Last October, the BBC’s new Director-General Tim Davie issued new guidance to BBC employees over impartiality on social media, with Davie himself claiming those who break the rules would be taken “off Twitter” and the guidance stating “nothing should appear on […] personal social media accounts that undermine[s] the perception of the BBC’s integrity or impartiality”. The Beeb went further last month, announcing it would even begin new ‘impartiality training’ in the wake of the flag-shagger scandal…
Yet despite all this talk, new Freedom of Information requests reveal that just two staffers have faced any disciplinary action for their social media use in the past year:
“Between 1st April 2020 and the 31st March 2021 there has [sic] been two formal case [sic] where social media has been noted as the reason for the BBC disciplinary process. One individual received a written warning and one individual resigned prior to the disciplinary process concluding.”
Given how some of its top stars have behaved recently, Guido reckons these rules are not being firmly and evenly enforced. One written warning and one pre-emptive resignation in twelve months, yet Naga Munchetty, Chris Packham, Gary Lineker (etc. etc.) continue to act as though the rules don’t apply to them. It’s starting to look like they’re right…
