The on topic thread 4.0

[SM]

Adherence to old Aunties social media policy is not a condition of employment?

The BBC statement literally says the social media guidelines are unclear which led to this situation, and that's why they need a review of the social media policy.

Because license fee payers don't want people paid by the BBC to be giving unsolicited opinions about matters they know little about. There is an expectation that people who are employed by the BBC are impartial with regards to their public communications on politics.

Don't they? Glad we have you to speak on their behalf so we don't have to understand what the public actually gives a shit about.

You seem to be confusing what people do in their private time as compared to when they're in their place of employment.

 

[SM]

The vast majority of people who follow his social media account do so for his opinion on football. His following on social media has been built on his work at the BBC for MOTD, not his political leanings.

Then perhaps they need to have someone sit them down and explain what following someone's personal social media page actually means. But I'm sure in reality they are aware and aren't half as moronic as you're making them out to be.

 

[SM]

That's your opinion. I disagree. But either way it doesn't change the terms that Lineker has to adhere to under the terms of his employment. The BBC's social media guidelines were re-emphasised to him when he signed his latest contract. It states that where individuals are primarily associated with the BBC their public expressions of opinion need to be impartial.

Despite the BBC's back down Lineker clearly broke the guidelines around impartiality. And now MOTD, a football show, is politicised FFS.

If their policy was re-emphasised to him then why has the BBC apologised for the grey areas in their policy and ordered a review? From what you're saying it sounds like it's all pretty black and white and Lineker was wrong. So why have the BBC apologised?

 

[Jatz]

Yeah can't get on Bojan's way of thinking at all.

Lineker's twitter account is just that, his. If he was bringing this up on MOTD then he has a point.

Isn't Lineker a freelancer anyway? Thought I read he wasn't technically a BBC employee (not that I think that should change anything).

 

[SM]

Yeah can't get on Bojan's way of thinking at all.

Lineker's twitter account is just that, his. If he was bringing this up on MOTD then he has a point.

Isn't Lineker a freelancer anyway? Thought I read he wasn't technically a BBC employee (not that I think that should change anything).

Precisely, which is why the BBC has had to come out and launch a review of its policies and how they apply to freelancers as it currently isn't clear and Lineker hasn't actually breached any guidelines.

 

[Frank Bunn]

The entire backdown is because he hadn’t breached the guidelines.

Lineker clearly did breach the guidelines. That's why they suspended him. Claiming that - the language used by the government about stopping economic migration to the UK is equivalent to "Germany in the 30s" - is clearly not the impartial view that is required of him under the terms of his employment.

The BBC has backed down under pressure from Lineker's colleagues who refused to participate on MOTD and other shows. The Director-General, Tim Davie, didn't apologise because the BBC got it wrong. He was sorry because "this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences." He also announced a review of the BBC's social media guidance while reiterating that the current guidance remains in place. A bit of face saving combined with kicking the can down the road.

So the BBC has done what it needed to do in the short term to resolve the crisis. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the longer term.

 

[SM]

Lineker clearly did breach the guidelines. That's why they suspended him. Claiming that - the language used by the government about stopping economic migration to the UK is equivalent to "Germany in the 30s" - is clearly not the impartial view that is required of him under the terms of his employment.

The BBC has backed down under pressure from Lineker's colleagues who refused to participate on MOTD and other shows. The Director-General, Tim Davie, didn't apologise because the BBC got it wrong. He was sorry because "this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences." He also announced a review of the BBC's social media guidance while reiterating that the current guidance remains in place. A bit of face saving combined with kicking the can down the road.

So the BBC has done what it needed to do in the short term to resolve the crisis. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the longer term.

He wasn't suspended. He was asked to take a step back. I suspect if they'd tried to actually suspend him there'd have been more than a few lawyers jumping to his defence.

 

[QuietB]

Lineker clearly did breach the guidelines. That's why they suspended him. Claiming that - the language used by the government about stopping economic migration to the UK is equivalent to "Germany in the 30s" - is clearly not the impartial view that is required of him under the terms of his employment.

The BBC has backed down under pressure from Lineker's colleagues who refused to participate on MOTD and other shows. The Director-General, Tim Davie, didn't apologise because the BBC got it wrong. He was sorry because "this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences." He also announced a review of the BBC's social media guidance while reiterating that the current guidance remains in place. A bit of face saving combined with kicking the can down the road.

So the BBC has done what it needed to do in the short term to resolve the crisis. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the longer term.

Cancel Culture gone mad mate.

What ever happened to free speech.

Bloody activists and their censorship.

This is a disgrace. A disgrace

 

[Magma]

Lineker clearly did breach the guidelines. That's why they suspended him. Claiming that - the language used by the government about stopping economic migration to the UK is equivalent to "Germany in the 30s" - is clearly not the impartial view that is required of him under the terms of his employment.

The BBC has backed down under pressure from Lineker's colleagues who refused to participate on MOTD and other shows. The Director-General, Tim Davie, didn't apologise because the BBC got it wrong. He was sorry because "this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences." He also announced a review of the BBC's social media guidance while reiterating that the current guidance remains in place. A bit of face saving combined with kicking the can down the road.

So the BBC has done what it needed to do in the short term to resolve the crisis. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the longer term.

if he had said the policy was great and excellent, would the same thing have happened under impartiality?

 

[99 Problems]

Lineker clearly did breach the guidelines. That's why they suspended him. Claiming that - the language used by the government about stopping economic migration to the UK is equivalent to "Germany in the 30s" - is clearly not the impartial view that is required of him under the terms of his employment.

The BBC has backed down under pressure from Lineker's colleagues who refused to participate on MOTD and other shows. The Director-General, Tim Davie, didn't apologise because the BBC got it wrong. He was sorry because "this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences." He also announced a review of the BBC's social media guidance while reiterating that the current guidance remains in place. A bit of face saving combined with kicking the can down the road.

So the BBC has done what it needed to do in the short term to resolve the crisis. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the longer term.

There was no breach. Lineker could send out the same tweet again today and be fine. The review is to see if this should continue to be allowed or not in the future (it will be). They tried to do the government a favour, once they realised they had no leg to stand on legally they reinstated him and apologised.

 

[QuietB]

I do have to say, this is really poor politics by the conservatives.

Express a conservative opinion, some will fire up, some won't care. But the football will come back on. Say something progressive, some will fire up, some won't care. But the football will come back on.

Turn the football off though (or in this case reduce a show from 80 minutes to 20 minutes because no one will do it) and you have a very very big problem.

 

[RPCB]

Cancel Culture gone mad mate.

What ever happened to free speech.

Bloody activists and their censorship.

This is a disgrace. A disgrace

I have spent literally a whole minute giving a crap and then moved on. I don’t even know who boycotted the BBC outside of Alan Shearer. The public should care as much about this as Gary Linekar would care if Joe/Jane Citizen were asked to stand down from their own job after sending a social media post that is off limits - he wouldn’t know or care.

 

[Bostonian]

This has been going on for far too long in all countries, conservatives are thin skinned fascists.

Gina Carano got fired for doing exactly what Lineker did.

 

[SM]

Gina Carano got fired for doing exactly what Lineker did.

No she didn't.

 

[Bostonian]

No she didn't.

Ah yeah she did. She also highlighted how the actions of some in Government were mirroring the actions of the same people Lineker referenced.

 

[Cruyff14]

Lineker clearly did breach the guidelines. That's why they suspended him. Claiming that - the language used by the government about stopping economic migration to the UK is equivalent to "Germany in the 30s" - is clearly not the impartial view that is required of him under the terms of his employment.

The BBC has backed down under pressure from Lineker's colleagues who refused to participate on MOTD and other shows. The Director-General, Tim Davie, didn't apologise because the BBC got it wrong. He was sorry because "this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences." He also announced a review of the BBC's social media guidance while reiterating that the current guidance remains in place. A bit of face saving combined with kicking the can down the road.

So the BBC has done what it needed to do in the short term to resolve the crisis. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the longer term.

You got shares in the BBC mate? Defending them to the hilt.

 

[SM]

Ah yeah she did. She also highlighted how the actions of some in Government were mirroring the actions of the same people Lineker referenced.

She was an actress working for a private corporation where she was told not to spread dangerous misinformation. She did more than just compare the actions of governments distributing a vaccine to the holocaust (although that alone is lol-worthy). She was a direct employee (not freelance), and had signed up to a much stricter social media policy than Lineker.

 

[Bostonian]

She was an actress working for a private corporation where she was told not to spread dangerous misinformation. She did more than just compare the actions of governments distributing a vaccine to the holocaust (although that alone is lol-worthy). She was a direct employee (not freelance), and had signed up to a much stricter social media policy than Lineker.

Her statement was in regards to turning neighbours against neighbours.

So she was 100% historically correct.

What "dangerous" misinformation are you are you talking about?

 

[moomba]

I have spent literally a whole minute giving a crap and then moved on. I don’t even know who boycotted the BBC outside of Alan Shearer. The public should care as much about this as Gary Linekar would care if Joe/Jane Citizen were asked to stand down from their own job after sending a social media post that is off limits - he wouldn’t know or care.

That's where I sit. Don't really care if he's broken guidelines or not, don't really care if he's suspended or not.

Maybe I don't hold the BBC in as high regard as others, just hoping for a better show. MoTD has been going downhill for years and hopefully it will improve.

 

[moomba]

Ha ha, brilliant

 

[Bradesmaen]

Her statement was in regards to turning neighbours against neighbours.

So she was 100% historically correct.

What "dangerous" misinformation are you are you talking about?

So were her statements about voter fraud also historically correct? Or making fun of masks? or Russia invading Ukraine was a government conspiracy?

She's an utter nutter butter. She was never correct and never will be.

 

[Frank Bunn]

if he had said the policy was great and excellent, would the same thing have happened under impartiality?

I guess we would have to find a BBC presenter who tweets in support of British government policy. Have you got any examples?

 

[Bostonian]

So were her statements about voter fraud also historically correct? Or making fun of masks? or Russia invading Ukraine was a government conspiracy?

She's an utter nutter butter. She was never correct and never will be.

See you're triggered. You moaned that it's the right doing all this kind of stuff when it was the left who started it. What you're seeing now is one side using the tactics the other side employed.

It's called tit for tat.

She was historically correct about her statement regarding what was happening leading up to and during WW2.

If you don't think that then it's you who is historically thick in that instance.

The only people who aren't trying to cancel anyone are the true Liberals, the true Liberaltarians and the Anarchists.

Making fun of masks, oh the horror!

 

[RPCB]

Ha ha, brilliant

This one is great as well. Read the subtitles at the start because the audio turns off for a couple seconds.

 

[Frank Bunn]

That's where I sit. Don't really care if he's broken guidelines or not, don't really care if he's suspended or not.

Maybe I don't hold the BBC in as high regard as others, just hoping for a better show. MoTD has been going downhill for years and hopefully it will improve.

It's a football highlights show FFS. Most people don't care about the politics. They just want to chill out after putting the kids to bed or having a couple of pints at the pub.

MOTD definitely needs a freshen up. It's been the same puerile bantz between the boys for a few years. My guess is that Lineker and his mates will be reinstated in the short term but in the medium term the BBC will opt for presenters who won't challenge their impartiality guidelines. In the longer term there are implications for whether MOTD is relevant any more, or greater questions around the BBC being a government controlled broadcaster funded by a mandatory license fee.