investigates (Podcast). BBC.
  6. ↑ Thompson, David. "Stonewall's influence on BBC and Ofcom revealed". BBC News . Archived from the original on 18 October 2021.
  7. 1 2 BBC Sounds (11 November 2021). "Noor Inayat Khan: secret agent; BBC & Stonewall; Female MPs, Parliamentary standards & second jobs; Tim Stanley". Woman's Hour (Podcast). BBC.
  8. ↑ @StephenNolan (17 October 2021). "We would like to offer another opportunity for Stonewall to be part of our podcast series" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 17 October 2021 – via Twitter.
  9. ↑ Kula, Adam (23 October 2021). "Stephen Nolan transgender podcast series now among most popular in GB". The News Letter . Archived from the original on 23 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "Nolan Investigates". Chartable. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021.
  11. ↑ "Nolan Investigates". Chartable. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021.
  12. ↑ Parsons, Vic (16 October 2021). "Politicians and senior LGBT+ figures stand with Stonewall in wake of BBC attack". PinkNews . Archived from the original on 16 October 2021.
  13. ↑ Stroop, Chrissy (3 November 2021). "Why, as an American transgender woman, I don't feel it's safe to visit the UK". openDemocracy . Archived from the original on 3 November 2021.
  14. ↑ Runcie, Charlotte (20 October 2021). "The BBC podcast holding the corporation's feet to the fire over Stonewall". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 20 October 2021.
  15. ↑ Marriott, James (21 October 2021). "Nolan Investigates review – examining Stonewall, brick by brick" . The Times . Archived from the original on 22 October 2021.
  16. ↑ Roberts, Gareth (15 October 2021). "Stephen Nolan's Stonewall documentary is unmissable". UnHerd . Archived from the original on 15 October 2021.
  17. ↑ @stonewalluk (14 October 2021). "You might've seen a podcast about our work today" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 14 October 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ "BBC pulls out of Stonewall diversity scheme". BBC News . 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "BBC statement on Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme". BBC News . 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
  20. ↑ "Stonewall statement on BBC leaving the Diversity Champions programme". Stonewall. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
  21. ↑ BBC Sounds (18 November 2021). "Cast of Pride & Prejudice (sort of); Nancy Kelley, CEO of Stonewall; Frida Kahlo". Woman's Hour (Podcast). BBC.
  22. ↑ Hunte, Ben (11 November 2021). "LGBTQ Employees Are Quitting the BBC Because They Say It's Transphobic". Vice News .
  23. ↑ Andersson, Jasmine (15 October 2021). "Nolan Investigates Stonewall: BBC accused of 'shameful' coverage of LGBT+ charity in podcast series". i . Archived from the original on 19 October 2021.
  24. 1 2 "ARIAS 2022 Winners". Radio Academy . Archived from the original on 30 April 2022.
  25. ↑ "Our statement – Nolan Investigates: Stonewall, ARIAS Nominations". Radio Academy . 3 May 2022. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022.
  26. ↑ Simpson, Craig (3 May 2022). "Transphobia row at Radio 'Oscars' over Nolan Investigates: Stonewall podcast". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 3 May 2022.
  27. ↑ "Stephen Nolan's Stonewall podcast nomination condemned". Radio Today . 3 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022.
  28. ↑ "The ARIAS 2022". Radio Academy. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
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