OPINION: MOTD viewers in for a Lineker-free weekend – it should be permanent
Is Gary Lineker's absence from the BBC1 show this weekend related to his call for Israel to be banned from football?, wonders Charlotte Henry.
Gary Lineker will not present Match of the Day this weekend. The presenter is on a conveniently timed, supposedly pre-planned, break and former Lioness Alex Scott will step in.
Such moves are apparently planned weeks in advance, and it is certainly true that the BBC’s iPlayer names Scott as the presenter, although, in theory it could have updated this at any time. A preview by Radio Times from Monday also named Scott as the stand in, although at the time of writing Lineker is listed on the TV schedule it provides.
Either way, Jewish News understands Lineker will return as usual next week, when the Premier League once again has a full slate of matches after its (sort of) winter break. That is also reflected in TV guides.
This is a risible decision given the former England star retweeted (then deleted) a call from a BDS campaign group that Israel be banned from international football competition until its war with Hamas has ended.
The BBC has decided that sharing this online does not constitute a breach of its updated social media guidelines and will let Lineker return to our screens as if nothing has happened. These guidelines, lest we forget, were updated in September largely for Lineker and as a result of the issues he caused by sharing his political opinions online. Reports elsewhere suggest that other BBC colleagues are rather fed up with his digital antics.
Laughably, Lineker apparently thought his latest online outburst was about football and not political. I cannot quite fathom how he thought something originally posted by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott wasn’t political, but anyway. Ultimately, this decision is not going to VAR and it seems he will face no obvious sanction. Instead, Lineker will have a quiet weekend off and then slip seamlessly back into his exceptionally highly-paid presenter’s chair.
The BBC policy, however, seems to suggest that a different outcome could have been reached. It states: “Everyone who works for the BBC should ensure their activity on social media platforms does not compromise the perception of or undermine the impartiality and reputation of the BBC, nor their own professional impartiality or reputation and/or otherwise undermine trust in the BBC.”
It continues by explaining that “those presenting flagship programmes on the BBC carry a particular responsibility to help to balance commitments to both freedom of expression and impartiality, because of their profile on the BBC.”
The rules make clear both that this extends to personal and professional use of social media and that Match of the Day is one of those flagship programmes. It calls for adherence to the rules while a season of a flagship programme is running, as MOTD currently is. Retweeting a BDS group is very far from impartial.
The guidance does state that presenters such as Lineker “are free to express opinions about the issues that matter to you. This includes issues that may be the subject of public and political debate.” The idea here was that Chris Packham, for instance, could continue to raise environmental issues. Yet Carol Vorderman was let go from her BBC Wales presenting role as she refused to stop sharing political opinions.
Furthermore, if Lineker was so confident he hadn’t contravened the guidance why did he undo the retweet? There can be no doubt his behaviour threatened perceptions of BBC impartiality during a fraught time in the Middle East and for Jews in the UK.
The BBC may have got lucky in getting Gary Lineker out of the firing line this weekend, but they have been cowardly in not showing him a red card once and for all.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
