Reply from BBC Complaints regarding Feedback on 1/5/25

 This reply was received on 23 May 2025.

Thank you for contacting us about Feedback on 1 May.

We note your concerns regarding the inclusion of listener comments about the BBC’s coverage of the Pope’s death and funeral, and the impression this may have given about the nature of radio coverage.

The programme aimed to explore the BBC’s editorial approach to a major global event, rather than focus solely on where it was broadcast. Listener correspondence featured in the programme related to the BBC’s overall coverage of “the death and funeral” of Pope Francis, across television, radio, and online platforms.

On BBC radio, regular news updates were provided throughout the day of the funeral. The inclusion of an interview with the BBC’s Religion Editor was intended to offer broader context on how such events are covered across the BBC.

We do hope this provides further clarification, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us.

Complaints are sent to senior management and we’ve included your points in our overnight reports. These reports are among the most widely read sources of feedback in the BBC. This ensures that your concerns have been seen by the right people quickly, and helps to inform decisions about current and future content.

If you’d like to understand how your complaint is handled at the BBC, you might find it helpful to watch this short film https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints. It explains the BBC’s process for responding to complaints, what to do if you aren’t happy with your response and how we share the feedback we receive.

Thanks again for getting in touch.

Kind regards, 
BBC Complaints Team