Blowing

One can expect some updating of the BBC's whistle-blowing policy documents, to be more explicit about journalistic concerns. The current procedures reflect concerns from Dame Janet Smith's review of BBC culture post-Savile.  The journalists who left the Corporation after nearly-but-not-quite getting the story on air will freely tell you they didn't feel protected.

Here's a summary of what's in place.

1: If you have a concern about malpractice, hopefully you will feel able to raise it first with your line manager, more senior manager or HR Business Partner.

2:  Or: You can contact in confidence either one of the following senior BBC staff, who act in an independent capacity to provide an impartial, open and fair response. 

• Director of Safety, Security & Resilience: former Royal Marine and Army Intelligence officer Simon Adair, who came to the BBC from the National Basketball Association
• Director, Quality, Risk and Assurance: Balram Veliath, who came from RBS and specialises in audit and risk

3: If you believe that either a member of the BBC Executive Committee, or Executive Team, is involved in the matter that you wish to report, you may prefer to raise it with the BBC’s Senior Independent Director - currently Sir Nicholas Serota, who replaced Simon Burke in 2019

4: Still not happy ? Contact Expolink, an anonymous, free to call and confidential service. You can phone in total confidence knowing that your call will not be traced or recorded.All information, with the exception of your name if you so wish, will be passed byExpolink to the BBC’s Director Safety, Security & Resilience and Director Quality.

5: If you are unsure about whether or not to follow the BBC Whistle Blowing Policy, or you want further independent advice, you can contact Public Concern at Work - a charity, completely independent of the BBC, which specialises in providing free and confidential legal advice on how to raise a concern about serious malpractice at work.