A dogged Freedom of Information inquirer has finally produced a BBC response BBC response on Gary Lineker's role in the development of Auntie's most recent social media guidelines.
Gary Lineker told reporters back in February "I was partly involved in drawing them up". The inquirer asked the BBC for more details. The BBC is holding most back, arguing the information is held 'for the purposes of journalism'; but it has set out a timeline of events in the review carried out by former ITN executive John Hardie.
Mr Hardie started work on the Review in March 2023. Over 80 individuals, including Mr Lineker, were spoken to in the course of the Review. This included major news presenters (who are bound by stricter guidelines) and also a number of high-profile presenters (or their agents) who, like Mr Lineker, are presenters of a new BBC category of ‘flagship brand’ programmes under the new guidelines.
As far as Mr Lineker’s specific involvement in the Review is concerned, Mr Hardie initially met Mr Lineker’s agents on 5 and 18 April 2023. Mr Hardie then met with Mr Lineker directly on the 25 April. The purpose of these meetings (like those that also took place with other presenters and/or their agents) was for Mr Lineker and his agents to offer their views on the existing BBC social media guidelines as they stood at the time, and on what they thought the guidelines should be in the future.
Mr Hardie met Mr Lineker again on 10 August by which time Mr Hardie’s report of the Review was at an advanced stage of preparation. The BBC's purpose in holding this meeting was to explain the Review’s conclusions, how the BBC were interpreting those conclusions and how the BBC planned to explain and communicate them to BBC staff and the public. The meeting was attended by Mr Lineker and his agents, Mr Hardie, and two senior BBC executives. Mr Hardie himself attended this meeting because it was anticipated that Mr Lineker would be at the centre of public attention following publication, so there was a greater need for him to understand the review’s conclusions. However, other on-air presenters affected by the new guidelines were also contacted by the BBC in advance of the publication of Mr Hardie’s report for the same purpose - to explain the review's conclusions and BBC's intentions.
As far as Mr Lineker’s specific involvement in the Review is concerned, Mr Hardie initially met Mr Lineker’s agents on 5 and 18 April 2023. Mr Hardie then met with Mr Lineker directly on the 25 April. The purpose of these meetings (like those that also took place with other presenters and/or their agents) was for Mr Lineker and his agents to offer their views on the existing BBC social media guidelines as they stood at the time, and on what they thought the guidelines should be in the future.
Mr Hardie met Mr Lineker again on 10 August by which time Mr Hardie’s report of the Review was at an advanced stage of preparation. The BBC's purpose in holding this meeting was to explain the Review’s conclusions, how the BBC were interpreting those conclusions and how the BBC planned to explain and communicate them to BBC staff and the public. The meeting was attended by Mr Lineker and his agents, Mr Hardie, and two senior BBC executives. Mr Hardie himself attended this meeting because it was anticipated that Mr Lineker would be at the centre of public attention following publication, so there was a greater need for him to understand the review’s conclusions. However, other on-air presenters affected by the new guidelines were also contacted by the BBC in advance of the publication of Mr Hardie’s report for the same purpose - to explain the review's conclusions and BBC's intentions.
No comments:
Post a Comment