So, John Whittingdale, one of the BBC's sternest critics in parliament, has been made the new Culture Secretary. (A very interesting move by David Cameron that.)
And the increasingly cack-handed BBC has already scored an absolutely idiotic own goal in response.
As the Daily Mail reports (though it looks as if Guido Fawkes may have got there first)...
...some trigger-happy buffoon in the BBC Press Office thought it appropriate, on hearing the news of the new Culture Secretary's appointment, to re-tweet an attack on Mr Whittingdale on the BBC's official Press Office Twitter account.
And, worse, it was an 'off-topic' attack on his social conservatism - thus providing yet more proof, if more proof were needed, that many people at the BBC hold social conservatism in complete and utter contempt.
They then quickly deleted the offending re-tweet.
Another scolding email from Mary Hockaday to BBC staff is probably due, warning them - yet again! - to watch what they tweet and re-tweet lest they damage the BBC's reputation.
Given Mr Whittingdale's appointment it may already be a bit too late for that.
The gift that keeps on giving. This never gets old. :)
ReplyDeleteIt certainly doesn't! :)
DeleteWith DB's help, we could probably keeping this blog running on biased tweets/re-tweets from BBC reporters! (I once thought of just quoting Hugh Sykes and Jon Donnison every day and then retiring to bed!)
I've got a complaint going through at the moment citing a particularly clear-cut example from a senior BBC reporter. Unlike some of my recent complaint flops, I kept this one short and pointed, but asked at the end how it tallies with the BBC's guidelines on impartiality and the BBC's use of social media. I don't think it's an unreasonable question for a licence-fee payer to ask.
My complaint is taking a surprisingly long time to receive an answer and has just received (some two weeks late) a polite-sounding 'delaying' email - probably meaning that it's proving somewhat tricky for them to answer.
Never mind how many times they get caught out and how many times (usually after something begun by DB) a Helen Boaden or a Mary Hockaday feels the need to send out THAT email about BBC people needing to behave themselves on Twitter, they keep on doing it, again and again and again and again (ad infinitum).
Look forward to outcome of the complaint.
DeleteEspecially as each one teaches a lesson to inform the next.
I just hope that you don't suffer my fate, and as they struggle more and more to find ways to reject them, they start looking also for avenues beyond the merits if the complaint.
On the tweet & pull that was a classic, yes, it seems time again for a vastly paid director to tell staff not to write anything stupid again. Which they will ignore. And nothing will change.
With luck, Mr. Whittingdale may figure out why that is inevitable when funding is guaranteed and accountability in house and secret.