Michael Stewart BBC Complaint Response

Forth Bear

Forth Bear

Well-Known Member
I've just received this response.

Thanks for contacting us with your comments regarding one of our regular contributors, Michael Stewart.

We have received a range of feedback so keeping in mind pressures on licence fee resources, this response seeks to address the key points raised. That said, we apologise in advance if any of your points haven’t been specifically addressed here.

Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media.

Michael is one of a range of contributors to our sport output, all of whom are aware of, and must abide by, the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines in relation to these contributions.

Finally, we can assure you that the BBC is not biased for or against any football club. Our reporting is undertaken fully in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and with the Broadcasting Code which is laid down by the independent industry regulator, Ofcom.

Thank you again for your feedback. We’ve shared your concerns with BBC Sport Scotland and senior management.

Kind regards,

BBC Complaints Team
 
Forth Bear said:
I've just received this response.

Thanks for contacting us with your comments regarding one of our regular contributors, Michael Stewart.

We have received a range of feedback so keeping in mind pressures on licence fee resources, this response seeks to address the key points raised. That said, we apologise in advance if any of your points haven’t been specifically addressed here.

Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media.

Michael is one of a range of contributors to our sport output, all of whom are aware of, and must abide by, the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines in relation to these contributions.

Finally, we can assure you that the BBC is not biased for or against any football club. Our reporting is undertaken fully in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and with the Broadcasting Code which is laid down by the independent industry regulator, Ofcom.

Thank you again for your feedback. We’ve shared your concerns with BBC Sport Scotland and senior management.

Kind regards,

BBC Complaints Team
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If this is the case, then perhaps they can explain why they have chosen not to attend Ibrox or properly report on our games. They made this decision after the Rhat C.M. was refused press access. The BBC have never made this choice for ANY other club in the UK. If that isn't biased against a football club, I don't know what is.
 
Utter waffle. If the BBC pay him, then they employ him and just because he's freelance, which is what I assume is what they're saying here, it doesn't (or shouldn't) mean he can say and do as he wishes outwith his BBC gigs without there being consequences when he steps out of line. If anything, it should make it easier for the BBC to dump him if he's not contracted. They clearly have no issues with his antics if they continue to employ him.
 
Just had that exact same reply. I'll do my usual and respond to it giving examples of some of his messages and ask for specific points to be addressed rather than just that general rubbish. Doing that tends to get a more detailed response rather than the first one which is no more than a copy and paste job.
 
'Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media.'

Reply and ask to see this guidance published by the BBC

If Michael Stewart has a contract with the BBC*, regular 'freelancers' are obliged to abide by its rules.

*I'm assuming he will have some form of written employment agreement with the Corporation which will include a lengthy code of conduct section
 
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I mentioned in another thread that after receiving the inevitable fob-off from my BBC complaints, I am contesting with OFCOM. I went on to say (in FF) that I do think our strategy needs to be about "numbers".

A subsequent Google search on requirements for broadcaster Complaints Reporting/Statistics produced an interesting fact for me..... FOI requests can be made to OFCOM (I thought they were an agency or working under licence etc) - example here:


More power to the elbow.
 
Forth Bear said:
I've just received this response.

Thanks for contacting us with your comments regarding one of our regular contributors, Michael Stewart.

We have received a range of feedback so keeping in mind pressures on licence fee resources, this response seeks to address the key points raised. That said, we apologise in advance if any of your points haven’t been specifically addressed here.

Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media.

Michael is one of a range of contributors to our sport output, all of whom are aware of, and must abide by, the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines in relation to these contributions.

Finally, we can assure you that the BBC is not biased for or against any football club. Our reporting is undertaken fully in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and with the Broadcasting Code which is laid down by the independent industry regulator, Ofcom.

Thank you again for your feedback. We’ve shared your concerns with BBC Sport Scotland and senior management.

Kind regards,

BBC Complaints Team
Click to expand...
Funny how an individual’s social media content is of no concern to the BBC when it suits them.
If they are against you, they quickly demonise you for your personal social media comments!!
 
Forth Bear said:
I've just received this response.

Thanks for contacting us with your comments regarding one of our regular contributors, Michael Stewart.

We have received a range of feedback so keeping in mind pressures on licence fee resources, this response seeks to address the key points raised. That said, we apologise in advance if any of your points haven’t been specifically addressed here.

Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media.

Michael is one of a range of contributors to our sport output, all of whom are aware of, and must abide by, the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines in relation to these contributions.

Finally, we can assure you that the BBC is not biased for or against any football club. Our reporting is undertaken fully in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and with the Broadcasting Code which is laid down by the independent industry regulator, Ofcom.

Thank you again for your feedback. We’ve shared your concerns with BBC Sport Scotland and senior management.

Kind regards,

BBC Complaints Team
Click to expand...
Same message my way - complete joke.
 
Received the exact same reply, they waited three weeks for this . He is is in receipt of financial inducement for his “ regular contributions “ . By any stretch of the imagination, Micheal Stewart is a freelance employee of the BBC.

The volume of complaints should indicate the insipid, malicious personality this person has towards huge sways of license fee payers.
I will need follow on the complaint too .

It can’t be healthy that the BBC can opt out of their moral duty as a public institution to demand the highest ethical standards from all ancillary , freelance, or permanent staff.Perhaps their social media policies need updated to reflect these anomalies.
I would imagine in private, the top brass of BBC Scotland , sport have been reminded that such communications aren’t acceptable going forward.
 
They won’t get rid of him because he generated attention and clicks which benefits themselves.

If people want to get rid of him, block him on Twitter and do not interact with him.

Every Rangers fan who interacts with him justifies the bbc putting him on the tv.
 
West Enclosure Bear said:
Well if so many people are complaining about him, stop employing him to be a 'contributor' to your shitey station.
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That isn’t what they’re saying.
To me, this is them trying to tell us exactly as you’ve inferred.
It might actually be right.
You know what the septic support are like, if you’re visibly pulling it off when talking about their cavalier football, their piggery’s best in the world atmosphere, their average players being worth eight figures, their fun loving jolly craicster support bringing happiness wherever they play, them being cheated by all and sundry whenever they lose, you’re against them, you’re a hun and in the masons plotting against them.
At which point they’re on the phone, wearing out crayons or battering their keyboards to get their complaints in.
 
So the BBC dont employ him, but they do pay him.
Therefore he does partly represent them.
They are responsible who they pay.
The buck stops with them.
They broadcast his views.
If they want the " pressures " to ease on their complaints department then there is only one thing to do.
Stop inviting the c**t.
The mans a fucking rocket.
 
ResoluteLoyal73 said:
Received the exact same reply, they waited three weeks for this . He is is in receipt of financial inducement for his “ regular contributions “ . By any stretch of the imagination, Micheal Stewart is a freelance employee of the BBC.

The volume of complaints should indicate the insipid, malicious personality this person has towards huge sways of license fee payers.
I will need follow on the complaint too .

It can’t be healthy that the BBC can opt out of their moral duty as a public institution to demand the highest ethical standards from all ancillary , freelance, or permanent staff.Perhaps their social media policies need updated to reflect these anomalies.
I would imagine in private, the top brass of BBC Scotland , sport have been reminded that such communications aren’t acceptable going forward.
Click to expand...

As a 'freelancer' he promotes BBC in his bio and also promotes his twitter feed on same page

ms.jpg
 
Forth Bear said:
I've just received this response.

Thanks for contacting us with your comments regarding one of our regular contributors, Michael Stewart.

We have received a range of feedback so keeping in mind pressures on licence fee resources, this response seeks to address the key points raised. That said, we apologise in advance if any of your points haven’t been specifically addressed here.

Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media.

Michael is one of a range of contributors to our sport output, all of whom are aware of, and must abide by, the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines in relation to these contributions.

Finally, we can assure you that the BBC is not biased for or against any football club. Our reporting is undertaken fully in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and with the Broadcasting Code which is laid down by the independent industry regulator, Ofcom.

Thank you again for your feedback. We’ve shared your concerns with BBC Sport Scotland and senior management.

Kind regards,

BBC Complaints Team
Click to expand...
That response basically says feck all.
 
Dismissing a complaint by inferring he is not a FTE, and therefore not in the employ of the BBC, or subject to their guidelines is deliberate obscurification and a false communication by the BBC.

It does not matter that he is a ‘freelancer’. He has a contract as a freelancer and is subject to their guidelines regardless.

Take the complaint to the next stage.
 
That’s just bollocks. If someone was spouting constant bile against a group BBC Scotland didn’t hate they would act, direct employee or not.

The license fee is a sham.
 
That BBC investigation in full:

BBC: "Was Stewart biased?"
BBC: "Yes"

BBC : "Do we care?"
BBC: "No"

BBC: "Great. That's that settled. Fancy a scotch from the drinks cabinet?"
BBC: "Mmmm lovely. Thanks"
 
Just forwarded another complaint . We can’t accept this .

On the 11/09/21 I raised a complaint that a frequent television football on BBC Scotland insinuated that the “ entire Rangers football club , and supporters , have no equivalence to a comedian or couple journalists being exposed as racists or bigots.

This denigrated thousands of license fee paying members of the public . It was a disgraceful thing to post on a Twitter account . I have waited three weeks for a response that in no way resolves my concerns :

” Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media. Michael is one of a range of contributors to our sport output, all of whom are aware of, and must abide by, the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines in relation to these contributions.”
The reply suggests he receives no financial inducement for his regular contributions . Micheal is on weekly throughout the SPFL season BBC Scotland sportscene . Is he doing for free?
How can permanent staff, be held to a different moral compass to freelance or ancillary staff which such employees are?

Should you update your social media policies as other contemporary public institutions have done to demand the highest standards in public and personal social media space?

If Mr Stewart had denigrated a cultural demography of people on the basis of their religious , or sexual beliefs in his personal social space , would he still be welcome as a frequent paid contributor on our television screens?
The hurtful comments on his Twitter feed were defamatory crass, discriminatory , inadvisable , and I know doesn’t reflect the views of the BBC .

Please explain why there is no ethical standards in a personal capacity of regular television pundits, or contributors?
 
Forth Bear said:
I've just received this response.

Thanks for contacting us with your comments regarding one of our regular contributors, Michael Stewart.

We have received a range of feedback so keeping in mind pressures on licence fee resources, this response seeks to address the key points raised. That said, we apologise in advance if any of your points haven’t been specifically addressed here.

Michael is not a member of the BBC’s staff – he is engaged from time to time on elements of our sport coverage on television and radio. His social media accounts are personal to him, and the guidance published by the BBC makes clear that those who appear as pundits in this sort of capacity are not subject to the broader requirements of impartiality on social media.

Michael is one of a range of contributors to our sport output, all of whom are aware of, and must abide by, the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines in relation to these contributions.

Finally, we can assure you that the BBC is not biased for or against any football club. Our reporting is undertaken fully in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and with the Broadcasting Code which is laid down by the independent industry regulator, Ofcom.

Thank you again for your feedback. We’ve shared your concerns with BBC Sport Scotland and senior management.

Kind regards,

BBC Complaints Team
Click to expand...
thats a lot of words to say 'we don't care, %^*& off'
 
Same response to me - stopped reading it after ‘from time to time’…… he’s never off the F***ing airwaves!

This is getting replied to again through another complaint!
 
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