The BBC quoting statistics but not giving the whole story

The BBC report that:

'Today, while official discrimination based on sex is illegal, a gender pay gap persists.

The Office for National Statistics latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings puts it at 20.2%.'

However The Office For National Statistics report 'Gender Pay Gap - Gender pay gap narrows informs us that:

'Although median hourly pay provides a useful comparison between the earnings of men and women, it does not necessarily indicate differences in rates of pay for comparable jobs. Pay medians are affected by the different work patterns of men and women, such as the proportions in different occupations, their length of time in jobs and whether they work full-time or part-time.'

Now I have heard that explanation before and could find it very easily in the Office for National Statistics report, so why would the BBC not report it? Does the BBC want to report facts or create a 'narrative'?

Do women really get paid less than men?

A hoary old chestnut that gets a huge amount of airtime especially on Radio 4 is the "scandal" that women get paid much less than men. Lattenomics has an alternative point of view with an article that actually includes statistics, something that Radio 4 would never let intrude onto such a discussion.

Here's an extract that makes a point that I have not heard before:

"If it was really true that you could hire a woman for three quarters of what you could hire a man with exactly the same qualifications, then employers would be crazy not to hire all women. It would be insane to hire men. Not only would it be insane, it would probably put them out of the business because the ones that were smart enough to hire women would have such a cost advantage that it would be really hard for the others to compete."

Here's a point that I have heard before:

"Melbourne University social researcher Mark Wooden said men were earning on average 15 per cent more than women because they put in more time at the workplace.

“All high achievers in all walks of life … put in long hours into their activity,” Professor Wooden said.

“It’s (the pay equity gap) got a lot to do with the fact that women are not prepared to work longer hours.”"