Among least biased: Elon Musk after Twitter tags BBC as ‘government funded media’
A day after Twitter CEO Elon Musk labelled the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as a ‘government funded media’ on the microblogging platform.
The BBC contacted Twitter. Musk’s move has triggered a sharp reaction from the BBC.
The label links through to a page on Twitter’s help centre that says “state-affiliated media” are outlets where the government “exercises control over editorial content” in various ways.
Responding to the BBC’s complaint, Musk asked, “Is the Twitter label accurate?”
BBC AMONG THE LEAST BIASED, SAYS MUSK
“We are aiming for maximum transparency and accuracy. Linking to ownership and source of funds probably makes sense,” Musk’s email to BBC reads.
“I do think media organisations should be self-aware and not falsely claim the complete absence of bias. All organisations have bias, some obviously much more than others. I should note that I follow BBC News on Twitter, because I think it is among the least biased,” it said.
BBC’s RESPONSE TO GOVT-FUNDED MEDIA TAG
The broadcaster said it was speaking to Twitter about the designation. The BBC is objecting to a new label describing it as “government funded media” on its main Twitter account. It has contacted Twitter over the designation on the @BBC account to resolve the issue “as soon as possible”.
“The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee,” the BBC statement said.
The BBC Charter states the corporation “must be independent”, particularly over “editorial and creative decisions, the times and manner in which its output and services are supplied, and in the management of its affairs”.
Britons pay a ã159 licence fee each year to fund the corporation’s output. The fee is set by the government but paid by individual households, The Guardian said in a report.
Twitter’s new labelling of the BBC’s account comes after it did the same to US public broadcaster National Public Radio (NPR’s) handle.