BBC Issues Correction But Fails To Apologize To J.K. Rowling For False Report Seemingly Implying The ‘Harry Potter’ Author’s Transgender Posts Qualified As Hate Crime
Josh Berger
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As events keep unfolding in fascinating manner, the BBC had to issue an apology for their report on J.K. Rowling’s comments about transgender individuals, falsely claiming the recently enforced Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act considered “derogatory comments” as a criminal offence.
According to BBC Scotland’s original, unedited article published on April 2nd, the outlet claimed, “The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, which came into effect on Monday, makes it a criminal offence to make derogatory comments based on disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex.”
On the 22nd of April, the outlet issued a formal apology, making official corrections to their original article, declaring, “In BBC Scotland’s coverage of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, reference was made in some of our output to the Act making it a criminal offence in Scotland to make ‘derogatory comments’ based on the protected characteristics of age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex.”
“This was inaccurate and we should have referred to the Act creating a new crime where it is an offence if someone communicates material or behaves in a threatening or abusive manner with the intention of ‘stirring up hatred’ based on these protected characteristics,” the statement explained.
BBC Scotland then concluded, “We apologise for any confusion caused and have reminded our teams of the importance of accuracy in our output.”
Interestingly, it wasn’t only the wording of their original article that may have implied there was some political bias at play. The BBC’s post on X also gave us a look at the article’s original title, which read, “JK Rowling hate crime tweets not criminal,” which was quickly changed to “JK Rowling hate law posts not criminal, police say.”
Pictured below is a comparison image showing the post Rowling shared on April 2nd addressing the news, and a more recent screenshot of the same post with the BBC News report’s edited, less-biased headline.
Several X users brought attention to this detail, including physician and author Randall Bock, who eloquently pointed out, “the blurb from BBC seems to be petitio principii, begging the question – as if Ms. Rowling is espousing hate in her tweets.”
“Quite the opposite,” he added. “She is emitting bravery, compassion, grace; the composite materials of ‘love.'”
Interestingly, BBC News (UK) kept the original headline in their social media post, prompting other X users to call out the outlet’s lack of professionalism and seeming malicious intent, where “JK Rowling hate crime tweets not criminal – police” can still be read.
“BBC Labels [J.K. Rowling] tweets ‘hate crime’ in headline so the damage is done,” noted X user @djlange.
Another user wrote, “The state of this headline. It’s just straight up ‘misinformation,’ if you read the article,” further inquiring, “What is your mandate? Do you not care that everyone can see you degrading your reputation for journalistic integrity?”
“Wow, the [BBC] is irreparably broken and has violated its contract with the people,” she added, including the #DefundTheBBC hashtag for good measure.
“Lol what a f—king joke you idiots are,” decried another user. “The POLICE say there was no criminal offense committed, and yet you clowns describe them as ‘hate crime tweets’? And you wonder why trust in the BBC is down in the toilets?”
“Somebody needs to lose their job for this,” the user added.
“Well they are not ‘hate crime tweets’ then are they?” rhetorically inquired @MoriartyProfJ23.
“Scottish police: ‘These tweets did not constitute a hate crime,'” @Lordflashh3art writes, then mockingly adding, “BBC F±ktards: ‘jK rOwLinG wILl nOt be eXeCuTEd dEsPiTe hAtE cRiMe tWeEts’,” and asserting, “F—king clowns, so glad I stopped paying my licence fee ages ago.”
Addressing the BBC News’ report at the time, the Harry Potter scribe declared, “I hope every woman in Scotland who wishes to speak up for the reality and importance of biological sex will be reassured by this announcement, and I trust that all women – irrespective of profile or financial means – will be treated equally under the law.”
As the draconian Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act was enforced on the 1st of April, the Harry Potter author took to social media to defy Scottish authorities by sharing several posts of transgender ‘women’ including activists, murderers, and rapists, and addressed them as men.
In the since-corrected BBC News article, the outlet revealed that over 3,000 complaints about the social media posts made by Rowling had been received by Police Scotland. Ultimately, the police concluded that the Harry Potter author’s posts did not infringe Scotland’s new hate crime law.
“We have received complaints in relation to [J.K. Rowling’s] social media post,” a Police Scotland spokesperson told The Independent. “The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken.”
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