Twitter has referred to the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), as a “government-funded media” on social media. The happening left the British public broadcaster in shock which resulted in objection towards the move.
The media corporation of the United Kingdom revealed that it has contacted Twitter for referring to the BBC account as government-funded media to solve the problem at the earliest.
The Email Exchange Of Twitter’s CEO
The BBC has stated that “The organization is, and always has been independent, the British public funds us by the licence fee.”
In an email exchange with the chief executive officer of Twitter, Elon Musk advises that he is acknowledging giving a label that will link each and every media organisation “to exact funding sources.”
The email further went on stating that “We are targeting for maximum transparency and accuracy. Associating to ownership and source of funds possibly makes sense.”
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“I definitely think media organisations should be self-aware and not deceptively purport the full truancy of bias. Each and every organisation have bias, some undoubtedly much more than others.
I should highlight that I follow BBC News on Twitter because, in my point of view, it is one of the least biased media, Elon Musk further stated.
The extent of the GBP 159 annual licence fee, which is needed by the law to watch live TV broadcasts or live streaming in the United Kingdom, is determined by the British Government and paid for by particular UK households.
BBC’s Claim
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The BBC has also revealed that its official account has 2.2 million followers and has been given the label, and much bigger accounts linked with the BBC’s news and sports channel are not presently referred to in the same way.
As per the British Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC’s Twitter account mainly shares updates regarding BBC-produced TV programmes, radio shows, podcasts and other non-news material.
The Charter of the BBC reveals the corporation “should not be dependent on anyone,” especially on “editorial and creative decisions, the times and manner in which its output and services are provided, and in the management of its problems.”
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The BBC also revealed that it also gets over GBP 90 million every year from the government to back the BBC World Service, which dominantly is in the service of non-UK audiences.
The new label the BBC came after it did the same thing to the public broadcaster NPR’s handle of the United States.