New boss at BBC to rein in stars on social media

The new director-general of the BBC is to instigate a major clampdown on news stars over their social media use and their lucrative work for other companies in a bid to strengthen the corporation’s rules on impartiality.

Tim Davie, who replaces Tony hall in the role tomorrow, will deliver a ‘tough’ message to staff this week, making clear more needs to be done to protect the BBC against claims of bias.

Mr Davie is looking at making news presenters and journalists declare their – often lucrative – earnings outside the BBC, in the hope it would ‘shame’ top-name stars doing potentially controversial work.

Stars including BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty have bumped up their income with work for private companies.

Presenter Fiona Bruce pulled out of a talk at a conference held by a company that had been accused of inadvertently helping criminals to obtain passports after the Daily Mail revealed a potential breach of BBC rules. Business editor Simon Jack was also forced to cancel his appearance at the event.

There are concerns this sort of work could compromise the appearance of impartiality at the corporation. It is understood Mr Davie wants to ‘get a grip’ of the issue and that the idea of a public register where stars have to declare their outside work is in the mix.

BBC staff workers are meant to get approval from their managers when they do this kind of outside work but there is not thought to be any centralised record for it. Mr

Davie is also concerned that this issue and the social media antics of some journalists can ‘erode trust and confidence’ in the broadcaster.

A senior BBC source said: ‘It is by no means everyone, but there are some people at the BBC who aren’t doing themselves or the BBC any favours with their use of social media and that’s going to have to change.’

A former director of global news at the BBC, Richard Sambrook, has been brought in by the broadcaster to look at its social media use and is due to report back in the coming weeks.

Sources say Mr Davie regards impartiality as the ‘cornerstone’ of what the BBC stands for.

The tough new rules will only apply to news staff and would be unlikely to apply to freelance presenters such as Gary Lineker who regularly tweets his political opinions.

Mr Davie will spend his first day in the job visiting the BBC’s base in Scotland before giving a speech to staff on Thursday where he will set out his strategy for the corporation. It is understood there will be ‘pretty tough language’ on impartiality.

Other sources believe Mr Davie is keen to try to address growing concerns that the BBC is being dominated by woke politics and ensure that it does not become seen as a campaigning organisation.

Miss Munchetty, 45, who earns about £190,000 a year, was recently warned by the BBC about her decision to appear in a public relations video for Aston Martin, amid concerns it could risk a ‘conflict of interest’. health campaigners last year criticised Mr Sopel, 61, for giving a talk to staff at tobacco company Philip Morris International. Mr Sopel’s agent declined to comment at the time.

‘Erode trust and confidence’