"Social media needs regulation"

Friday 10 March 2023

Freedom of speech may be trumping protecting the public and society, and social media needs regulation like the traditional media, long serving BBC newsreader Clive Myrie told local media students yesterday.

Mr Myrie has a journalism career spanning 30-years which has taken him around the world, from the Oscars red carpet in Los Angeles to the press corp rooms of Washington D.C. and the studio of Broadcasting House, London. He has covered every American presidential election since 1996.

He told students of his fascination with the United States, but above all his people-focused reporting style: “I’m interested in what makes people tick, the human element of stories which show the human condition."

When questioned why media regulation is so complex, Mr Myrie suggested there is always a fine balance to find between competing things like freedom of speech and the need to protect the public from harm. 

But he claimed social media and the advent of opinion-based news is complicating things, often weighting discussions too much towards free speech and therefore allowing baseless propaganda to spread.

“Social media has got to be governed,” he said, “it can’t be the wild west… standards are crucial.”

He said the United States now represents a “free for all” with a broken political system, partly since it lacks the media regulation and standards it used to enforce, which is seen in the United Kingdom through Ofcom. 

But he hoped that most can see the distinction between traditional journalism and opinion-driven news.

Pictured: Gary Linekar is currently at the centre of a BBC impartiality row. 

One way in which news organisations can show themselves to be trustworthy is by making efforts to show how conclusions are reached within stories, and showing the methodology behind questions, interviews, and guest selection.

That’s important, he said, as always offering equal weight on every issue creates a “false equivalence”. 

The fact that 99% of the scientific community agree man-made climate change is happening means due impartiality is applied at the BBC to ensure propaganda and conspiracy isn’t given equal weight.

One must weigh up the arguments and then weigh up a conclusion that many would acknowledge is an idea of the truth, he said, adding that the other side should never be dismissed “out of hand” and only with the facts. 

When questioned on what should happen to Gary Linekar, who caused controversy this week for comparing HM Government’s immigration policy with 1930s Germany, he hinted that it’s a procedural test which had yet to face the BBC until now. 

He noted that the corporation usually takes no issue with those who may be on the payroll but don’t work in the news division. He said this applies to Mr Linekar, who is employed as a freelance sports reporter.

Amongst his varied news journalism career, Mr Myrie is currently writing a memoir, preparing to release an Italian travel series, and presenting the gameshow Mastermind – showing the students how a career in media needn’t be boxed in to one discipline or platform. 

He also offered career advice to the students, saying showing enthusiasm and “commitment to the trade” is essential.

Mr Myrie was brought over to the island by Skipton International, which also sponsored an event with him later that evening in support of Guernsey Alzheimers Association.