It has been said that a loophole exempting BBC personality Chris Packham from impartiality guidelines allows him to applaud anti-hunt saboteurs.
Former England cricketer Ian Botham was among the guests at the grouse shooting party, and the wildlife broadcaster recently tweeted his support for the protesters.
According to the Telegraph, while the organization has strong guidelines about impartiality for people who work in news and current affairs, Mr. Packham is not subject to them.
This is so because he only has contracts to work on scientific and natural history projects and doesn’t only work for the BBC.
Posts by “programmers, editorial staff, correspondents, or presenters principally identified with the BBC… have the potential to undermine the BBC’s impartiality and to harm its brand,” according to social media standards.
They continue by saying that persons in the news industry “have a special obligation to avoid harming the impartiality of the BBC.”
The Countryside Alliance, which promotes outdoor activities including hunting and shooting, was outraged by Mr. Packham’s tweet last month, and its members started a petition asking the BBC to amend its policies so that he is protected.
More than 3,000 individuals have already signed the petition that accused the broadcaster of “gaslighting.”
BBC star Chris Packham is allowed to praise anti-hunt saboteurs because of a loophole which frees him from impartiality rules, it has been claimed
The petition states: ‘In view of Chris Packham’s public support of the criminal activities by saboteurs, and the need to ensure the impartiality of all those employed by the BBC irrespective of their employment contract, the Corporation needs to extend its existing rules to all its presenters.
‘Every presenter should be governed by clear rules regardless of their employment status.
‘We therefore need your help in making it clear to Tim Davie that the BBC must either tell Chris Packham to follow its impartiality rules or else stop employing him.’
The row revolved around a group of black-clad demonstrators called the Hunt Saboteurs Association descending on Snailsden Moor, near Penistone in the Peak District when Lord Botham and his hunting party were preparing to go shooting on August 16.
‘Beefy’ was part of the legal shoot that was ultimately abandoned after saboteurs disrupted the party, sitting down in front of the former all-rounder’s 4×4 as part of a series of actions to disrupt the start of the season.
Mr Packham described the efforts to disrupt the shoot as ‘top work’ on Twitter, before adding: ‘Oh dear, what a shame, next…’
Adrian Blackmore, Director of the Campaign for Shooting at the Countryside Alliance said: ‘Clearly the status quo is not fit for purpose. Chris Packham is among one of the most recognizable presenters at the BBC.
‘When people see Mr Packham, they associate him with the BBC, and when he is discussed in the wider media, he is commonly referred to as a BBC presenter.
‘Suggesting he is not to those that rightly say otherwise, is a blatant example of gaslighting. The public does not differentiate between BBC presenters on the basis of their contracts.
‘It’s time Tim Davie put his words into action and extended impartiality rules to all BBC presenters. Failure to comply should simply result in not renewing future contracts.
‘Doing so will show genuine commitment to protecting the BBC’s standing and integrity among license fee payers.’
Former England cricket star Ian Botham, pictured left, was angered when a planned afternoon shooting grouse on Snailsden Moor in the Peak District on August 16
It is the latest impartiality row involving the BBC after it was claimed bosses ordered a senior journalist to apologise to Gary Lineker for blasting the Match Of The Day host’s anti-Government tweets.
One insider claimed that the editor would get lots of support because ‘Lineker’s social media stuff is deeply irritating to many BBC journalists’.
The row came as the ex-England striker tweeted ‘As a politician how could you ever, under any circumstances, bring yourself to vote for pumping sewage into our seas? Unfathomable!’
In response, foreign news editor Neil Henderson asked the star if his contract allowed him to make such comments.
Lineker, the BBC’s best-paid presenter, who last year earned more than £1.35million there, pointed out that because he did not work in news and current affairs he could say such things.
Mr Henderson replied: ‘Does not our duty of impartiality apply across the BBC?’
He added afterwards: ‘The BBC lives or dies by its impartiality. If you can’t abide it, get off it.’
But on Tuesday, apparently under pressure, Mr Henderson said: ‘I’d like to apologise for earlier tweets (now deleted) responding to Gary Lineker. I should have shown more consideration to a BBC colleague – as per the BBC’s social media guidelines.’
The BBC has been approached for comment on its position regarding Mr Packham and impartiality.