New guidelines for staff and freelancers relating to social media use. It follows controversy over a tweet made by Star Presenter gary lineker earlier this year. The bbc appointed the former ceo of itn john hardy to review the policy and those findings have just been hardy to review the policy and those findings havejust been made public. With me now is our Media Correspondent. First of all, i note you have got a big wad of documents, talk us through these findings, what they say, what changes how we seeing . I they say, what changes how we seeinu . They say, what changes how we seein . , they say, what changes how we seeinu . Ii seeing . I have a 50 Page Document. You thought seeing . I have a 50 Page Document. You thought it seeing . I have a 50 Page Document. You thought it would seeing . I have a 50 Page Document. You thought it would be seeing . I have a 50 Page Document. You thought it would be simple . Seeing . I have a 50 Page Document. You thought it would be simple . It | you thought it would be simple . It is anything but the essence of it is anything but the essence of it is this would not have happened if not for a row with gary lineker, presenter of much of the day, the highest paid bbc game and also person who tweet regularly and often on political issues. He is not unafraid to express these views about what is going on in the world and it was specific tweet in which he said of the language being used was similar to that being used in nazi germany in the 30s when he was referenced back to refugee policy. He was briefly suspended by the bbc and then allowed back and then the bbc said, we need a review of the rules. This is what we have, 50 pages. The topline says, and this is from mr hardy, i recommend the high Profile Presenters outside of journalism should be able to express views on issues and policies, including matters of political contention. And then there are the books. There is a list. Of course, you have to be absolutely impartial on social media, no question. The head of the bbc, the Director General said impartiality is that number one watchword. Does this apply to the hundreds and hundreds of other people who present and appear on bbc programmes . And for the most part, if you are on a bbc programme and it is not news, you are pretty much free to express your views unless you are part of this new group which add known as flagship programme. You have a list here, for instance, antiques roadshow, dragons den, masterchef, much of the day, which is of course gary lineker. You have an extra responsibility not to bring their bbc into disrepute or get it into political bother. While the programme is on air. However, i have to say there are many grey areas in this. There are phrases like proportional constraint. How this will apply to individual tweets will only be tested when the next tweet comes along when people go, i think that has crossed a line. But for the most part, if you are a presenter of Major Programme on the bbc you are not being told you cannot express views about issues that might be politically contentious, and i think the audience, a lot of the research says, they want people who are completely anodyne and had no opinions, they like personalities, people with a background certainly in use, absolute impartiality, but i think there is a lot of detail to be waded through but for the most part the question will be back tweet that gary lineker got him into trouble, how would that apply with a new rails . It is a question i think for the Director General. We will find that out later today. You the directorgeneral. We will find that out later today. The directorgeneral. We will find that out later today. You talk about re that out later today. You talk about grey areas that out later today. You talk about grey areas how that out later today. You talk about grey areas. How easy that out later today. You talk about grey areas. How easy will that out later today. You talk about grey areas. How easy will it that out later today. You talk about grey areas. How easy will it be that out later today. You talk about grey areas. How easy will it be to i grey areas. How easy will it be to implement this . You have got this 50 Page Document. We implement this . You have got this 50 Page DocumentPage Document. We are struggling to understand it Page Document. We are struggling to understand it. We Page Document. We are struggling to understand it. We have Page Document. We are struggling to understand it. We have only Page Document. We are struggling to understand it. We have only had Page Document. We are struggling to understand it. We have only had it i understand it. We have only had it for a few minutes, and thinking to ourselves, all the potential things could be tweeted that could appear on social media that could be said in public, could it cross a line . Could it not cross a line . The review makes it absolutely clear, this is a really difficult matter and you dont want to have a situation whereby people who appear on programmes arent allowed to have opinions, not allowed to have personalities, because that is a lot of the reason why people tune in. They like these people and they like the fact they are slightly outrageous or maybe have opinions about things. So the devil will be in the implementation and anyone who takes thisjob on in the implementation and anyone who takes this job on of writing these rules has to leave in grey areas and the grey areas will lead to the next row. , ~ ,. , row. Does it feel like there is a winner or row. Does it feel like there is a winner or loser . Row. Does it feel like there is a winner or loser . This row. Does it feel like there is a winner or loser . This all row. Does it feel like there is a winner or loser . This all stems row. Does it feel like there is a winner or loser . This all stems from that tweet from gary lineker. It will be interesting to see what gary lineker has to say because if you read it as far as you can tell at the moment, this does allow him to carry on and express views on matters that he thinks are very important issues and policies, including matters of political contention. The issue will be exactly what this closed season while the Flagship Programmes are on air, how different would your tweets or messages have to be during that period . We will be asking more questions. I think there is a lot of clarification needed. Just questions. I think there is a lot of clarification needed. Clarification needed. Just before ou to, clarification needed. Just before you go. Do clarification needed. Just before you go. Do you clarification needed. Just before you go, do you think clarification needed. Just before you go, do you think the clarification needed. Just before you go, do you think the bbc. Clarification needed. Just before i you go, do you think the bbc could lose . You talk about presenters wanting to have a personality. Could the bbc lose talent over this . Youd the bbc lose talent over this . Youd look at their the bbc lose talent over this . Youd look at their flagship the bbc lose talent over this . Your. Look at their Flagship Programmes and i think i would be hard pressed. The only person who may be stands out there who has expressed political opinions and is a lord is lord sugarfrom the political opinions and is a lord is lord sugar from The Apprentice. Political opinions and is a lord is lord sugarfrom The Apprentice. So certainly his tweet in the past, he has expressed pungent views, probably during The Apprentice who will be told, step back. But once it is not on air, he might have more latitude. But the rest of them, i would be very surprised if there was anything that would cause any particular. I dont think Strictly Come Dancing in the presenter to have much of a history of expressing Strong Political views on matters of contention. So i think it is pretty much not a great deal of change but we will wait to see. There could be something in here i havent seen yet something in here i havent seen yet so i will do more reading i something in here i havent seen yet so i will do more reading so i will do more reading i believe ou do so i will do more reading i believe you do that so i will do more reading i believe you do that thank so i will do more reading i believe you do that thank you so i will do more reading i believe you do that thank you for so i will do more reading i believe you do that thank you for your you do that thank you for your insight and analysis there. Lets stick with the story and cross live to a Media Correspondent for the times newspaper. Alex, david saying there he is trying to go through that quite large document. Have you managed to take a look . What that quite large document. Have you managed to take a look . That quite large document. Have you managed to take a look . What is your take . As david managed to take a look . What is your take . As david said, managed to take a look . What is your take . As david said, it managed to take a look . What is your take . As david said, it is managed to take a look . What is your take . As david said, it is very take . As david said, it is very thorough. Take . As david said, it is very thorough, comprehensive update to the existing Social Media Guidelines. It will take time to digest guidelines. It will take time to digest. From my initial response, it appears digest. From my initial response, it appears that the bbc has set out a requirement for the presenters of its highest Profile Programming that they do its highest Profile Programming that they do have to be careful in terms of what they do have to be careful in terms of what the they do have to be careful in terms of what the messages they are posting of what the messages they are posting on social media are around the time posting on social media are around the time that those programmes are on air the time that those programmes are on air and the time that those programmes are on air. And that seems to me to be a sort of on air. And that seems to me to be a sort of sensible option and a way in which sort of sensible option and a way in which it sort of sensible option and a way in which it is sort of sensible option and a way in which it is decided to tackle the issue which it is decided to tackle the issue. � ,. ,. , issue. And you mentioned impartiality issue. And you mentioned impartiality at issue. And you mentioned impartiality at the issue. And you mentioned impartiality at the bbc, i issue. And you mentioned l impartiality at the bbc, why issue. And you mentioned impartiality at the bbc, why is it so essential for the bbc to get this right . So essential for the bbc to get this rit ht . ,. ,. , so essential for the bbc to get this ritht . , , so essential for the bbc to get this riuht . , ,. , so essential for the bbc to get this riuht . ,. ,. , right . Impartiality is at the heart of what the right . Impartiality is at the heart of what the bbc right . Impartiality is at the heart of what the bbc does right . Impartiality is at the heart of what the bbc does and right . Impartiality is at the heart of what the bbc does and is right . Impartiality is at the heart l of what the bbc does and is about. It is of what the bbc does and is about. It is a of what the bbc does and is about. It is a crucial of what the bbc does and is about. It is a crucial part of it because it relies it is a crucial part of it because it relies on it is a crucial part of it because it relies on impartiality to maintain trust. The bbc is funded by fee payers maintain trust. The bbc is funded by fee payers and is expected to reflect fee payers and is expected to reflect all opinions, the reason that it reflect all opinions, the reason that it is reflect all opinions, the reason that it is felt necessary to revisit its social that it is felt necessary to revisit its Social Media Guidelines because there its Social Media Guidelines because there was its Social Media Guidelines because there was concern that in this fast moving, Evolving Space the rutes fast moving, Evolving Space the rules that fast moving, Evolving Space the rules that existed were not really fit for rules that existed were not really fit for purpose any more. It needed to return fit for purpose any more. It needed to return to fit for purpose any more. It needed to return to them, it got injohn hardy, to return to them, it got injohn hardy, former executive of itn, to overrule hardy, former executive of itn, to overrule what the existing guidelines were and he has come back with what guidelines were and he has come back with what seems to be a very comprehensive set of regulations that its comprehensive set of regulations that its presenters will be required to stick to in order to ensure required to stick to in order to ensure that impartiality is maintained. Ensure that impartiality is maintained. , ~ maintained. Does it feel like. I asked a similar maintained. Does it feel like. I asked a similar question maintained. Does it feel like. I asked a similar question to maintained. Does it feel like. I. Asked a similar question to david, does it feel like this all came and stemmed from that tweet by gary lineker . Does it feel like there is a winner or loser in this situation . I think it is too early to say. I think i think it is too early to say. I think that i think it is too early to say. I think that what we have got is, it seems think that what we have got is, it seems to think that what we have got is, it seems to me gary lineker, for example. Seems to me gary lineker, for example, it appears will have to be careful example, it appears will have to be careful about what it is he is tweeting careful about what it is he is tweeting whilst much of the day is on air~ tweeting whilst much of the day is on air. Much of the day is on air for many on air. Much of the day is on air for many weeks a year Match Of The Day for many weeks a year Match Of The Day. Outside of that he will have the day. Outside of that he will have more latitude but other programmes he has presented, flagships, if theyre out world cups, flagships, if theyre out world cups, he flagships, if theyre out world cups, he also may have to limit what he says cups, he also may have to limit what he says so cups, he also may have to limit what he says. So winners and losers, it is difficult he says. So winners and losers, it is difficult to he says. So winners and losers, it is difficult to say. I think they are trying is difficult to say. I think they are trying to strike a balance, not penalised are trying to strike a balance, not penalised people and not trying to prevent penalised people and not trying to prevent them from having freedom of expression. Prevent them from having freedom of expression, but they do need to recognise expression, but they do need to recognise that there needs to be clearly recognise that there needs to be clearly understood middle ground in which clearly understood middle ground in which both are bbc and its presenters can operate. A recap, these new presenters can operate. A recap, these new rules presenters can operate. A recap, these new rules that presenters can operate. A recap, these new rules that have presenters can operate. A recap, these new rules that have been l these new rules that have been published for bbc flagship presenters, high Profile Presenters they say should be allowed to express views on issues and policies but stop short of political campaigning. The Flagship Programmes include Match Of The Day, which lineker presents, plus The Apprentice, with alan sugar, so a number of these high profile programmes, how easy will it be to implement these rules . That programmes, how easy will it be to implement these rules . Programmes, how easy will it be to implement these rules . At the end of the da , implement these rules . At the end of the day. The implement these rules . At the end of the day. The bbc implement these rules . At the end of the day, the bbc will implement these rules . At the end of the day, the bbc will have implement these rules . At the end of the day, the bbc will have to implement these rules . At the end of the day, the bbc will have to rely the day, the bbc will have to rely on the the day, the bbc will have to rely on the stars of these high profile shows on the stars of these high profile shows to on the stars of these high profile shows to observe them. One issue is that, shows to observe them. One issue is that, arguably, the rules were already that, arguably, the rules were already in that, arguably, the rules were already in place and that they were being already in place and that they were being flouted by gary lineker, which is one being flouted by gary lineker, which is one reason why the bbc felt obliged is one reason why the bbc felt obliged to take off the air. It is undoubtably a grey area. Whether or not these undoubtably a grey area. Whether or not these guidelines are successful in terms not these guidelines are successful in terms of not these guidelines are successful in terms of bringing clarity to that, in terms of bringing clarity to that, it in terms of bringing clarity to that, it remains to be seen. Media correspondent that, it remains to be seen. Media correspondent for that, it remains to be seen. Media correspondent for the that, it remains to be seen. Media correspondent for the times correspondent for the times newspaper, thank yo