[Football] Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

[Titanic]

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting Match of the Day until agreement reached on social media use - BBC statement

www.bbc.co.uk

Gary Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use - BBC statement.
It follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.
In a tweet, the presenter had compared the language used by the government to set out its plan to "that used by Germany in the 30s".

 

[Machiavelli]

This is so true and I'm one of them. I really got a sense of the high regard the BBC was held in across the globe while living abroad. On my return, I was struck by the amount of BBC product I consumed in the digital era. I've never begrudged the licence fee until now. I sense the organisation is either run by the government or sufficiently terrified of it to have the same effect. I'm disgusted at their capitulation to the government and resent them even while I know I'm being played. Grim.

Thanks for posting this.
It's precisely the issue: the BBC has become supine and has basically given up.
I haven't been following things online, but we really need to start a campaign, something along the lines of:
Bring our Broadcaster back under Control -- BBC or BoBbuC -- with #DavieOut #SharpOut

 

[Guinness Boy]

But isn’t that so you to see and frame it like that. ‘Caught’, ‘work’, ‘passing off’ Such vitriol! Such drama! Talk about storm and teacup, you like to whip one up don’t you? I didn’t give it a moments thought really, you’ve built all the scheming, deliberate intent and thereafter copywrite and legal narrative. I wasn’t trying to do anything. Just read, copy and pasted a few sentences (from much a lengthy article) because it beautifully surmised my feelings too which I’d expressed in other ways earlier. It’s you that’s had the disproportionate take afterwards, threats and all, as if I’ve copied and pasted the entire works of Shakespeare and called myself Bill toboot. Moreover, you missed the subsequent point about your general demeanour. Not just towards me, but plenty of others overtime. I’ve often taken long breaks from NSC and am doing so again. It’s a great pub to visit but you’re no Barbara Windsor. More Billy Mitchell collecting the glasses…

Don’t ever get caught speeding.

“Yes your honour I was doing 100 in a 70 but since the copper wasn’t nice to me I’ve already banned myself, so no need to take any action”

 

[Wozza]

I may think or even say privately my boss acts like a Nazi, say it to him or on SM and I'm history. Just as would Dave from the BBC mail room.

You do know the Tories aren't Lineker's boss, right? Or at least, they're not supposed to be...

 

[Eric the meek]

Don’t ever get caught speeding.

“Yes your honour I was doing 100 in a 70 but since the copper wasn’t nice to me I’ve already banned myself, so no need to take any action”

I could never be a moderator. You have to have the patience of a saint to be one, as well as resilience, restraint and compassion. I have none of these skills.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The language around the new policy. 2 sides of same coin..

This is bullshit semantics. I know what he said.

Fwiw.i like Lineker and cannot stand Braverman, i find her repugnant, but the fact is there is no comparison to hitlers Germany or its langauge that murdered 6m innocents.

But that side issue or the ground you want to fight on, is not the issue.

Its not about detractors, Lineker is entitled to his opinion, but as the face of public broadcaster, being paid millions of taxpayers money, he isn't entitled to express it freely wherever he wants, if his employees deems it brings them or their policies into disrepute.

I may think or even say privately my boss acts like a Nazi, say it to him or on SM and I'm history. Just as would Dave from the BBC mail room.

Lineker never mentioned Nazi, nor Hitler. You reference 6 million innocents but that was the Jewish slaughter.
I’ve already pointed out this isn’t about the Holocaust but there were 10 million deaths. I even gave you a list of other groups dehumanised by the National Socialists. I didn’t mention Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Romanys which was remiss of me.
You have extrapolated something from Lineker’s tweet that wasn’t there. So have many other people.

 

[beorhthelm]

Right. He merely compared language. And that's it.

Previously, you falsely said "he compared the new policy..." - repeating what detractors have disingenuously been saying all week.

Once more from the top. The actually quote from Lineker:

"This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people....

...in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the '30s, and I'm out of order?"

(Happy to stand corrected if he made a direct comparison of policies, mentioned Nazis etcs in other Tweets, btw)

i dont understand why you and others want to walking it back. the whole intent of the tweet is to compare langauge to that used by Nazis. why is it so wrong to say that?

 

[peterward]

Lineker never mentioned Nazi, nor Hitler. You reference 6 million innocents but that was the Jewish slaughter.
I’ve already pointed out this isn’t about the Holocaust but there were 10 million deaths. I even gave you a list of other groups dehumanised by the National Socialists. I didn’t mention Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Romanys which was remiss of me.
You have extrapolated something from Lineker’s tweet that wasn’t there. So have many other people.

Ah so that's what Lineker really meant, not what you extrapolated that wasn't there!

Ask yourself this honestly, are all of those truly shocking crimes of genocide you list against all sorts of ethnicities, committed by one of the most evil murderous regimes in history, comparative in messaging to a shit British government and its half baked policy on stopping rising numbers of people submitting to criminal gangs and coming here in Dinghys?.... like really just the same?

Whatever you answered is your opinion, youre perfectly entitled to it.

If you then broadcast that on SM and your employer has a SM policy and they believe your opinion damages them or their reputation, do they have to just shut up and say or do nothing? Even if they're the public broadcaster and your wages are tax money.

Because that's not how it works for most employees including most of those in the BBC......... that said, maybe Lineker hadn't signed anything, so he could argue he's not contractually bound by that, but should he be the same as others, yes.

This was a small resolvable issue imho, until some berk wrongly decided to suspend him and its gone nuts....... but from here on in, I dare say, that whatever happens with Lineker, every person representing the BBC will be made to sign up to their SM policy, as most in real world do too

 

[rogersix]

Ah so that's what Lineker really meant, not what you extrapolated that wasn't there!

Ask yourself this honestly, are all of those truly shocking crimes of genocide you list against all sorts of ethnicities, committed by one of the most evil murderous regimes in history, comparative in messaging to a shit British government and its half baked policy on stopping rising numbers of people submitting to criminal gangs and coming here in Dinghys?.... like really just the same?

Whatever you answered is your opinion, youre perfectly entitled to it.

If you then broadcast that on SM and your employer has a SM policy and they believe your opinion damages them or their reputation, do they have to just shut up and say or do nothing? Even if they're the public broadcaster and your wages are tax money.

Because that's not how it works for most employees including most of those in the BBC......... that said, maybe Lineker hadn't signed anything, so he could argue he's not contractually bound by that, but should he be the same as others, yes.

This was a small resolvable issue imho, until some berk wrongly decided to suspend him and its gone nuts....... but from here on in, I dare say, that whatever happens with Lineker, every person representing the BBC will be made to sign up to their SM policy, as most in real world do too

i think the story is, the billy big potatoes at the beeb being politically motivated in their decision making process.

it's all moved on a bit, that's why it's gone viral

 

[Thunder Bolt]

This is how a complaint about Chris Packham was handled. He is also freelance.

 

[Sorrel]

On the plus side I tend to record and then fast forward through MoTD to get to the matches, so it looks like today this will be done for me.

The only way this will be resolved is by the BBC agreeing what standards they expect from all their contracted workers (whether contracted via a company or directly) and making sure everyone has to follow the same standards, without exceptions.

Those rules should say: "Don't talk down the BBC, don't use your position to bully people, don't insult or belittle people or groups. Express political opinions if you want, but if you do, don't expect to ever be involved in political news or reporting within the BBC."

Sports presenters are not the police and we shouldn't need or expect them to have zero political views of their own. And they can express those views if they want. If the BBC (or whoever) feel those views are distracting the sports programming then they can sign a contract with someone else next time.

 

[A1X]

This is how a complaint about Chris Packham was handled. He is also freelance.

It’s looking more and more like a “Get Lineker” tactic by the upper echelons at the Beeb.

 

[A1X]

I would also suggest yon Rishi is worried this is reflecting badly on the Govt with the public

 

[St Leonards Seagull]

 

[A1X]

Honestly the gall of this guy is extraordinary

 

[Billy in Bristol]

from the Guardian Live blog...it shows how employees had a lack of options compared to freelancers.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Any publicity will do for him to appear relevant.

 

[TomandJerry]

 

[sparkie]

This is how a complaint about Chris Packham was handled. He is also freelance.

Very Interesting.

It seems Lineker was treated differently for a reason that hasn't been established.

The OmniShambles continues and heads at the very top of the BBC must be in danger of rolling.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Im with Gary on this, I’m also shocked the BBC Chief has said what he has said. Maybe the BBC is now being used as a discreet platform by this scummiest government in living memory.

 

[Bodian]

Im with Gary on this, I’m also shocked the BBC Chief has said what he has said. Maybe the BBC is now being used as a discreet platform by this scummiest government in living memory.

What's he said? Is this something new? Genuine interest, not questioning you.