How Gary Lineker furore could spark BBC social media revolution

The BBC has announced a review of its guidelines on social media use after reinstating Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host.

The corporation’s flagship football show was reduced to just 20 minutes on Saturday night after a number of pundits pulled out in support of Lineker following his suspension for tweeting criticisms of the government’s Illegal Migration Bill. In a statement apologising to licence fee payers, BBC director-general Tim Davie said current social media guidelines contained “grey areas” that had caused confusion.

The review “will look in particular at how the guidelines apply to freelances outside news and current affairs, such as Lineker”, said Press Gazette. In an accompanying statement, the former footballer said: “I am glad that we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”

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Conservative MP Tom Hunt told Politico he was disappointed that there had been no “acknowledgement of any wrongdoing” by the presenter. Hunt also predicted a “growing number” would call for an end to the BBC licence fee.

Citing the position of the BBC chair Richard Sharp, who has donated money to the Conservative Party, ITV noted that “many say the move to suspend the presenter has exposed hypocrisy at the broadcaster over its impartiality rules”. The BBC has been “accused of having double standards over its employees on the left and right of politics”.

James Harding, the corporation’s former director of news, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the row was part of a “bigger muddle on impartiality”.

Harding said the BBC should not be able to “police” the opinions of every contributor outside its news and current affairs division. “Not only can you not actually do it, but the principle is wrong… because it will actually deter people from joining the BBC, it will diminish the BBC,” he said.

Stephen Bush in the Financial Times agreed, saying: “The conclusion the BBC’s review should reach is that the only reasonable expectation you have of a service is professionalism, not that their social media feeds will be free of anything you find disagreeable.”