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Twitter labels BBC ‘government-funded media’. It objects saying ‘funded by…'
Twitter BBC Controversy: In a statement, the BBC said: “We are speaking to Twitter to resolve this issue as soon as possible."
The BBC objected to being labelled as “government funded media” on one of its Twitter accounts. The account which has 2.2 million followers, shares updates about BBC's television programmes, radio shows and podcasts and breaking news stories.
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The label links a page on Twitter’s help website which says “state-affiliated media accounts are outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution”.
BBC said it is speaking to Twitter about the label to “resolve this issue as soon as possible”. Although other accounts of BBC, including BBC News (World) and BBC Breaking News, are not being labelled in the same way.
In a statement, the BBC said: “We are speaking to Twitter to resolve this issue as soon as possible. The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.”
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Since 1927, the BBC has operated through a Royal Charter agreed with the UK government which says that the corporation “must be independent” over “editorial and creative decisions, the times and manner in which its output and services are supplied, and in the management of its affairs”.
BBC also put itself at odds with labelling of US’ National Public Radio (NPR). The social media company called the US public broadcaster as “state-affiliated media”, a label also used for Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua News. It was later changed to the “government-funded media”.
