2023 examples

MARCH 2023

BBC HISTORY OF CONSERVATISM? OPINION PIECE Guardian. Sample: What kind of world were the 17 white men who have served as its director general – 12 of them privately educated, 11 of them Oxbridge graduates, eight of them former military personnel – ever going to construct?

BBC SEEN TO CENSOR ECO DESTRUCTION DOC. LINEKER SUSPENDED OVER CRITICISING IMMIGRATION POLICY. GOVERNMENT APPOINTED CHAIR UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER JOHNSON LOAN LINKS ISN'T 

The facts are disputed, but senior BBC sources are clear that they are seeking to avoid attack (Chomsky: flak) from the right-wing media and government (Chomsky: concentration of ownership; anti-communism) by putting an episode of a new David Attenborough nature series online only. Guardian. 

Meantime there's been a presenter and commentator strike in support of Gary Lineker. 

>>>The journalist Jon Sopel, who has held several senior positions at the BBC, said: “Lucky there are no producer guidelines on whether you need to declare facilitating an £800k loan to a prime minister while applying for a job as chairman of a broadcasting organisation.”   Guardian.

The former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, a commentator for Sky Sports, said the decision was what happened when “you take on the Tories and the system”.

Also, a BBC Radio 4 programme was officially criticised by the BBC for failing to challenge claims by former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (the one exposed in the Culture Select Committee for not knowing how C4 is funded even as she tried to privatise it). Guardian.

IPSO announce 2 months later they're investigating Clarkson Sun column. Guardian. Going by past rulings they're unlikely to rule against it, they are reluctant to invoke their discrimination clause and give a lot of leeway to opinion pieces. Rather like the BBFC does with violence in big budget, big 5 blockbuster films with a fantasy element.