BBC staff told they can’t go to LGBT Pride because of ‘no bias’ rules
New rules at the BBC could mean its journalists are no longer able to go on LGBT pride marches as part of a new drive for the company to appear unbiased.
Staff have been told that attending these events, such as marches and protests for LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter causes, could seem as if individuals have a political leaning, regardless of whether they are attending under an official BBC capacity.
The rules say reporters should not attend ‘public demonstrations or gatherings about controversial issues’, adding: ‘Judgment is required as to what issues are “controversial” with regard to marches or demonstrations, though it should be assumed that most marches are contentious to some degree or other.’
Staff were told that attending Pride may be acceptable if it is seen as ‘a celebration’, but in cases where it is a protest, such as with the ‘trans issue’, as it was described, the rules on impartiality apply.
The guidelines rolled out by BBC’s director-general Tim Davieonly apply to staff who are expected to be politically neutral, such as in news and current affairs.
A BBC journalist told the Guardian that growing media and political opposition to trans rights in the UK meant public LGBT pride events were now more likely to count as controversial events, meaning they would not be able to attend even in a personal capacity.
Rules relating to the attendance of ‘political protests’ were also brought in with strict guidelines about the use of social media.
The director of news, Fran Unsworth, introduced the social media rules, which explicitly warn reporters that liking posts on Twitter and other social media platforms could be seen as a sign of ‘revealed bias’.
Stark rules about the actions of BBC employees in their spare time in order to ensure impartiality have previously been implemented.
Last year, the Northern Ireland branch of the organisation prevented its employees from taking part in Belfast Pride after politicians raised concerns that it breached impartiality rules by implicitly endorsing same-sex marriage.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.