Gary Lineker seemed to break rules, next BBC chairman says
According to Dr. Shah, he is open to conducting a fresh evaluation of the social media policies of the BBC.
The potential new chairman of the BBC believes that Gary Lineker violated the organization's regulations on social media by tweeting about Conservative Members of Parliament during a dispute over the administration's stance towards Rwanda.
During a parliamentary session, Samir Shah expressed his support for the principle of free expression, but expressed concern that conflicts of this nature could harm the BBC's public image.
According to him, the replies of the sports presenter on X appear to violate regulations prohibiting harmful remarks towards specific individuals.
The BBC mentioned that it refrains from making any remarks regarding particular individuals or tweets made by them.
Prior to his appointment as BBC Chairman, Dr Shah was asked questions by MPs belonging to the Culture Media and Sport Committee. This was after he had been selected by the government to take over the role following Richard Sharp's resignation in April.
Even though the BBC operates independently, the government is responsible for appointing its chairperson.
At the age of 63, Lineker joined a group of people who wrote an open letter to express their opposition to the government's proposal of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.
This caused backlash from Conservative Members of Parliament such as Grant Shapps, who is in charge of defence, Lee Anderson, the vice-chairman of the party, and Jonathan Gullis. They claimed that he violated neutrality and lodged a complaint to the broadcasting station.
During a segment on X, the person who hosts Match of the Day mentioned that they would speak to someone about Mr Anderson's loss of position in the upcoming general election. The presenter expressed dissatisfaction with Mr Shapps' use of multiple names in his business transactions. Additionally, the presenter commented on Mr Gullis by stating that he has not read the new guidelines or perhaps had someone read them to him.
The argument comes after past grievances regarding Lineker's actions on social media, which caused the ex-chief editor of ITN, John Hardie, to examine the principles and regulations.
During the committee meeting, Dr Shah expressed his belief that the situation surrounding Gary Lineker wasn't beneficial in any way. He stated that it was unproductive for both the BBC and the cause Gary Lineker supports, as it diverted attention from the actual issue at hand and made the focus of the story about him and the BBC.
According to him, individuals who are not news presenters are permitted to share their viewpoints but certain rules regarding being polite and avoiding personal attacks ought to be followed.
As far as I know, the guidelines were not violated by signing the letter.
Nonetheless, he expressed that "the tweet that was posted more recently, in which Mr Lineker specified two politicians, appears to violate those specific guidelines upon first glance".
"I'm uncertain about the severity of it, but it definitely happened. It's possible that the BBC is currently examining the situation and contemplating what action to take."
According to Lineker, his social media content adheres to the rules set by the BBC.
The picture is from Getty Images.
The BBC suspended Gary Lineker earlier this year for a short time because he had tweeted about the government's asylum policy.
The seventy-one-year-old Dr. Shah mentioned that he might request a new evaluation of the social networking rules in case he was selected.
According to him, the BBC should consider if there is an appropriate equilibrium between impartiality and freedom of speech.
Although news and current events were easily understood, Mr. Lineker belonged to a vague category.
"I understand your feeling of being frustrated. I urge the director general to come up with a resolution as it is imperative for us to have one."
The board has every right to inquire from the executive whether the newly implemented guidelines have been effective. It's possible that they may have to reassess the guidelines in order to meet their goals.
The revised social media rules, which came out in September, emphasize the significance of having "exceptional levels of politeness in the exchange of ideas" on public platforms. This involves being courteous to everyone, regardless of any ill-treatment, and refraining from using any language that could be considered offensive or hostile.
The BBC has requested that its employees demonstrate civility when participating in public discussions and avoid doing anything that could harm the reputation of the organization.
A representative from the BBC chose not to provide a particular response regarding the statements made by Dr Shah to the select committee.
He stated that even though the instructions permit discussing important matters, people must be polite and avoid questioning someone's personality.
We talk about any problems that come up with the people who are presenting when it's needed.
