BBC Impartiality – A Flawed System?
The BBC has come into question after it refuted a guardian article that stated it will not broadcast an episode of David Attenborough’s “Wild Isles” as well as asking football legend and BBC mainstay, Gary Lineker to step away from his job at the corporation after he compared the UK to 1930s Germany.
The five-episode series is David Attenborough’s last documentary and aims to present the “beautiful and diverse landscapes” of the UK and will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK and Ireland.
According to a Guardian article, a BBC insider has claimed that the 6thepisode that would focus on what the UK has lost due to climate change, was removed over fears of "risk a backlash from Tory politicians and the right-wing press".
On Saturday, In response to the article, the BBC Press office tweeted: “This is totally inaccurate, there is no ‘6th episode’. Wild Isles is – and always was - a 5-part series” "We acquired a separate film for iPlayer from the RSPB, WWF and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles”, they continued.
Critics argue that the decision not to air the episode on television is one of many consequences of a wider problem of political interference and bias at the BBC.
“Save Our Wild Isles” is reportedly being broadcast onto iPlayer only, at a later date.
On the same day, Gary Lineker was asked to “step back” from hosting the upcoming edition of the BBC’s flagship sports show, Match of the Day, after posting a tweet comparing Suella Braverman’s immigration policies to 1930s Germany.
Oliver Jacobs, an avid fan of Match of the Day said: ”This whole situation is ridiculous, he should be able to say what he wants like the rest of us. Shouldn't matter that he works for the BBC.”
The BBC have taken steps to clarify guidelines following the uproar this weekend by stating that, “Social media is now part of everyday life” and that its staff are free to “engage in social media activities if they wish”.
The broadcaster has faced criticism in recent years for pro-government political bias in its coverage, with the decision not to air the Attenborough documentary continuing to fuel fears that the BBC is more concerned with avoiding political controversy than with providing accurate and unbiased reporting.
Debate has grown following the BBC’s recent interventions to address the lack of clarity regarding freelance freedoms. Lineker, who works on a ‘talent contract’ meaning many of the guidelines do not apply to him.
Whether or not the BBC will change its guidelines in response to these controversies has yet to be seen.
UPDATE:
After a weekend of limited sports coverage, the BBC has now reinstated Lineker as Match of the Day’s lead presenter after “reviewing its social media policy”
Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, apologised on Monday for the widespread disruption to sports programming over the weekend, and announced an independent review of the corporation’s internal social media guidelines.
