Do some at The BBC have too much power?

[Countdowntowinter]

A young Welsh journalist with a promising career ahead of her graduated with a masters from Cardiff university. She proudly tweeted with excitement about her first piece being published in The Telegraph.

A BBC newsreader, not even a writer, who confirmed he had merely read no further that the opening paragraph branded it 'feeble'. Cue online threats including rape threats for the journalist.

I recall the stories of the amount of coverage an opinion is given by the very highly paid BBC presenters several months ago.

Perhaps time the BBC rained their presenters in a bit?

The story I am referring to is here:

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/bbc-star-huw-edwards-in-hot-water-after-blasting-feeble-journalist/

The presenter didn't actually read the full story just labelled it 'feeble'.

Which bbc newsreader? Why was he even commenting? - he’s a newsreader.

That's my point. He is a reader of an autocue. He doesn't write his stories. The journalist who wrote the Telegraph article was treated to an online pile on after Huw tweeted her story was 'feeble'.

Well I suspect that the subjects she wrote about were going to get a lot of hate comments regardless of who she was, but no doubt a bit of extra misogyny and hate as she’s young and female

I didn't make it clear - BBC presenters comment on lots of things. They have lots of status and power. The journalist who was excited at having her first piece in The Telegraph received a pile on when he commented it was 'feeble'.

Perhaps time the BBC rained their presenters in a bit?

Are they not allowed to have any opinions, interests or do anything outside of their BBC working hours though?

Someone is allowed to critique an article they don't agree with, other people making rape threats is not the responsibility of the person who merely called the article "feeble".

Your are correct. Young, female and with an opinion. Helped along by a does of Huw and his comment.

Well, he never should have said that, but you misunderstand the role of a newsreader. All newsreaders on the BBC are senior journalists - there’s been a bit of dilution elsewhere (eg Ed Balls on ITV) but overwhelmingly elsewhere too

Perhaps he could have read the entire article before he commented? The BBC (IMO) needs a total overall. Men paid more than women. Men protected.

You disagree, that's fine. It's just my opinion.

The article was hateful, anti-Welsh and unsupported by fact. I read it at the time and was really surprised that it was published, seeing as the writing was so poor and that it was just a clumsy rant.
How do you propose the BBC controls their presenters? Would you like them to have to relinquish their freedom of speech in order to have to honour of working for Auntie?

I think it's seen as punching down. To me it feels in poor taste I understand that others feel it is ok.

"One of the most senior broadcasters in the country publicly venting his disdain at a young female journalist might strike some as punching down. Mr Steerpike is just impressed that Edwards can find the time. As the Times reported in May, the taxpayer-funded News at Ten presenter was the number one ‘moonlighter’ on the BBC’s staff in the first quarter of 2022. ‘The corporation’s highest-paid news anchor, who has a salary of up to £430,000, took on four external speaking engagements in March,’ the paper reported. The outside events earned him £25,000.
In response, Kennedy accused Edwards of ‘encouraging a pile-on that has already seen my DMs filled with people telling me to get raped’.
The BBC’s social media guidelines instruct staff to ‘always treat others with respect’ and state: ‘People who work for the BBC should set an example for civilised public debate.’ Unfortunately for Edwards, the section of the guidelines specifically directed at ‘colleagues working in news and current affairs’ stipulates: ‘Do not link to anything you haven’t read fully.’ In sharing Kennedy’s original tweet in order to express his disapproval, Edwards was also sharing the link to the article contained in her tweet. He has now, however, removed his Tweet and said he’s appalled at the abuse Kara has received."

He only needed the opening para to see the references to sheep and Richard Burton, presumably?

And unless you're hard of reading, you'll also notice he called some Telegraph WRITERS feeble, not the article itself.

This is the important bit for me:

"The BBC’s social media guidelines instruct staff to ‘always treat others with respect’ and state: ‘People who work for the BBC should set an example for civilised public debate.’

Unfortunately for Edwards, the section of the guidelines specifically directed at ‘colleagues working in news and current affairs’ stipulates: ‘Do not link to anything you haven’t read fully.’ In sharing Kennedy’s original tweet in order to express his disapproval, Edwards was also sharing the link to the article contained in her tweet."

It was an incredibly inflammatory, bordering on anti-Welsh article. He was allowed to have an opinion. Why is he obligated to read to the end?
Occasionally I see an article and don't read past the first paragraph because it is utter horseshit.

This isn't a male vs female thing, let's not turn it into something it isn't.

Your grievance seems to be man at the height/end of his career disagrees with article written by women at the start, gives it mild criticism, the other people make outrageous and dangerous threats but its the journalist's fault for reviewing the article as "feeble"? Some mega backflips you've done there to try and make that suit your narrative.

Seems like a fairly tragic attempt at a HE “pile on” … head off to Tattle Life if you want to partake in that.

I do realise that having a dig at HuwEdwards is the mood right now, and quite possible some at the BBC have too much power, I wouldn’t know.

However, if there is an article about his homeland with which he disagrees and which he feels takes a stereotypical view, he is within his right to critique it and call it feeble, if that is his opinion.
He can’t be held responsible for all the cave-dwellers who crash the ghastly party that is Twitter comments with rape threats, that’s on them.

I agree - the bbc journalists seem to think they are celebs - eg the fucking Newscast programme that appears on sometimes after the news - idiot journos thinking they are something special - arses - I always switch over as I can't abide that shite

So his only error was tweeting an article he claims not to have finished. Wow crime of the century. He better lose his job over it, get your pitchforks out!

He was probably sending bank payments at the time for pictures

He all over twitter

He however made it very clear in his tweet that he had not been able to read the whole article, due to The Telegraph paywall. I think that's a fair caveat.

And I agree with him that the links with sheep and Richard Burton are old fashioned and clichéd tropes at best, and sly digs at Wales at worst.

"The article was a critique of the Welsh Labour government and its left-wing first minister Mark Drakeford. His government was, in Kennedy’s estimation, too fond of lockdowns, transgender ideology and universal basic income, the latter of which she warned would ‘universalise welfare dependency and sap what is left of Wales’s enterprise economy’. Kennedy also objected to England having to subsidise Drakeford’s lavish spending plans.
Welsh devolution, much like its Scottish counterpart, has institutionalised a grievance culture and fortified a political, civic and media establishment allergic to scrutiny or even the mildest criticism."

She criticised the Welsh government, and many of the policies including transgender ideology. His response was to punch down. Karma will come back at him.

He is an arse but suspect this is all great for her career advancement

Her name is well and truly out there

Are you only allowed to pass comment on an article if the writer is at the same point in their career as you then?

His response was to punch down. Get a grip.

For context this is the bit that he was able to read (as he said):

"I am proud to come from Wales. It’s the land of Richard Burton, Snowdonia, male voice choirs, Dylan Thomas and dragons. Other than lamb – there are twice as many sheep in Wales than the whole of the US – its food may not be universally admired, but few other parts of the UK are as beautiful. My homeland has always enjoyed a good reputation; and certainly Welsh people are known for being friendly and welcoming – unlike the people of another devolved nation I shan’t" ... then the paywall comes in

Well that paragraph you’ve quoted sums up the issues well