Distribution Network
Content
The BBC is creating a human rights framework tailored to the specific needs of a media organization with operations in countries run by oppressive regimes.
Initial work on the policy is being carried out by a senior editor on secondment from the BBC’s radio division to its CSR centre, which oversees social responsibility programmes.
Michael Hastings, head of corporate social responsibility at the BBC, said most organizations are open to criticism for operating in oppressive regimes, but the BBC has an editorial duty to work in them – and the framework will take that into account.
‘The question is not whether we should be in these countries, but how we manage the process,’ said Hastings. ‘We need to look at how the BBC is represented through reporters, stringers and other staff, as well as the nature of engagement with the governments concerned and with other organizations in those countries. Those are the kinds of questions we need to ask as we develop the framework. We also need to look at the relationship between human rights policies set out by the United Nations and others, and how that feeds into programme planning.’
Once the BBC has determined what issues should be considered, the framework will be developed in conjunction with editorial teams. Detailed drafting will begin soon and should be complete by the end of the year.
The BBC, which recently published its first CSR report, anticipates that the editorial policy will be hard to develop, compared with principles that govern purely commercial activity in oppressive regimes. ‘The key is that we’re looking at what it means for us in an editorial context as well as an operational one,’ said Hastings. ‘In many ways the operational side of a human rights policy is easier to produce.’ The BBC, which will report regularly on its adherence to the framework, says that ‘ill thought through’ questions from CSR index compilers and ratings agencies about its presence in oppressive regimes had been a spur to the work.
‘Our editorial staff are clearly not trading in such countries, but instead bringing news information to the wider world from them, and very often feeding it back into those countries as well. Nevertheless, the issue comes up on a lot of measurement frameworks, so we need to construct something that takes account of that and is going to work for the BBC.’
The corporation, which receives £2.8billion ($5.2bn) a year in licence fees, sees strong CSR policies as integral to its bid for renewal of its broadcasting charter in 2007 and believes a human rights framework will help in this regard.
Initial work on the policy is being carried out by a senior editor on secondment from the BBC’s radio division to its CSR centre, which oversees social responsibility programmes.
Michael Hastings, head of corporate social responsibility at the BBC, said most organizations are open to criticism for operating in oppressive regimes, but the BBC has an editorial duty to work in them – and the framework will take that into account.
‘The question is not whether we should be in these countries, but how we manage the process,’ said Hastings. ‘We need to look at how the BBC is represented through reporters, stringers and other staff, as well as the nature of engagement with the governments concerned and with other organizations in those countries. Those are the kinds of questions we need to ask as we develop the framework. We also need to look at the relationship between human rights policies set out by the United Nations and others, and how that feeds into programme planning.’
Once the BBC has determined what issues should be considered, the framework will be developed in conjunction with editorial teams. Detailed drafting will begin soon and should be complete by the end of the year.
The BBC, which recently published its first CSR report, anticipates that the editorial policy will be hard to develop, compared with principles that govern purely commercial activity in oppressive regimes. ‘The key is that we’re looking at what it means for us in an editorial context as well as an operational one,’ said Hastings. ‘In many ways the operational side of a human rights policy is easier to produce.’ The BBC, which will report regularly on its adherence to the framework, says that ‘ill thought through’ questions from CSR index compilers and ratings agencies about its presence in oppressive regimes had been a spur to the work.
‘Our editorial staff are clearly not trading in such countries, but instead bringing news information to the wider world from them, and very often feeding it back into those countries as well. Nevertheless, the issue comes up on a lot of measurement frameworks, so we need to construct something that takes account of that and is going to work for the BBC.’
The corporation, which receives £2.8billion ($5.2bn) a year in licence fees, sees strong CSR policies as integral to its bid for renewal of its broadcasting charter in 2007 and believes a human rights framework will help in this regard.
Super Featured
No
Featured
No