Quillette Podcast Understanding Journalistic Groupthink
Jan 17, 2026
In this discussion, Graham Majan, a seasoned TV journalist and former BBC reporter, dives into the BBC scandal and the troubling shift toward narrative-driven journalism. He argues that the BBC, once a paragon of impartiality, has lost its way, succumbing to groupthink and bias. Majan critiques the oversimplified media coverage of conflicts, like Israel and Gaza, and links the rise of modern narratives to societal polarization. He explores how journalism has transformed from objective reporting to partisan storytelling, leaving audiences longing for true impartiality.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
BBC's Historical Authority From Impartiality
- The BBC historically built authority by pursuing impartial, truth-seeking journalism rather than propaganda.
- Graham Majan argues that loss of that Victorian-era restraint led to today's narrativized reporting.
Modern Narratives Mirror Official Lines
- Modern mainstream outlets often echo official state narratives rather than test them critically.
- Majan sees this as subtler than 1930s propaganda but functionally similar in shaping public agendas.
Groupthink As A Herd Phenomenon
- Newsrooms exhibit herd behavior where a few shifts tip the whole organization into a dominant narrative.
- Majan likens this to animal murmurations to explain collective journalistic groupthink.
