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Comment: Way too many quotes for this to remain published in the mainspace. See this. –MJL‐Talk‐☖ 04:13, 14 November 2021 (UTC)
Comment: Discussion here. –MJL‐Talk‐☖ 05:46, 14 November 2021 (UTC)
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 lobby group charity, Stonewall.
It also questions and criticizes the homogenising of LGBT people. "There’s this kind of presumption that all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people must think like Stonewall, if they [the BBC] think that Stonewall are the people that can fairly judge all of this."[1] While Stonewall claims to represent views commonly shared by the LGBT populace, no evidence is provided that this is actually the case.
Production
Nolan reports that when he began the investigation, colleagues warned him against reporting on transgender topics. “I’ve been broadcasting in Northern Ireland for 25 years with all the bullets and bombs, and I’ve had death threats. Yet really seasoned people were saying: ‘Do you really want to put yourself in the firing line on this?’”[2]
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, other departments of the BBC did not cooperate with the investigation.
The podcast sought information under Freedom of Information laws. The BBC refused to release the information on the grounds that it could "have a detrimental impact on the commercial revenue of Stonewall".[3] The BBC also did not provide anyone for interview during the podcast.
On November 11, 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."[4]
Stonewall
Stonewall also declined the invitation to take part in the series.[3] "Stonewall wouldn't put anyone up for interview. They didn't directly answer any of the 50 or more questions we asked them."[1]
Following the podcast's release on 13 Oct 2021, four days later on Oct 17, Stephen Nolan reiterated the offer by tweet:
Ten days after its release, the website Chartable listed Nolan Investigates as #3 most popular in news podcasts in Great Britain.[6][7] It later rose to #2.[8]
PinkNews, whose founder did take part in the podcast, characterized the podcast as an "attack" on Stonewall.[9] Other journalists characterized it saying, "the masterfully produced Nolan Investigates has much of the pace and unfolding urgency of Serial, The Missing Cryptoqueen or The Teacher's Pet, classics of the modern investigative podcast genre."[10]
Stephen Nolan himself reported that, "what’s been really interesting since the podcast came out is the number of people from within the BBC, from within the LGBT community, who’ve contacted us and congratulated us for asking these questions about Stonewall. There’s no unanimity of opinion among LGBT staff that Stonewall should be the arbitrators of this."[11]
Stonewall
Stonewall's only response was a single tweet on October 14, 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."[12]
The podcast is not concerned with Stonewall's work in and of itself; the focus is on whether it is appropriate for the BBC to be taking advice on a controversial issue from a lobby group, particularly when it is the only group they are taking advice from. One journalist described it as, "In other words, ‘We make no apology for something nobody is accusing us of doing.’ ... It’s a transparent attempt to dodge the actual meat of Nolan..."[13]
BBC
On November 10, 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.[14]
[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.
On November 11, Director of Nations at the BBC Rhodri Talfan Davies was interviewed 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 risk... the perception of bias."[4]
Comment: Way too many quotes for this to remain published in the mainspace. See this. –MJL ‐Talk‐☖ 04:13, 14 November 2021 (UTC)