Monday 31 December 2012

The Very Last BBC 6 O'Clock News Regional Bias Report of 2012....

Well you probably know the drill by now but if you don't you can check here, here and here...

Done? Then let's get down to it.

Well trends continued much as they have before but with London creeping up the minutes per million population chart and the South West getting a lot of flood coverage.


Total Mins. September October November December Total
North West        42.66        18.76        15.70        12.89        90.01
London        18.31        18.99        28.22        17.04        82.56
Wales        14.55        24.46        26.59          1.37        66.97
South-West          5.60        22.88        16.19        16.44        61.11
Yorkshire +        19.76        11.08        23.41          4.34        58.59
South-East        24.07          9.91          7.85          9.08        50.91
Scotland        13.59        21.35          6.08          3.71        44.73
West Midlands          0.92        10.57        13.48          9.30        34.27
Northern Ireland          7.37          2.88          6.32        10.67        27.24
East          3.43        13.81          6.30          1.29        24.83
East Midlands          1.97          1.72          6.36          7.05        17.10
North East          6.55              -            1.13          0.23          7.91

There's a definite bias towards the so-called Celtic Fringe at the expense of the East of the country (nobody likes those Danes do they) but the coverage is still primarily following natural disasters and juicy murders.


Mins/Mpop September October November December Total
Wales          4.75          7.98          8.68          0.45        21.86
Northern Ireland          4.07          1.59          3.49          5.89        15.04
North West          6.05          2.66          2.23          1.83        12.76
South-West          1.06          4.33          3.06          3.11        11.55
Yorkshire +          3.74          2.10          4.43          0.82        11.09
London          2.24          2.32          3.45          2.08        10.10
Scotland          2.59          4.06          1.16          0.71          8.51
West Midlands          0.16          1.89          2.41          1.66          6.12
South-East          2.79          1.15          0.91          1.05          5.90
East          0.59          2.36          1.08          0.22          4.25
East Midlands          0.43          0.38          1.40          1.56          3.77
North East          2.52              -            0.44          0.09          3.05

Given how the regions bop up and down the rankings we're still a long from proving my hypothesis (that Northerners are wrong to moan about being neglected by a London centric media in case you've forgotten) is far from proven to my satisfaction.


Ranking September October November December
Scotland 6 3 9 9
Wales 2 1 1 10
Northern Ireland 3 9 3 1
North East 7 12 12 12
North West 1 4 7 4
Yorkshire + 4 7 2 8
East Midlands 11 11 8 6
West Midlands 12 8 6 5
East 10 5 10 11
London 8 6 4 3
South-East 5 10 11 7
South-West 9 2 5 2

UPDATED 31/12/2012
As requested below I have added National Averages for Total Minutes and Mins/Pop.



Tot-Mins Min/Mpop
Wales        66.97        21.86
Northern Ireland        27.24        15.04
North West        90.01        12.76
South-West        61.11        11.55
Yorkshire +        58.59        11.09
London        82.56        10.10
NAT. AVERAGE        49.24        9.50
Scotland        44.73          8.51
West Midlands        34.27          6.12
South-East        50.91          5.90
East        24.83          4.25
East Midlands        17.10          3.77
North East          7.91          3.05

Scotland was above the average until December and I suspect it will go higher in the New Year when the independence debate ratchets up.








6 comments:

Mark said...

It'd be nice to see where the national average is on your table. Currently about 9 I believe, between London and Scotland. Just a line across the table?

Ben Aaronovitch said...

Is this what you had in mind?

Wm Keith said...

But what's really important to find out is North London vs South London.

Mark said...

Thanks, yes, that was pretty much what I had in mind.

My back of napkin math had the average somewhere around 9, which is why I mentioned between London and Scotland. Where as you have put it at 12.05, I assume using actual numbers and possibly even a calculator, so I would expect the line to be between the north and south west where one is higher and one is lower.

Mark said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ben Aaronovitch said...

The average is 9.50 I don't know why it changed when I shifted the table over to the blog.