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These are BBC News’ social media rules. Think they’re following them?

Below is a screen-grab of part of the social media guidelines issued by BBC News to their staff. They are clear about the need for impartiality:

bbc social media guidance.jpg

There appears to be little sign so far of any respect for, let alone adherence to, these guidelines. For example, this tweet by Laura Kuenssberg today took Theresa May’s disappearance into hiding – part of a clear pattern of failure to engage in the campaign at all, except for a few tightly-controlled and restricted appearances – and attempted to portray it as a ‘strategy’:

lk awol may

Could “stew in its own juice” – dripping with disdain and begging the question whether Labour stewing in anything after Corbyn’s flying start to Labour’s campaign – be taken as anything but ‘openly partisan’?

Ms Kuenssberg was already found guilty by the BBC Trust of bias last year over a mis-portrayed interview with Labour Jeremy Corbyn. Seems neither she nor the BBC have learned any lessons or feel remotely chastened.

Of course, one question for Ms K is this – when exactly has Theresa May been ‘on the stump’ since she called the election? Micro-managed set pieces to a tiny, hand-picked audience (mostly standing behind you) do not qualify! So the SKWAWKBOX asked her – won’t hold our breath, though:

This tweet from Emily Maitlis was as bad as Kuenssbergs, or perhaps even worse:

maitlis bias

These are just a couple of example, although very clear ones. Add your own to the comments – don’t forget to include links.

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15 comments

  1. Steve, I have just tried to link on to your ITV poll results, showing Jeremy way ahead of Theresa May, and the link has been removed, is this for any reason you know of or is your site being deliberately blocked?????

    1. It was a technical glitch affecting some users rather than a removal of the data, which are now there for any to see, so the post was removed. Sorry for the confusion

  2. Although Keunssberg has got so much previous it seems she’s untouchable! If a warning from the BBC board doesn’t bother her, what will? She should have been shown the door a year ago!

  3. All the front line BBC commentators must be purged when we win the election
    The tories always do,ruthlessly Tocksvig and Purvis the most recent casualties

  4. 3 anti-Corbynites on the ‘balanced’ panel of the Sunday Politics yesterday, left that well known socialist Andrew Neil to ‘defend’ Labour…pathetic!

  5. I complained to the BBC as a follow up from a previous complaint about Kuenssberg. The problem as I see it is the BBC are only treating complaints as individual occurrence’s and deliberately avoid seeing the bigger picture.
    It’s a strategy that has worked so far, but now they come under the auspices of Ofcom, it may become more difficult for them to ignore the license fee paying public.

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