Bectu responds to review of BBC social media guidance

Responding to reports that the BBC has announced a review of its social media guidance following the Gary Lineker furore, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:

“We are pleased to hear that the BBC will conduct a review of its social media guidance. The Director General has previously committed to engaging with Bectu on the impartiality guidelines; now more than ever it’s critical that the workforce is involved in these discussions. Bectu and the NUJ must therefore be involved in this latest review, and we will be writing to the BBC to demand this.

“Regardless of what any revised guidelines may look like, while the Chairman remains in post members will continue to draw a comparison between their treatment and that of Richard Sharp.

“Impartiality should be fundamental to the BBC’s operations. However, the Director General’s assertion that its guidance should be proportionate and appropriate is missing the fundamental ingredient – any guidance must be applied consistently across all levels of the organisation. The lack thereof is what has led to so much of the ill feeling from BBC staff and the public.

“We note the resounding silence from the Chairman throughout all of this. At the core of his remit is defending the broadcaster and he has thoroughly failed to uphold this duty due to being embroiled in an impartiality row himself, without being required to step aside from his role.

“If impartiality is truly so important to the BBC, we need a wholesale review of how it approaches and applies its guidelines, wider to the use of social media and to freelancers outside of news.”

As of Tuesday 14 March we have now written to the Director General to express our view that the BBC Chairman must reflect on his position. We have reiterated that Bectu and the NUJ need to be involved in the review of social media guidelines announced this week.*