Nolan Investigates

''Nolan Investigates'' or ''Nolan Investigates: Stonewall'' is an investigative journalism podcast, released all at once on 13 October 2021, looking into the BBC's relationship with the LGBT charity and lobby group Stonewall.

On 10 November, a month after the podcast's release, the BBC withdrew from the Diversity Champions Programme and Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.

Series overview

The central focus is the relationship between BBC and Stonewall. Claims of a conflict of interest arise from Stonewall ranking companies via the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index (a league table), and then selling their Diversity Champions Programme to help the company improve their ranking. Finances aside, there is another question as to whether the BBC can truly be impartial as they claim, while simultaneously vying for a good ranking by Stonewall.

Of lesser focus is questioning the legitimacy of Stonewall's status as self-assigned experts on LGBT matters.

Production

Nolan reports that when he began the investigation, colleagues warned him against reporting on transgender topics.

The investigation lasted 18 months. All 10 episodes of the podcast were released simultaneously on 13 October 2021.

Reticence

BBC

While the podcast was produced by BBC journalists, the Diversity and Inclusion Department of the BBC would not put anyone up for interview. They did issue some general statements from a spokesperson.

Under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, the podcast sought information about what Stonewall "was asking organisations to do to improve their ranking on the Workplace Equality Index". The BBC refused to release the information on the grounds that it could "have a detrimental impact on the commercial revenue of Stonewall".

On 11 November, following the podcast's release and the BBC's withdrawal from Stonewall, Rhodri Talfan Davies (Director of Nations at the BBC) was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's ''Woman's Hour''. When questioned regarding the BBC's non-participation, he said, "I think with hindsight the BBC should've participated in that podcast."

Stonewall

Stonewall also declined the invitation to take part in the series. Like the BBC, Stonewall did issue general statements, but would not put anyone up for interview, nor directly answer any of the 50+ questions the podcast put to them.

On 17 October, four days after the podcast's release, Stephen Nolan reiterated the invitation to take part in the series by tweet: "We would like to offer another opportunity for Stonewall to be part of our podcast series. We would commit to creating an additional episode of ''Nolan Investigates'', if Stonewall would like to sit down with me. We want to listen." Stonewall did not take up this offer.

Episodes

Reception

Ten days after its release, the website Chartable listed ''Nolan Investigates'' as #3 most popular in news podcasts in Great Britain. It later rose to #2.

PinkNews, whose founder took part in the podcast, characterized the podcast as an attack on Stonewall.

Chrissy Stroop, in an article in openDemocracy, criticized the podcast, writing that it "plays up the same old transphobic talking points seen elsewhere" and characterized it as having a "heavy-handed conspiratorial tone".

Charlotte Runcie of ''The Daily Telegraph'' compared it favorably to other investigative journalism podcasts such as '' Serial'', '' The Missing Cryptoqueen'' or ''The Teacher's Pet''.

Joanna Williams of ''Spiked'' praised the podcast and Thompson in particular for tenacity in pursuing interviews and FOIs, as did James Marriott of ''The Times''. Gareth Roberts of ''UnHerd'' condemned the BBC's lack transparency and suggested the podcast be followed up by "a full public inquiry with the power to compel the whole truth in detail from government."

Stonewall

Stonewall responded to the podcast with a tweet on 14 October, the day after the podcast's release, saying: "You might've seen a podcast about our work today. We make 👏 no 👏 apology 👏 for working towards a better world for LGBTQ+ people."

BBC

On 10 November, a month after the podcast's release, the BBC withdrew from the Diversity Champions Programme and Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. This decision also came almost two weeks after director general Tim Davie unveiled a new 10-point impartiality plan.

Stonewall called it a shame and that they would "continue to engage with the BBC on a number of fronts to champion support for LGBTQ+ colleagues and to represent our communities through their reporting".

On 11 November, Director of Nations at the BBC Rhodri Talfan Davies was interviewed by Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's ''Woman's Hour''. He maintained that the BBC had not been compromised by Stonewall, but that it was about "the perception of bias." On 18 November, Chief Executive of Stonewall Nancy Kelley was interviewed on the same podcast. She called the perception understandable but maintained that it was no more than perception.

Multiple members of BBC staff and the BBC Pride Network quit their positions at the BBC throughout 2021, citing the BBC's continued anti-LGBT actions and specifically noting the ''Nolan Investigates'' podcast, the dropping of Stonewall diversity programs, and the publication of an article claiming "some trans women are rapists".

LGBT+ organizations

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell stated his support for Stonewall in response to the podcast, saying that an "insignificant minority" were attacking Stonewall because that minority has "hostility to trans inclusion". He also said that the Diversity Champions program had helped in reducing "workplace discrimination, harassment and invisibility of LGBT+ employees". The spokesperson for the transgender youth charity Mermaids condemned the podcast and claimed that it was an attempt to "silence and undermine the integrity of organisations which stand up for LGBTQIA+ rights". The CEO of the Terrence Higgins Trust, Ian Green, compared this type of attack on Stonewall and trans people in general to the actions in the '80s and '90s against gay people by the creation of Section 28. The chief executive of the LGBT+ youth charity Just Like Us, Dominic Arnall, said that they were "proud" to stand with Stonewall in the wake of the podcast and that it is important to now "stand strong behind values that include rather than exclude", particularly in support of trans individuals as they remain the "most marginalised in our communities".

Awards

The podcast ''Nolan Investigates'' was nominated for 2 Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAs) in 2022: the Creative Innovation Award and the Impact Award. In some places it was reported as being nominated for 4, based on a line in a statement which reads: "Stephen Nolan’s work has been nominated in four categories". However, the podcast was only nominated for 2, and the additional 2 refer to ''The Nolan Show'' being nominated for Best Local Radio Show, and Stephen Nolan himself being nominated for Best Speech Presenter.

In the wake of these nominations, a letter signed by 166 audio professionals was presented to the Radio Academy, expressing concerns of transphobia. The Radio Academy did not rescind any nominations.

''Nolan Investigates'' did not win either of the 2 awards.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p09yjmph

Audio podcasts
British podcasts
2021 podcast debuts
Investigative journalism
Investigative documentary radio programs
BBC controversies
LGBT in the United Kingdom