Viewers point out misspelling of Merthyr Tydfil on BBC News at Six
A number of viewers who watched this evening’s edition of BBC News at Six took to social media to point out a glaring error in one of the BBC’s news reports.
In a segment presented by the BBC’s disinformation and fact-checking correspondent Marianna Spring into disaster trolls, Merthyr Tydfil was mentioned as part of the report.
Unfortunately when the town appeared on the UK map it was spelt rather differently than usual as Mythr Tydfil – prompting users on Twitter to point out just how wrong the spelling was.
Twitter user @scorpion1055 pointed out the irony of having a department to check facts and then getting a well known Welsh town’s name wrong: ‘Can your new Disinformation officer please get Welsh place names correct. Merthyr Tydfil is correct . Not a good start for you Disinformation officer and new department.’
Llinos Beasley posted: ‘Spelling Merthyr Tydfil as Mythr on 6pm news not a demonstration of accurate fact checking.’
Neil Maidman acknowledged the importance of the news report but added: ‘Nice presentation on @BBCNews but that really isn’t the way you spell Merthyr Tydfil.’
While John @marsden280175 added: ‘@BBCNews you just spelt Merthyr Tydfil wrong.’
A version of the BBC report was broadcast on the BBC News at Ten programme, but this time with the map edited out.
(Maybe Huw Edwards had a word…)
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I think it is vital that spelling is always correct. Hurrah for Nation Cymru for taking the time and devotin resources to pointing out this blatant inexcusable error.
“devotin”?
Mythyr Tydfil – The Welsh version of Brigadoon.
Heddwch. From independent tropical Merthyr. May as well be Mordor Tidywell as far as the BBC are concerned. Dirty Hobbitsizzz.
The odd thing is the BBC weather page has it right. How hard to copy your own map properly
They couldn’t even get the English spelling of Merthyr Tudful right!🤣
They got ‘Merthyr’ wrong not Tydfil/Tudful. It’s very unlikely the original spelling was either Tydfil or Tudful.
People still watch BBC news? Wow!
OMG big news place name spelt incorrectly!!! Maybe people need to get a life
Yet here you are taking time out of your day to comment on it…
Well this is bringing the process of fact-checking into disrepute. The danger is there’ll be a load of people in the media who have set themselves up as a great authority, who perform superficial fact-checking that consists only of going to the Wikipedia page on the subject, or in this case not even this.