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The BBC has received dozens of complaints about the “attack story” it launched against the National Union of Teachers, the Morning Star can reveal.
Newsnight dedicated one of its main features in Tuesday’s edition to asking whether the NUT was “about to turn left” in the wake of its latest conference.
General secretary Christine Blower was branded “hard left” by the programme’s policy editor Chris Cook.
Mr Cook is a former Conservative Party employee and was a researcher for David Willetts when he was the Tories’ shadow education secretary.
Shots of the Cuba Solidarity, Venezuela Solidarity and Class think tank stalls in Brighton were shown as evidence of the influence of “unusual” political groups over the union.
And Newsnight anchor Laura Kuenssberg sparked frustration on Twitter when she interrupted NUT deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney in the following studio discussion.
Mr Courtney told the Star that it was clearly an “attack story” — although he added that “the net outcome of the piece wasn’t too bad” because the bias was so obvious.
The NUT has not so far made an official complaint to the BBC.
But the BBC confirmed yesterday that 44 teachers, parents and other viewers have registered their anger over the show.
That figure had increased from 37 when the Star first made enquiries on Thursday.
NUT executive member Gawain Little is among teachers who have raised concerns over what he described as a “shoddy piece of journalism.”
He said: “The way in which they presented the conference was deeply unfair and having been there myself I didn’t recognise the picture they were painting at all.
“The conference I went to was about working with parents to improve education.
“None of that was represented in Newsnight’s coverage.”
A BBC spokeswoman said: “We reject any accusation of bias and stand behind Tuesday’s report as a fair and accurate piece of journalism.
“All views were represented in the report including an interview with a Socialist Party candidate for general secretary as well as the NUT’s deputy general secretary, live in the studio.”
