Editing BBC Radio 4 (section)

== Criticisms==
Criticism voiced by centre-right newspapers in recent years have a perceived left political bias across a range of issues,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/yourview/1541751/Is-Radio-4-alienating-its-core-audience.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/yourview/1541751/Is-Radio-4-alienating-its-core-audience.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Is Radio 4 alienating its core audience? |newspaper=The Telegraph|date=6 February 2007 |access-date=11 February 2018 | location=London | first=Tracy | last=Fisk}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brooks |first1=Richard |last2=Gadher |first2=Dipesh |title=BBC report damns its 'culture of bias' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/bbc-report-damns-its-culture-of-bias-lv9v8j9bn2t |access-date=1 September 2024 |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=17 June 2007 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240901152300/https://www.thetimes.com/article/bbc-report-damns-its-culture-of-bias-lv9v8j9bn2t |archive-date=1 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Leonard |first=Tom |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3633619/The-BBCs-commitment-to-bias-is-no-laughing-matter.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3633619/The-BBCs-commitment-to-bias-is-no-laughing-matter.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=The BBC's commitment to bias is no laughing matter |newspaper=The Telegraph|date=27 October 2006 |access-date=11 February 2018 | location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> as well as [[sycophancy]] in interviews, particularly on the popular morning news magazine ''Today''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/stephen-pollard-i-dont-want-bias-with-my-cornflakes-92101.html |title=Stephen Pollard: I don't want bias with my cornflakes&nbsp;— Commentators, Opinion |work=The Independent |date=20 October 2003 |access-date=11 February 2018 | location=London}}</ref> as part of a reported perception of a general "malaise" at the BBC. Conversely, the journalist [[Mehdi Hasan]] has criticised the station for an overtly "[[social conservatism|socially]] and [[cultural conservatism|culturally]] conservative" approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/08/mehdi-hasan-bbc-wing-bias-corporation|title=Bias and the Beeb|last=Hasan|first=Mehdi|date=27 August 2009|work=New Statesman |access-date=5 November 2009}}</ref>

There has been criticism of ''Today'' in particular for a lack of female broadcasters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10182986/Another-woman-on-Radio-4s-Today-programme-The-BBC-aint-joking.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10182986/Another-woman-on-Radio-4s-Today-programme-The-BBC-aint-joking.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Another woman on Radio 4's Today programme? The BBC ain't joking|first=Emma|last=Barnett|date=16 July 2013|access-date=4 January 2014|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In September 1972, Radio 4 employed the first female continuity announcers—Hylda Bamber and Barbara Edwards. For quite some time, the introduction of female newsreaders led to complaints from listeners; women discussing topics of feminist interest led to similar complaints.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Life on Air: A History of Radio Four|first=David|last=Hendy|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199248810|year=2007|pages=99–100}}</ref> In addition, there has been long-running criticism by atheist and humanist groups of ''Thought for the Day'', a slot dedicated exclusively to religious discussion during Radio 4's flagship morning news programme.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sherwood |first1=Harriet |title=BBC faces renewed calls to open Thought for the Day to atheists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/13/bbc-faces-renewed-calls-open-thought-for-the-day-atheists-sandi-toksvig |access-date=31 October 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=13 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Gareth |title=Radio 4's Thought for the Day should be scrapped because it is discriminatory, says John Humphrys |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/02/thought-day-should-scrapped-discriminatory-says-john-humphrys |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/02/thought-day-should-scrapped-discriminatory-says-john-humphrys |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=31 October 2020 |work=The Telegraph |date=2 October 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BBC once more rejects non-religious voices on Thought for the Day |url=https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2013/07/bbc-once-more-rejects-non-religious-voices-on-thought-for-the-day |website=National Secular Society |access-date=31 October 2020 |date=3 July 2013}}</ref>

Radio 4 has been criticised for being "too [[middle class]]" and of "little interest" to non-white listeners.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8279381/BBC-Radio-4-too-middle-class-and-London-centric.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8279381/BBC-Radio-4-too-middle-class-and-London-centric.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=BBC Radio 4 'too middle class and London-centric'|first=Neil|last=Midgley|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=8 February 2011|access-date=4 January 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2008/feb/22/amibovveredthatradio4is|title=Am I bovvered that Radio 4 is too middle class? No!|publisher=The Guardian Organ Grinder Blog|first=John|last=Mair|date=22 February 2008|access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref>