All Sections

View and post jobs in journalism
  • Platforms
  • Publishers
  • Comment/Analysis
  • Editor's Pick
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Broadcast Journalism
    • Digital Journalism
    • Magazines
    • Media Law
    • National Newspapers
    • People
      • Appointments
      • Obituaries
    • Regional Newspapers
  • Press Gazette Podcast
  • British Journalism Awards
  • Press Gazette Email Newsletter

In the news

  • Platforms
  • Publishers
  • Interviews
  • Marketing
  • About us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • RSS
Close
[mashshare]
Skip to content
  • About us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • RSS
All sections

Search

Search pressgazette.co.uk

Close

Press Gazette

Subscribe to our email newsletter Journalism email newsletter
  • News
  • Comment
  • Data
  • Platforms
  • Publishers
  • Marketing
  • Awards
  • Jobs

Menu

  • Platforms
  • Publishers
  • Interviews
  • National Newspapers
  • Regional Newspapers
  • Digital Journalism
  • Broadcast Journalism
  • Media Law
  • Magazines
  • Wires and Agencies
  • Obituaries
  • News
  • Comment/Analysis
  • Jobs
  • British Journalism Awards

In the news

  • Platforms
  • Publishers
  • Interviews
  • Marketing
Close
High Court UK Judge bars journalists from child care trial after father said press would make him 'anxious'
No way out of US Supermax jail unless 'almost dying', Assange extradition case told
September 29, 2020
  • Broadcast Journalism
  •    
  • Digital Journalism
  •    
  • News
  •    
  • Radio Journalism
  •    
  • Social media
  •    
  • Television Journalism
  •    

New BBC director-general threatens to suspend staff Twitter accounts if not impartial enough

By Charlotte Tobitt Twitter

Share this

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • Reddit
Comments
0

The BBC’s new director-general has said the corporation could force its talent to leave Twitter if they are not sufficiently politically impartial when using the social media platform.

Tim Davie said BBC staff could be asked to suspend their Twitter accounts if they do not meet standards in “imminent” new social media guidelines due to be published within the next few weeks.

Timeline

  • January 21, 2021

    BBC's Sophia Smith Galer on TikTok fame and why she's 'flummoxed' more publishers don't copy Washington Post's 'Dave'

  • January 14, 2021

    New BBC chairman says Brexit coverage was 'incredibly balanced' and calls licence fee 'least worst' option

  • January 11, 2021

    Journalists must be 'activists for impartiality' to rebuild trust in media - BBC’s Tim Davie

Speaking to MPs at the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee this morning, Davie said the guidelines will contain “very clear” enforcement policies.

“Where we are able to take disciplinary action, where we are able to take people off Twitter,” he said. “I know people want to see hard action on this.”

Asked for clarification on what taking people “off” Twitter means, Davie said that “if they want to work for the BBC” staff could be told to suspend their accounts.

Davie also said he was “prepared to take the appropriate disciplinary action all the way to termination” for those who breach impartiality rules.

On the other end of the scale, sometimes someone “just needs a talking to”, he said.

Davie said news and current affairs would have a “high bar” for impartiality but that there would be a certain standard expected of all BBC staff.

He later added: “I don’t think this is about banning people on social media, by the way. We must be out there.

“I passionately believe that impartial reporting can be flavoursome. The idea that it’s dull is wrong. Actually the pursuit of truth and looking at evidence – you don’t have to be a partial voice.

“It may not get you immediately as many followers but I think over time that’s what the BBC must do and it will be more distinctive for it.”

Davie told MPs he had been prompted to clamp down on social media use as the media is a “tough environment” for anyone who cares about impartiality right now.

“Everyone’s got views,” he said. “The quickest way to get followers is to do something controversial and I think the pressure on everyone and journalists and people in the public eye to go for the extreme and push partial views is very real.

“You can see that across the media landscape. That’s clearly something that Ofcom needs to think about in terms of navigating the course here…

“I don’t want to speak for the staff but I think this is well supported across the BBC and I think that what I needed to do was say that we have had a few tweets and a few incidents where people frankly just by virtue of things like retweeting or just what they’ve said in my mind have not furthered the BBC’s reputation for impartiality.”

In his inaugural speech to BBC staff earlier this month, Davie set out firm expectations for them to appear to be free from political bias.

He said: “If you want to be an opinionated columnist or a partisan campaigner on social media then that is a valid choice, but you should not be working at the BBC.”

Picture: PA Wire/PA Images/Andrew Milligan

SIGN UP HERE FOR

MEDIA MONITOR

Press Gazette's weekly email providing strategic insight into the future of the media

Subscribe

Related Stories

  • New BBC director-general tells staff to work elsewhere if they want to share opinions online or in columns
  • 'Could that intro get any worse?': Journalists weigh in on first episode of BBC One drama Press
  • 'Taxpayer-funded propagandists' or 'vital frontline staff'? Press Gazette council PR investigation stirs debate
  • There's nothing to see here: Met Police chief ignores nearly 50 questions about use of RIPA to spy on journalists

Explore these topics

  • BBC
  • Twitter
Browse, search and add journalism jobs
Comments
No comments to display

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More content

Post a job on Press Gazette

Most Popular

  1. Journalism after Trump Journalism after Trump: Why facts are now more important than arguments
  2. New York Times third-party cookies New York Ties Interview: New York Times explains the in-house adtech it is using to prepare for the death of third-party cookies
  3. cookies Enter Sandbox: How Google is building an internet without cookies - and why publishers are concerned
  4. NewsNow Facebook Facebook removes UK aggregator NewsNow's page without warning or explanation
  5. GB News launch: Why advertisers are positive about new anchor-led news channel for UK

Latest Jobs

  • Global Witness logo investigative journalist job Investigation Officer (Forests), Global Witness
  • Editor in Chief, Scottish Sun
  • Features Producer, Economist Radio
No way out of US Supermax jail unless 'almost dying', Assange extradition case told

© copyright 2021 Press Gazette Ltd. Made in Taiwan.