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For all the latest twists and turns on Summersgate and Sarahgate please click here
http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/2010/04/today-progs-speed-dial-numbers.html
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From Ryan's initial discoveries to this in The Daily Telegraph:
Chris Summers, a BBC journalist who is also a Labour council candidate in Ealing, has been given a role managing the content of constituency pages on the BBC website.
Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat candidate for Brent East, said the corporation had "many questions" to answer over the role Mr Summers, whose role includes processing newly published stories and correcting factual inaccuracies.
On February 21, Mr Summers wrote on his Facebook profile: "IT'S OFFICIAL – Yours truly is up for election. OK, so it's only Ealing Council (Northolt Mandeville Ward) but you gotta start somewhere."
Last Tuesday, he wrote: "I have to spend the next three weeks at work on the most mind-bindingly dull, boring, grey, miserable, **** job – dealing with election complaints!"
Elsewhere on his profile he referred to Gordon Brown as "a pussycat", and on another occasion he wrote: "Oh, the frustration of working for the BBC! Editorial Guidelines!!! Aaaaaah!"
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "Chris Summers, who normally works on the UK news desk for the BBC News website, was given alternative duties whilst being a candidate in the election, in keeping with BBC guidelines.
"He is not responsible for dealing with complaints or other editorial issues. These are dealt with by senior editorial staff."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7608921/Labour-Candidate-in-BBC-news-role.html
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What I don't understand is that while Chris says he was dealing with complaints (and is not happy about it) the BBC spokesman says he wasn't dealing with complaints. Strange!! *
Very strange. I wonder which one of them is lying?
ReplyDeleteYeah, the BBC have been let of lightly here. Still, good that it got aired. The Telegraph put the important things about what he put in Facebook. It's now for the Conservative Party to pursue the matter further.
ReplyDeleteLloyd, my money is on the BBC spokesman! Why would Chris Summers moan so passionately about having to deal with election complaints for three weeks if he wasn't beeing made to deal with election complaints for three weeks? What that BBC spokesman says is just not credible at all.
ReplyDeleteI think the Conservatives should pursue this with a vengeance Hippiepooter. It's an open goal and they should blastit straight into the corner of the net.
The bbc is vying with Gordon Brown in how many lies can be made daily.
ReplyDeleteThe fiasco over the dust cloud and the belated opening of our airports is straining even the bbc's ability to believe their masters.
Pravda would be proud of them. As would The Spark.
I assume all BBC employees are liars, but , in this case, I suspect Summers is telling the truth. The BBC really are the pits !
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