The Newsroom

BBC News | Journalists Use of Twitter

(July 2020)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
SO
Soupnzi
A bugbear is the over-prominence BBC staff have given to BBC job losses. We barely see them tweeting about the Guardian or Reach job losses.

When Victoria Derbyshire live-tweeted all the details from a BBC jobs meeting earlier this year, it was indulgent in the extreme. We didn’t see her getting upset about job losses at Ford etc at around the same time.
MI
m_in_m
A bugbear is the over-prominence BBC staff have given to BBC job losses. We barely see them tweeting about the Guardian or Reach job losses.

When Victoria Derbyshire live-tweeted all the details from a BBC jobs meeting earlier this year, it was indulgent in the extreme. We didn’t see her getting upset about job losses at Ford etc at around the same time.

Why shouldn't Victoria livestream it? They may have been colleagues unable to attend that could at least here directly from someone present. No reason someone at the Guardian could have done the same but is perhaps less high profile.
CA
Cando
A bugbear is the over-prominence BBC staff have given to BBC job losses. We barely see them tweeting about the Guardian or Reach job losses.

When Victoria Derbyshire live-tweeted all the details from a BBC jobs meeting earlier this year, it was indulgent in the extreme. We didn’t see her getting upset about job losses at Ford etc at around the same time.

Why shouldn't Victoria livestream it? They may have been colleagues unable to attend that could at least here directly from someone present. No reason someone at the Guardian could have done the same but is perhaps less high profile.


It wasn't a public meeting and if she had done it at any other organisation, she and her ego would have faced consequences.
AS
AlexS
On the subject of BBC staff's use of Twitter it would look as though it would be a good idea to get on air staff to go through their twitter posts and delete anything politically biased from any account they are planning to use as part of their work or get verified as part of induction training. https://order-order.com/2020/07/16/bbcs-corbynista-correspondent/
CI
cityprod
AlexS posted:
On the subject of BBC staff's use of Twitter it would look as though it would be a good idea to get on air staff to go through their twitter posts and delete anything politically biased from any account they are planning to use as part of their work or get verified as part of induction training. https://order-order.com/2020/07/16/bbcs-corbynista-correspondent/


Or maybe you just accept the fact that Twitter is where people will share their personal opinions, and don't fall for the smear campaign of a known extremist like Paul Staines aka Guido Fawkes.
SS
SuperSajuuk
Is this whole thing with the BBC saying they're cutting back on Twitter use (not something I agree with because it would mean removal of things like BBCClick, if I understand it correctly) the reason why the vast majority of BBC employed presenters have changed all their twitter handles to remove the "BBC" part from it? Eg Babita changed her handle to BabitaTV a while back and recently I noticed Naga changed hers from BBCNaga to TVNaga.

Given the long time they've used their former handles, I wonder if the BBC realises that the now-unused handles from before could potentially be used by malicious actors. It seems like BBCNaga has already been used for malicious uses at one point (that handle is suspended) and Babita has luckily used the opportunity to create an unused account that simply points people at BabitaTV, but will everyone consider doing it? Confused
CM
cmthwtv
Going back to this, I am disgusted with the amount of abuse some presenters get, I've not suddenly realise, but I've just read a tweet that reads:

"BBC news at 6pm Clive Myrie , switch to ITV a black lady reading the news , look not being racist or anything , but this is getting beyond a joke - hello - the vast majority of our Kingdom is still PROUD & WHITE . , get over yourselves evil left wing media ."

That's just one example. If I were subject to such abuse, by anonymous people who can say what they like, it would be difficult to keep unbiased. I enjoy seeing BBC journalists on twitter, partly for all the behind the scenes stuff, but also because of the news they bring when I don't have access to the news channel.

At the end of the day, there is a whole "tribe" of people who want to defund the BBC. It is far from perfect, but just because they reported or interviewed something/someone you disagree with it doesn't mean that the whole organisation should be abolished.

Journalism is changing, for the good or the bad, that's for you to make your own judgement. But twitter is seemingly now a part of "modern journalism", and in an ever more narrowing news path where you only get news that reaffirms your view, it's difficult to modernise unbiased organisations.
BF
BFGArmy
The more time,goes on. the more I wonder whether social media/Twitter in particular was a good thing. While it does have its advantages, it has a hell of a lot of drawbacks too.
MA
Markymark
The more time,goes on. the more I wonder whether social media/Twitter in particular was a good thing. While it does have its advantages, it has a hell of a lot of drawbacks too.


Depends what you define as social media. This forum is social media, but heavily moderated so any unpleasantness is quickly dealt with. Twitter is essentially unmoderated, you could argue that you're seeing what people truly think, and the examples quoted thread in here really are what some people think. You can and do bump into these folk in real life, but they often don't expose their views until later, and also often they are perfectly polite and civil. Twitter can be akin to walking into a dodgy pub, but at least you can't get a broken beer glass pushed in your face on Twitter

15 days later

CM
cmthwtv
Huw Edwards has mass deleted a lot of his tweets, according to the MP delete tweet bot (from where they've retweeted). Is this the beginning of the BBC presenter twitter use review coming into practice?
AN
Andrew Founding member
I’ve never seen anything from Huw Edwards that could be classed as being outspoken
CM
cmthwtv
I’ve never seen anything from Huw Edwards that could be classed as being outspoken


Neither have I, however the BBC are going to be very sensitive as of recent and I think I read that they are bringing someone in to sort twitter use out?

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