New Delhi (India), 10th April 2023: Undergoing a series of changes lately, micro-blogging website, Twitter on Monday labelled international news platform, BBC’s handle as – government funded media.
The BBC responded angrily to Elon Musk’s Twitter calling it “government funded media” on the microblogging site, and the BBC objected to the statement on Monday.
The taxpayer-funded licence fee supported UK media corporation said it has contacted the social media giant over the designation on its @BBC account to resolve the issue “as soon as possible”.
“The BBC is independent” and always has been. The BBC stated, “We are supported by the British public through the licensing fee.”
Meanwhile, as per sources, Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Twitter, is reportedly thinking about creating a label that would identify all media companies’ “exact funding sources,” according to an email they exchanged.
Musk said in the email, “We are aiming for maximum transparency and accuracy. Linking to ownership and source of funds probably makes sense.”
Musk further wrote, “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.”
Much larger accounts connected to the BBC’s news and sport programming are not currently being classified in the same way, the BBC said, despite the fact that the @BBC account, which has 2.2 million followers, has been given the name.
The @BBC Twitter account generally posts updates about BBC-produced TV series, radio shows, podcasts, and other non-news content, according to the media organisation with its London headquarters.
In accordance with the BBC Charter, the organisation “must be independent,” especially when it comes to “editorial and creative decisions, the timing and mode of its output and services delivery, and in the management of its affairs.”
