The BBC has said it received a number of complaints that its recently aired Panorama documentary ‘A Cow’s Life: The True Cost of Milk?’, ‘misrepresented the dairy industry and failed to reflect the views of farmers’.
The Panorama documentary episode, which aired on February 14, showcased numerous cases of animal abuse on a Welsh dairy farm – including undercover footage of farm workers physically abusing animals, which consequently drew both social, and mainstream media attention.
However, the BBC has said it felt the programme was “duly accurate and fairly portrayed the issues involved, bearing in mind the specific editorial focus on this occasion”.
“BBC Panorama ensured a range of views and opinions were heard during this episode,” a statement in response to the summary of complaints said.
“We took a number of steps to report with due impartiality, and reflect things from the perspective of the dairy industry too.”
For example, the broadcaster said, the programme highlighted the economic pressures on the dairy industry throughout the film. The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), which initially called out the programme after it aired for not being representative of the industry, did recognise this.
“The Panorama programme did, however, highlight the fact many farmers are losing money or making very little money, which is important as the value of milk is underestimated by the vast majority of consumers both in monetary and nutritional terms,” said RABDF managing director Matt Knight after the programme aired.
With regards to the animal abuse showcased, the BBC pointed out that the programme included team visits to two dairy farms whose efforts to maintain high standards of animal welfare were clearly conveyed to the audience, and that it reported the UK dairy industry’s view that it has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.
The programme also included input from a representative from the National Farmers’ Union as well as an interview with a vet who has extensive experience of working with dairy herds, to put the undercover filming into context within the wider dairy industry.
