Gary Lineker vs. BBC

[richardg]

Well spotted Rich. Do you have the link?

i just got those pics here

 

[awkwardbydesign]

I posit that no-one has the right to not be offended by someone expressing a view. ISTM that taking offence is the modern excuse for cancel culture. However it is possible that expressing a view may cause genuine harm. People do have the right not to be harmed.

Can you repost that without the double negatives? My brain hurts trying to untangle it!

 

[John Phillips]

Can you repost that without the double negatives? My brain hurts trying to untangle it!

People must expect they will be sometimes be offended by someone else's view.

 

[TheDecameron]

A good day to bury bad news, underneath Woke Gary and Stop The Boats

 

[Seanm]

It will be interesting to see which way this goes now. The BBC chanced their arm initially, no doubt looking back on the experience of the Corbyn years and the 2019 election in particular, and hoping that something similar would happen: that liberal opinion leaders would focus on the possible whiffiness of Lineker's statement, assign him to the crank camp, and round on those criticising the BBC as Trumpian conspiracy theorists. They misjudged the situation but maybe not by much: it's not like there weren't some ingenious attempts to fudge the issue in the usual places, it's just that they didn't get the traction this time (I think because it went beyond the usual media-politics bubble).

So what happens now? The default position of Britain's acceptable progressive voices is a) BBC is basically fine and to suggest otherwise is Trumpian b) the Conservative Party is a legitimate organisation that has for some unknowable reason - tribalism? Facebook? Putin? - been temporarily taken over by nutters and oiks and c) sadly, a certain level of cruelty towards migrants is something that Sensible politicians just have to do, to stop Northerners from rioting or something.

Previously I'd have expected this move by the BBC to restore faith in those credos. I do expect to see some efforts in that direction from the Guardian and New Statesman. But it feels like this might get away from them.

 

[TheDecameron]

Statement from Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie:

“Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this. The potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance that was introduced in 2020 is recognised. I want to get matters resolved and our sport content back on air.

“Impartiality is important to the BBC. It is also important to the public. The BBC has a commitment to impartiality in its Charter and a commitment to freedom of expression. That is a difficult balancing act to get right where people are subject to different contracts and on air positions, and with different audience and social media profiles. The BBC’s social media guidance is designed to help manage these sometimes difficult challenges and I am aware there is a need to ensure that the guidance is up to this task. It should be clear, proportionate, and appropriate.

“Accordingly, we are announcing a review led by an independent expert – reporting to the BBC – on its existing social media guidance, with a particular focus on how it applies to freelancers outside news and current affairs. The BBC and myself are aware that Gary is in favour of such a review.

“Shortly, the BBC will announce who will conduct that review. Whilst this work is undertaken, the BBC’s current social media guidance remains in place.

“Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary, and I look forward to him presenting our coverage this coming weekend.”

Statement from Gary Lineker:

“I am glad that we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”

….but there’s more. Gary Linaker isn’t shutting up:

 

[awkwardbydesign]

People must expect they will be sometimes be offended by someone else's view.

Thank you.

 

[myles]

….but there’s more. Gary Linaker isn’t shutting up:

A lot of the 'lesser' colleagues of GL who showed courage to stand alongside him will have had their cards well and truly marked - they will almost certainly be subject to 'internal movement' in or out of the corporation.

 

[Finnegan]

A lot of the 'lesser' colleagues of GL who showed courage to stand alongside him will have had their cards well and truly marked - they will almost certainly be subject to 'internal movement' in or out of the corporation.

That’s a bit of a negative slant. If ‘we’ have a ‘side,’ then this represents a victory for ‘our side.’ Tory stooges within the BBC tried to shut up a high profile critic of government policy and failed. They will be genuinely shocked at the reaction and the level of a) support for Lineker, and b) the widespread articulation of the inhumanity of the Tories asylum policy. It might not be the comprehensive kicking that ended up with the scalps of Davie and Sharp that some of us hoped for, but they have had their fingers well and truly burnt.

I’d be surprised if they were then foolish enough to move against the likes of Alec Scott, Jason Mohammad or some of the commentators lower down the food chain, at least in the short to medium term (if Davie and Sharp can survive that long).

 

[gavreid]

That’s a bit of a negative slant. If ‘we’ have a ‘side,’ then this represents a victory for ‘our side.’ Tory stooges within the BBC tried to shut up a high profile critic of government policy and failed. They will be genuinely shocked at the reaction and the level of a) support for Lineker, and b) the widespread articulation of the inhumanity of the Tories asylum policy. It might not be the comprehensive kicking that ended up with the scalps of Davie and Sharp that some of us hoped for, but they have had their fingers well and truly burnt.

I’d be surprised if they were then foolish enough to move against the likes of Alec Scott, Jason Mohammad or some of the commentators lower down the food chain, at least in the short to medium term (if Davie and Sharp can survive that long).

They'll be happy enough to ensure that it continues to be a horrible place to work for many of the staff.

 

[Seeker_UK]

My thinking is that this issue is not really about impartiality - it's about harm.

The issue is a lot simpler than that. The extant rules have not been applied consistently to how its staff / 'talent' voice (political) opinions outside their BBC 'job'; in the way it has done so, the BBC appear to exercise editorial bias and are not the impartial state broadcaster it is supposed to be.

 

[myles]

That’s a bit of a negative slant. If ‘we’ have a ‘side,’ then this represents a victory for ‘our side.’ Tory stooges within the BBC tried to shut up a high profile critic of government policy and failed. They will be genuinely shocked at the reaction and the level of a) support for Lineker, and b) the widespread articulation of the inhumanity of the Tories asylum policy. It might not be the comprehensive kicking that ended up with the scalps of Davie and Sharp that some of us hoped for, but they have had their fingers well and truly burnt.

I’d be surprised if they were then foolish enough to move against the likes of Alec Scott, Jason Mohammad or some of the commentators lower down the food chain, at least in the short to medium term (if Davie and Sharp can survive that long).

It's true though - they'll get people on outside broadcasts in Cornwall, put them on the graveyard shift etc etc. I'm just highlighting how nasty an entity like the BBC can be when they've been disobeyed and embarrassed by the help.

 

[wiresandmore]

It's true though - they'll get people on outside broadcasts in Cornwall, put them on the graveyard shift etc etc. I'm just highlighting how nasty an entity like the BBC can be when they've been disobeyed and embarrassed by the help.

Really depends how broad the support was for Lineker inside the BBC (I suspect very wide) - if so, they cannot marginalise huge swathes of the staff.

 

[myles]

Really depends how broad the support was for Lineker inside the BBC (I suspect very wide) - if so, they cannot marginalise huge swathes of the staff.

Those who have outwardly embarrassed the BBC are about to enter a new phase of their employment. There aren't that many, just those who effectively disabled Football Focus, Final Score, MOTD etc - and it probably won't be the high profile ones; it'll be the slightly less well known ones who will be made examples of.

 

[wiresandmore]

Those who have outwardly embarrassed the BBC are about to enter a new phase of their employment. There aren't that many, just those who effectively disabled Football Focus, Final Score, MOTD etc - and it probably won't be the high profile ones; it'll be the slightly less well known ones who will be made examples of.

Suspect this will be very hard to do - the people who did this are all fairly well-known. Very very dangerous if they go down that path - easy to prove constructive dismissal etc.....

Under current circumstances, anything smelling even slightly of revenge would be a massive mis-step

 

[monkfish]

Carol Vorderman, who has proven rather good at speaking truth to power lately, commenting on the Orwell statue outside the BBC (Twitter).

IIRC she is another who was once a Tory activist, but has since figured out what they are. She’s certainly no time for the current sack of crooks, bigots and ghouls.

She makes a tidy sum out of the shite wing press, having her photo splattered on them every day.

 

[Tony L]

Previously I'd have expected this move by the BBC to restore faith in those credos. I do expect to see some efforts in that direction from the Guardian and New Statesman. But it feels like this might get away from them.

I’m hoping it has drawn a lot of attention to just how riddled with highly partisan and deeply hypocritical Tory voices the BBC is at present. To my eyes the (Tory-controlled) BBC is the core reason the Overton Window has shifted so far rightwards in recent years, e.g. it actively led Brexit by endlessly platforming Farage and other conspiracy theorists whilst providing little balance, and it has been on that alt-right path ever since.

FWIW if I could legally do it I would cancel my TV license today. I am sick to death of personally funding what is increasingly becoming a GB News competitor. The problem is the license is in effect a right to receive terrestrial TV signals, it is impossible to legally just opt out of BBC content. As someone with huge respect for the BBC’s past I just want out of it. I’ve lost all respect for it.

 

[Nye Samuel]

You are on the 'Mone' there!

 

[ks.234]

I’m hoping it has drawn a lot of attention to just how riddled with highly partisan and deeply hypocritical Tory voices the BBC is at present. The news and current affairs is so partisan it is impossible to take seriously. To my eyes the Tory-controlled BBC is the core reason the Overton Window has shifted so far rightwards in recent years. It actively led Brexit by endlessly platforming Farage and other conspiracy theorists whilst providing little balance and it has been on that path ever since.

FWIW if I could legally do it I would cancel my TV license today. I am sick to death of personally funding what is increasingly becoming a GB News competitor. The problem is the license is in effect a right to receive terrestrial TV signals, it is impossible to legally just opt out of BBC content. As someone with huge respect for the BBC’s past I want out of it. The Tory Party have destroyed it to my eyes, and they have used our money to do it.

Hutton deserves a mention as a significant signpost on the downward path of the BBC towards capitulation to the government of the day.

Maybe there should be a call for senior appointments to be cross party with clear examples of unacceptable behaviour. An ex party donor, or a ex party official should be eliminated at the first stage

 

[myles]

Suspect this will be very hard to do - the people who did this are all fairly well-known. Very very dangerous if they go down that path - easy to prove constructive dismissal etc.....

Under current circumstances, anything smelling even slightly of revenge would be a massive mis-step

"You're fired" won't work but another shake up to bring in new talent can cover over a targeted cull; talent is subjective in that industry.