Overview
- The BBC Executive Complaints Unit ruled that Martine Croxall gave the strong impression of expressing a personal view on a controversial matter.
- Croxall altered scripted wording during a June broadcast while quoting research, saying “pregnant people … women” and making a visible expression.
- The unit noted that social media praise and audience complaints supported the interpretation of a personal view being expressed.
- Management told the unit she reacted to clumsily incorporated phrases in the script, and a BBC source said the style guide does not mandate the term “pregnant women.”
- The finding was discussed with Croxall and BBC News managers, with no further action reported, as the case fed wider scrutiny of the BBC’s handling of trans-related language including claims cited in a Telegraph-reported dossier.